What first struck me about the game was just how pretty it is. Mirror's Edge using the Unreal Engine but it does so to create something so unfamiliar, a first-person perspective in a bright, crisp world. Matching the simple aesthetic, the games controls are very straight forward. Granted I only had a chance to run and interact with the environment, so I'm not sure how combat will hold up.

The thing about this game is that it creates the sort of environment that makes you strive for perfection. You can run through section of the city pretty much anyway you want. I could, for instance, while tearing across one roof section, run between the slanted solar panels, and around the raised roof in the center of the building. In fact, there was no incentive for me to do anything else. I suppose it was a little slower to take the mundane route, but there was no score involved, no bad guys chasing me.

Despite that I ended up circling back three times to do it the parkour way, to leap from roof to roof, scale a fence, roll on my landing and use the momentum to quicken my run up a solar panel and leap to the raised building. It was the sort of feeling, I bet, that skateboarders or skiiers get. You want to do a trick and you want to do it just right.

If the brief snippet of the game is any indication of the rest of the title, than I can see myself playing and replaying levels until I land my runs, my leaps, my rolls just right. And I'll do it for the sheer joy of pulling it off. That's what all games should deliver.

I was talking with McWhertor why the game made me motion sick. He pointed out that the game does leave out certain colors in the color platte and that maybe, just maybe that's the reason. That, or the jet lag or the lack of sleep.

They got a demo room filled with top-notch titles like Dead Space, Warhammer Online, Mirror's Edge, Mercenaries 2, and Madden 09, as well as the EA Software Showcase booth, which will be showing off even more games - The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, Crysis Warhead, and Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 to name a few. Throw in partner games like Rock Band 2 at the MTV booth and Valve's Left 4 Dead and you've got a whole lot of real estate for the gaming press to cover in a very short time. Hit the jump for the full monty, including listings of which games are up for coveted E3 awards.

EA Unveils Blockbuster Games for 2008 Holiday Including Spore, Madden NFL 09, Mirror’s Edge, Dead Space, MySims Kingdom, LITTLEST PET SHOP, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames and More
E3 Titles Showcase Quality, Innovation and Accessibility on New Properties and Popular Franchises

E3 Media & Business Summit 2008
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today unveiled the games it will feature at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) July 15 – 17. The games — scheduled to ship on multiple platforms in 2008 and early 2009 – include riveting graphics, deep stories and online, socially connected experiences. EA’s portfolio covers many genres and platforms for core gamers and new players alike. Veteran players will love the feature innovations in our core titles; new players – women, young people and adults – will have a wide selection of highly accessible games like MySims™ Kingdom, Hasbro’s LITTLEST PET SHOP and FaceBreaker™ a new arcade-style boxing game from the new EA SPORTS Freestyle™ brand.

“EA’s 2008 lineup is our best ever,” said EA CEO John Riccitiello. “This is the year that our core franchises leap forward with stunning innovation and we introduce more brand new games than any other year in our history. Sports lovers will compete in an all new holographic mode in Madden NFL 09 and experience the online evolution of their players in NBA LIVE 09. Action fans will be able to destroy everything in sight in Mercenaries 2 and be scared witless in our new Sci-Fi horror title Dead Space. We’ve got casual family titles like Hasbro’s LITTLEST PET SHOP and genre-defying experiences like Mirror’s Edge and Spore. EA has never offered consumers a stronger, more innovative and diverse line up of new games.”

“EA’s 2008 lineup includes titles that are going to change how people purchase, play and socialize in games,” said EA COO John Pleasants. “Spore – scheduled for release in September – can be experienced as a single player or in an online social network that will form its own galaxy. Battlefield Heroes brings comic-styled warfare together with multi-player fun in the first free-to-play First Person Shooter. MySims PC brings multi-player interaction to the universe of MySims. Warhammer Online promises realm-versus-realm gameplay, unique in the scale and consequence thousands of players can experience together in a game. These games are great examples of the many titles that will allow consumers to interact with their friends and with EA’s content in new ways that bridge the gap between games and social networks.”

EA will kick off its E3 presence with a press conference hosted by CEO John Riccitiello, and spotlighting many of the creative leaders as well as featuring new titles from EA.

