Mirror's Edge demo today on PSN

By Tom Bramwell Published 30 October, 2008

And tomorrow on Xbox Live.

EA and DICE have announced that the Mirror's Edge demo trailed last month will be released today, 30th October, on PlayStation Network and tomorrow, 31st October, on Xbox Live.

As we already know, the demo consists of prologue, tutorial and a bit of the single-player game, and if you've pre-ordered the game or obtained a code in a competition (such as 1UP's), you will also be able to access a time trial mission, and then upload fastest times and download ghost laps from your friends.

Mirror's Edge is a first-person shooter without guns. In fact, it's better described as a platform game, in which players take control of rooftop messenger Faith in a utopian society that frowns on such things, and have to gallivant around free-running with context-sensitive first-person controls.

Across several "colour us excited" previews, DICE has been applauded for clever things like the use of the colour red to guide the player's movements. But we've always been kept at arm's length by representatives, so haven't had a chance to get properly hands-on.

You have though, since the game was also playable at this week's Eurogamer Expo. Did you go down? What did you think of Mirror's Edge? We're hearing mixed things.

The full game is due out for PS3 and Xbox 360 on 14th November. There's no word on the PC version's release date except "winter". Look out for our review a few days before the game's release. We'll also let you know when PSN is updated with today's releases, including the demo.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (47) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • the_dudefather #1 3 years ago

    cool beans!

    been half skeptical, half really interested in this game so it will be nice to give it a go (fearing its an incredibly linear and shallow experience, but loving the idea of first person runnan and jumpan)
    Edited by 1 at 30/10/08 @ 08:31

  • Avarice36 #2 3 years ago

    this game looks great but i can't get it cause cod5 is coming out on the same day

  • bad09 #3 3 years ago

    Great, shame I'm not home tonight :(

    oh well something for the weekend!

  • Darren #4 3 years ago

    I'm very interested in this game but concerned that the unique selling point might be gimmicky and samey across the full game so a demo to try would be very welcome. I'd like to buy this for the PS3 though since it was the supposedly the version shown in most of the gameplay videos so far, and because I've bought all my other multiformat games for the Xbox 360! Dunno that I'll be buying it before Christmas though... /adds to To Buy After Christmas list along with 15 other games

  • DFawkes #5 3 years ago

    Awesome, that's something to look forward to later :)

  • sailesh #6 3 years ago

    aces - but i'm still downloading that frickin' tomb raider demo off of live. might ditch that for this psn download.

  • Pinewood_Groves #7 3 years ago

    Played this at the show. Outstanding. Download it.

  • Doctor_What #8 3 years ago

    Hooray! I know what I'll be doing tonight :D

  • Scrumhalf #9 3 years ago

    I played it at the Expo and it took a while to get used to the controls (it was on PS3 and I only have a 360 so that might not help), but when I did it really flowed well - and thoroughly enjoyed it on the whole.

  • ZuluHero #10 3 years ago

    what? PS3 users get it first? Shenanigans!

    /sarcasm off

    can't wait to play this! :)

  • syphaa #11 3 years ago

    Yeah I had a good blast with it at the Expo, I will deffo be picking it up when its released.
    If peeps out there havn't tried it I would highly recommend giving it a blast!

  • Widge #12 3 years ago

    I've got this pre-ordered at Game with the Tshirt, so hoping it either measures up or doesn't measure up.

  • TheBoyChris #13 3 years ago

    YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

  • asphaltcowboy #14 3 years ago

    Played this at the Expo, it's superb!

  • ChthonicEcho #15 3 years ago

    This 'Consoles first, PC when I can be bothered' mentality that is spreading amongst developers like the plague is driving me up the fucking walls.

  • Agent_Llama #16 3 years ago

    Excellent news! Was my favourite game at the Expo, can't wait to play a bit more! :)

  • Doctor_What #17 3 years ago

    @ Widge: I thought you only had the option of XL? ;)

  • Farstarbuck #18 3 years ago

    To the guy who wants to know why console first and pc second. I can only assume they would rather the paying customers got it first. If I were a developer I'd do the same, not only do you get more for your game off a console they pay for it too. Torrent downloading free loaders can wait till they can be bothered.
    Edited by 1 at 30/10/08 @ 10:25

  • rob230 #19 3 years ago

    Is it up yet?

  • ChthonicEcho #20 3 years ago

    @Farstarbuck

    I don't want another meaningless discussion about the negative influence of piracy on the gaming industry, so all I will say is that you don't need to completely ignore PC gamers to maximise your sales. Just delay the PC version, but if it's announced (if not, do what Epic did with Gears and Bioware did with ME), tell us the exact fucking date and at least toss us a demo, because I certainly can't see what harm that brings.

  • chessboxer #21 3 years ago

    @ Farstarbuck

    You might find that games on the 360 are leaked way before PC games nowadays (partly probably because the PC releases are held back). Dead Space, Far Cry 2, Fallout 3 were all leaked days, sometimes weeks before the PC versions. If the reliability of the 360 was any good, I think many more people would mod/stealth their machines.

    Microsoft Game Studios also have this release method for their games. They said that if they release a major title on PC and 360 at the same time, 80% of sales will go to the PC meaning lower sales of the 360. They are trying to get people to buy the 360 to play the game immediately, then release it 6 months to a few years down the line on PC (Halo, Halo 2 and Gears of War are good examples). The same is happening with them throwing cash at developers to get exclusive DLC or timed exclusives.

  • Farstarbuck #22 3 years ago

    @ChthonicEcho

    Am i to assume that you pay for all your PC titles?

    Perhaps they are too busy making sure the console versions are up to scratch before they move on and think about doing the PC version, thats why they dont have time to do a PC demo. You have to make sure your team are concentrating on the more lucrative market area first.

  • Farstarbuck #23 3 years ago

    @chessboxer

    "Microsoft Game Studios also have this release method for their games. They said that if they release a major title on PC and 360 at the same time, 80% of sales will go to the PC meaning lower sales of the 360"


    Im sorry but