The complete line-up of titles on display at E3 by location at the Los Angeles Convention Center includes:

Titles showcased in the EA Demo Room - Meeting Room 402 A&B at the LACC

Dead Space TM

In this new game from EA’s Redwood Shores Studio, a massive deep-space mining ship goes dark after unearthing a strange artifact on a distant planet. Engineer Isaac Clarke embarks on the repair mission, only to uncover a nightmarish bloodbath—the ship’s crew horribly slaughtered and infected by an alien scourge. Now Isaac is cut off, trapped, and engaged in a desperate fight for survival.

E3 award consideration: Best Action/Adventure Game

FaceBreaker

A new game from EA Canada, FaceBreaker offers irreverent fun, immersive gameplay and eye-popping stylized graphics. In this in-your-face, arcade world full of ego-wielding characters, each boxer comes to life with unique attributes and distinct personal style. In addition, FaceBreaker K.O. Party, built exclusively with Wii™ consumers in mind, brings the magic of social play right into the living room with pick-up-and-punch intuitive gestures. In FaceBreaker, it just feels good to rearrange an opponent's face.

HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT

A new game from EA’s Casual label, HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT creates a whole new way for families and friends to play together. Players join host Mr. Potato Head as they play the classic Hasbro games well known by all as well as exciting new versions created for the Wii and PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system. Launching this November, HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT features family favorites such as CONNECT FOUR, BATTLESHIP, YAHTZEE, BOGGLE, SORRY! and the all new, SORRY! Sliders.

E3 award consideration: Best Social/ Casual/ Puzzle Game

LITTLEST PET SHOP

A new game from EA’s Casual Label, LITTLEST PET SHOP pets come to life this October in the LITTLEST PET SHOP video game. Launching on the Wii, Nintendo DS™ (3 versions), and PC, girls can explore three unique worlds as they discover their own magical Pet Shop. LITTLEST PET SHOP gives girls the opportunity to play with and collect 20 LITTLEST PETS on the Nintendo DS and 30 on the Wii and PC. Earn Kibble Coins to buy over 100 accessories for pets as well as tons of digital playsets in game from the 2008 toy-line. Players can play in either explore in free-play mode or in compete in more than 15 different fun and accessible mini-games.

Madden NFL 09

Developed by EA Tiburon, the ground-breaking Madden NFL 09 marks the 20th anniversary of one of the best-selling and most critically-acclaimed videogame franchises of all time. Among the more than 85 new features and enhancements, the game includes adaptable gameplay tailored to every type of gamer, improved graphics and animations, and a new network-inspired broadcast style presentation that delivers an authentic NFL experience. With unique controls, modes and presentation, Madden NFL 09 All-Play is designed specifically for the Wii and features fun, approachable and innovative gameplay. No matter the skill level, players can be competitive with three gameplay styles to choose from, ranging from Easy to Advanced.

E3 award consideration: Best Sports Game

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™

From Pandemic™, an EA studio, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is an explosive open-world action game set in a massive, highly reactive, war-torn Venezuela. A power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply, sparking an invasion that turns the country into a warzone. But in this game where gamers play the role of mercenaries, international crisis is all upside and the mercenaries can only profit from all the chaos.

E3 award consideration: Best Console Game

Mirror’s Edge™

A new game from EA’s DICE Studio, Mirror’s Edge takes place in a city where information is heavily monitored, agile couriers called Runners transport sensitive data away from prying eyes. Gamers play a Runner called Faith, and this innovative first-person action-adventure is a personal story. In this seemingly utopian paradise, a crime has been committed, Faith’s sister has been framed and now she is being hunted. Mirror’s Edge delivers gamers straight into the shoes of this unique heroine as she traverses the vertigo-inducing cityscape, engaging in intense combat and fast paced chases. From the makers of the groundbreaking Battlefield franchise, Mirror’s Edge is an action-adventure experience unlike any other.

E3 award consideration: Best of Show/ Best Original Game

Mobile, iPhone™ & iPod® titles

iPhone/iPod Touch Games from EA Mobile™
EA Mobile was one of the first companies to announce that they are making games for the iPhone. This July EA Mobile will announce the ever popular SCRABBLE, Sudoku and Tetris® for the iPhone and iPod touch, and coming this fall EA Mobile will announce an original game called Spore™ Origins, based on the PC/Mac version of Spore. The unique capabilities of the iPhone and iPod touch offer a completely unique mobile gaming experience through the use of features like the accelerometer, touch screens, and high definition graphics.

iPod Games from EA Mobile
Three new iPod games will be available this July – MONOPOLY, SCRABBLE and YAHTZEE! All three games are based on popular board games and are under license from Hasbro, Inc. The iPod Click Wheel™ provides an excellent game play experience as players take family fun to their iPod.

Mobile Phone Games from EA Mobile
EA Mobile will offer previews of two original games for the mobile platform Spore Origins and Wolfenstein RPG™, as well as Tetris® POP. Spore Origins is an original action-puzzle game for mobile phones from the creators of The Sims™, and Wolfenstein RPG is a fun mobile version of the classic first person shooter created in conjunction with id Software. Tetris POP is an all new version of Tetris, the consistent best seller on mobile, offering a range of game play with 17 different mini-variations. And finally, attendees can see a demo of the recently-released Kung Fu Panda™, based on the major motion picture from DreamWorks Animation.

The Sims™ 2 Apartment Pets for the Nintendo DS

From EA’s Redwood Shores Studio, The Sims 2 Apartment Pets for Nintendo DS, players can care for a variety of local pets, including loveable cats and dogs, slithery snakes, hamsters, colorful birds, and cuddly rabbits to make sure they receive the right treatment so that they stay happy, healthy and good looking. Simoleans earned can be used to furnish the perfect apartment and buy fun pet accessories like hats, shoes and toys. Players can use the Nintendo DS touch screen and stylus to play cool mini games and unlock new objects for their Sim and their pets.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 09 for the PSP®

From EA’s Tiburon Studio, with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 for the PSP, everyone plays and anyone can win. From the seasoned veteran or to the novice hitting the links for the first time, gamers play with maximum control and aim for consistency using a simplified swing system in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09. Gamers can take aim at family, friends, and rivals in the all-new EA SPORTS Cup tournament, where momentum is gained or lost after every swing. With easy-to-use swing mechanics and an all-new controller system, gamers play their way to the top of the leader board with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09.

Zubo™

A new game from EA’s Bright Light Studio, and designed exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld system, Zubo is perfect for kids of all ages. Launched into the fully 3D world of Zubalon, kids will meet the colorful and comical stars of the game, the Zubos. While traveling through the game, players can befriend any Zubos they meet along the way, feeding and nurturing them, helping them gain skills and strength, and assisting them in chasing off the evil Zombos in strategic battles with an innovative rhythm action mechanic. With 55 Zubos available to find and recruit to a player’s squad, over 100 fully animated comedy battle moves, 10 lands of Zubalon to explore, plus a wealth of interactions and mini-games, Zubo offers a deeply rewarding Nintendo DS experience. Zubo will be available this fall in Europe and spring 2009 in North America.

MySims, made for the PC

From EA’s Redwood Shores Studio, in MySims, made for the PC, players can find all the fun of the first MySims game plus new and unique online features, characters and content as they create their own town and discover its surprises. New features in MySims, made for the PC, are the ability to safely chat and play games like Tag and Hide-and-Seek with online contacts. Players can also share constructions, like personalized buildings and furniture with up to seven other online friends. Even package and send off custom creations via email or instant message so those select others can use them in their own MySims town.

MySims Kingdom for the Wii and Nintendo DS

From EA’s Redwood Shores Studio, the MySims Kingdom experience begins in The Capital, the majestic land at the center of the adventure. After meeting an initial cast of characters including King Roland, Princess Butter, and constant companions Buddy and Lyndsay, players can venture beyond The Capital. Adventure awaits as players get in their boats and sail to many more lands on the horizon.

E3 award consideration: Best Handheld Game

Spore

A new game from EA’s Maxis™ Studio and industry veteran Will Wright, Spore is a personal universe in a box. In this universe players can create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations and even sculpt entire worlds. In Spore, there are a variety of creation tools that allow players to customize nearly every aspect of the universe: creatures, vehicles, buildings, and even spaceships. While Spore is a single player game, gamers’ creations and other players’ creations are automatically shared between galaxies, providing a limitless number of worlds to explore and play.

E3 award consideration: Best PC Game

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09

From EA’s Tiburon Studio, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 for the Xbox 360 TM will feature dynamic, personalized gameplay via Tiger Woods’ personal coach, Hank Haney. In Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09, a player’s skill level is dynamic, constantly adjusting throughout the round just as it would during a real afternoon out on the links. EA SPORTS GamerNet is a ground-breaking online innovation that features a refined, easy-to-use interface in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09. Online play has also been enhanced with Simultaneous Play allowing up to four players the ability to play each hole at the same time. In addition, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 All-Play for the Wii features new graphics and user interface while also incorporating interactive and social mini-games. The standing swing control, the most “true to life” golf mechanic you can find in any videogame, truly takes advantage of the Wii console’s unique control scheme.

Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™

A new title from EA’s Mythic Studio, gamers declare allegiance and join thousands of mighty heroes on the battlefields of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, the new MMORPG from the creators of Dark Age of Camelot™. Players enter a grim world of perpetual conflict to fight for the Realms of Order or Destruction and invade enemy lands, besiege imposing fortresses, and sack sprawling capital cities for the glory of the Realm.

E3 award consideration: Best Online Multiplayer Game

Titles showcased in the EA Software Showcase - Booth #131 at the LACC

Command & Conquer TM Red Alert TM 3

EA Los Angeles has traveled seven years back in time to resurrect Red Alert, the most-beloved series in the storied, 25-million-unit-plus-selling Command & Conquer franchise. Shipping this holiday for the PC and Xbox 360, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 brings back the series’ trademark light-hearted tone and action-oriented gameplay while breaking new ground in the strategy genre by adding a fully co-operative story campaign, increasing the emphasis on naval gameplay and housing the best looking graphics a Command & Conquer game has ever seen.

Crysis Warhead®

Award-winning independent studio Crytek and EA Partners are going back to the South China Sea this fall with the PC-exclusive Crysis Warhead, a parallel story to Crysis®, one of the highest rated games last year on any platform. Players will don the Nanosuit of Psycho, the more brash and aggressive Delta Force squadmate of Nomad, experiencing his intense, explosive adventure on the other side of the island. Crysis Warhead is built on a new, enhanced and optimized version of Crytek’s industry-leading CryENGINE® 2 technology.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince™

Gamers will relive all the thrills, action, and excitement of the movie this holiday season! In the game of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, players will return to Hogwarts to help Harry survive a fraught sixth year. They will also have a chance to engage in exciting wizard duels, mix and brew magical ingredients in Potions class and take to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. Players may even get sidetracked by Ron’s romantic entanglements as they journey towards a dramatic climax and discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. From EA’s Bright Light Studio, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is scheduled for release in time for the movie launch this fall for the Wii, PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PSP (PlayStation®Portable), Nintendo DS, Windows PC, Macintosh® and mobile devices.

The Lord of the Rings: Conquest™

From Pandemic, an EA studio and the creators behind the best-selling Star Wars Battlefront™ and Star Wars Battlefront™ II – players grab their blades, bow or staff and ride onto the battlegrounds of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world to fight for either good or evil. For the first time, an extensive single-player campaign lets players ask the question: “What if Frodo failed to destroy the One Ring?” Including tons of adversarial arenas and both a variety of online and split-screen co-op modes, the gamers’ choice is clear: save Middle-earth or destroy it?

SimCity™ Creator for the Wii

From EA’s Redwood Shores Studio, SimCity Creator is a visually exciting experience with a completely new user interface, designed specifically for the Wii and the Wii remote. Players will discover many ways to customize your city, including 13 city styles to explore, such as American, European and Asian themes. For the first time, players will take the liberty to build transportation systems with free placement of rounded and curved roads and rail lines, taking cities to new creative and curvy heights.

MADDEN NFL 09

See details above

NBA LIVE 09

From EA Canada, NBA LIVE 09 has fundamentally shifted the way gamers look at sports simulation games and emulates - with absolute precision - an NBA player based on last night, not last season. Coupled with new features like Pick and Roll Control, Defensive Lockdown Control, Signature Playcalling and Quickstrike Ankle-Breakers, the NBA LIVE experience will hook gamers from beginning to end. For those in need of some extra coaching, NBA LIVE 09 takes gamers to training camp with the NBA Academy that gives them a chance to hone their skills.

NCAA® FOOTBALL 09

From EA Tiburon, NCAA Football 09 offers the electricity that can only be found on Big Play Saturdays. Powered behind groundbreaking gameplay controls and unique college-style animations, NCAA Football 09 arrives on campus with all the excitement and pageantry of a storied college bowl game. Gamers will experience the exhilaration of making big plays on the field with the ability to directly control and influence the game through the all-new Break Away Engine. The Break Away Engine allows players to break in and out of moves, giving the user ultimate control with instant responsiveness on the field. NCAA Football 09 is all about the wide-open collegiate style gameplay and the unique atmosphere typically found on college football Saturdays.

Skate It

From EA’s Black Box and Montreal studios, Skate It brings the fun and soul of skateboarding to the Wii and Nintendo DS. Loaded with all-new gameplay features and a unique set of controls, gamers can express their very own skate style by carving through the world, owning the sickest spots, and putting together the ultimate skate line. Feel the rush of nailing the gnarliest tricks by using the Wii Remote and the stylus-based Flickit Nintendo controls. Or, players can get in touch with the skateboard even more by planting their feet on the Wii Balance Board, and using it to skate, manual and throw down dozens of other authentic moves. Hands or feet, both can be used to deepen the connection between the player and the boarding experience.

TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 09

See details above

Other titles will be shown by EA Partners in the following locations:

Rock Band™ 2

Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company, and MTV Games are taking the groundbreaking music platform that forever changed the face of music video games to the next level this September with the release of Rock Band 2. With the original providing millions of players a new way to interact with the music and artists they love, Rock Band 2 is the next evolution of the franchise that redefined the standard for music games. Delivering an unparalleled selection of new music adding to the Rock Band's already massive library, support for all purchased downloads from the online music store, and an overall deeper gameplay experience, Rock Band 2 will continue to give millions of players a whole new way to enjoy the music and artists they love.

– Rock Band 2 will be on display at the MTV Games Booth located at Suite 308A in the LACC.

E3 award consideration: Best Peripheral/ Hardware Game

Left 4 Dead

Left 4 Dead (L4D) is a new action title from Valve, creators of the Counter-Strike and Half-Life games, that promises to redefine the co-operative genre as those titles did for multiplayer and single player action games. Due for release on the Xbox 360 and PC this November, the co-operative gameplay of L4D casts four "Survivors" in an epic struggle against hordes of swarming zombies and terrifying "Boss Infected" mutants.

– Left 4 Dead will be on display at the Valve booth located at 511B in the West Wing

E3 award consideration: Best Action Game

From what I saw of Mirror's Edge it looks like the sort of game you would want to play through over and over again until you got a level perfect. Missed a step? Screwed up a jump? Start over. Not because you have to but because you want to. And don't worry, they showed some combat as well. People have guns, they want to kill you, and you are fast enough, dexterous enough to deal with them in style. Oh yeah, this is shaping up to be a must have.

Check back on Monday morning for my hands-on impressions of the game.

It was a great experience working with the team at DICE to help breathe life into Faith; her world, relationships and backstory. My heroines and heroes have always been the ones who were ordinary, but through the events of a story, became extraordinary. Faith is skilled, but she's certainly not a superhero. She has her flaws, like all of us. In short: she's real. That's her appeal.

Mirror's Edge drops this winter. Full press release after the jump.

DICE Unveils Rhianna Pratchett as Writer Behind Mirror’s Edge

Original Fiction in Mirror’s Edge Introduces Faith – a Strong New Iconic Videogame Heroine

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—“Once this city used to pulse with energy; dirty and dangerous, but alive and wonderful. Now it is something else.” – Faith. DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ:ERTS), today announced that writer and story designer Rhianna Pratchett is responsible for crafting the intricate script for Mirror’s Edge™ – a unique first-person action adventure. Pratchett introduces players to Faith, a ‘runner’ in a world where communication channels are highly monitored and the movement of human traffic is closely watched. When Faith’s sister gets framed for a murder she did not commit, Faith finds herself on the edge of the city, on the wrong side of the law.

“It was a great experience working with the team at DICE to help breathe life into Faith; her world, relationships and backstory,” said Rhianna Pratchett. “My heroines and heroes have always been the ones who were ordinary, but through the events of a story, became extraordinary. Faith is skilled, but she's certainly not a superhero. She has her flaws, like all of us. In short: she's real. That's her appeal.”

Mirror’s Edge delivers players straight into the shoes of this modern day heroine as she traverses the vertigo-inducing cityscape, engaging in intense combat, fast-paced chases and challenging puzzles. With a never-before-seen sense of movement and perspective, players are drawn into Faith’s world.

“We were excited to work with Rhianna to develop the story, setting and character of Faith,” said Owen O’Brien, Executive Producer, DICE. “We were extremely lucky to be able to work with someone who is not only a writer, but also a core gamer, to create the world of Mirror’s Edge.”

Pratchett has been recognized by the videogame entertainment industry for numerous achievements in her 10 year gaming career including being voted by Next-Gen.Biz as one of the 100 most influential women in the games industry. She’s also worked on a number of high profiles games including Heavenly Sword and Overlord that have been nominated for a BAFTA and Develop Award for creation of story, character and new intellectual property. For more information on her work, please visit www.rhiannapratchett.com.

Mirror’s Edge is being developed at EA Digital Illusions CE AB (DICE) in Stockholm, Sweden. This revolutionary new take on the first person action adventure genre will ship this winter for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system and for the PC. This product is not yet rated by PEGI or ESRB. For more information on EA DICE, please visit www.dice.se or www.ea.com.

[Pic]

The biggest difference between the two games is that Assassin's Creed allows the users to do just about anything, moving up and over the whole sandbox environment using Parkour-style moves, but doesn't reward players for the fluidity and beauty that authentic Parkour demands. On the other side, Crackdown has specific Xbox Achievements that encourage players to be more fluid and artistic with their movements, but permits fewer grab points and forces the player into a more linear, less free and experimental path. What Robertson doesn't refer to is the upcoming game Mirror's Edge, based solely around the art of Parkour. If these two elements are married in Mirror's Edge, it could be a big Free Running hit. Then again, if it's only those elements, I can't imagine long-term play possibilities for the game.

Game Culture Vultures: Parkour

In Mirror's Edge, you are a parkour prodigy (you know, one of those super humans who treats a city landscape like a giant jungle gym). To make parkour relevant as a game's protagonist that's set in a not-so-distant future, developers came up with a Storyline. You are a bikeless messenger, the underground's only hope in a world when digital transmissions cannot be trusted to be secure.

And while I'm pretty snarky about the whole backstory, when all the gameplay stuff starts, I bite my tongue pretty hard. (Note: these impressions are from watching a realtime demo of the game, not my own hands-on).

Mirror's Edge is set in what you might call a hyperrealistic world. Every building is snow white and odored with glossy, mirror-finished windows. It's hyperbolic—the buildings are more buildingy than normal buildings—as if all creative/quirky architecture has been sapped in the interest of militaristic city planning precision. (Ed note: unfortunately, the graphics are disappointingly not quite as razor sharp as these screens would otherwise suggest).

The world feels cold despite sunny skies and, if my memory serves me correctly, sounds surprisingly quiet.

What you do hear very well are the sounds of yourself. Treading on the rooftops, you notice your feet hit the ground and the air enter your lungs. And it makes sense because the perspective is not like a normal FPS view—instead of a standard convention in which you might see a floating gun at all times, Mirror's Edge celebrates the corporeal. There's no hud. When you look down, you see your sad legs and feet. When you somersault, the world will spin.

And expect to somersault a lot. Because once you are handed a package to deliver, the game is all about momentum. Take a few steps back...then run as fast as you can, jump to the next building, roll out of the landing, slide over an obstacle, hop a fence, surf down a crane, leap for the next rooftop (in bullet time) and...fall short, grasping onto a drain pipe...until you climb up to safety.

The demonstration never showed someone plummet to the streets below, but my guess is that you don't want to.

This is the game. Sure, you'll encounter cops along the way (who will chase you, shoot at you, etc) along with news choppers (who just think you look pretty or something), but other than some jarringly vicious hand-to-hand combat and the occasional gun power-up (damn, somebody gave in on that element), you will be running. A lot.

What I'm not so certain about is this: to better illuminate your potential path, key objects glow red so they're noticed. The mechanic seems to work, as the large environment can become daunting (and with no guidance you could find yourself running around a maze). But I can't help but wonder if these epic sequences will suffer from such stark environmental contrasts clearly intended for gameplay alone.

However, until I get a chance to actually play the game, I'll give Mirror's Edge the benefit of the doubt. This one has some potential.

Beyond that, we have little to go on, other than the name, release platform and description of early Mirror's Edge concept art. Hopefully we'll hear more about the game at E3, now less than two weeks away.

Guess they didn't dig on my Swedish meatball-themed game concept. That means it's up for grabs, developers!

New DICE shooter revealed [CVG]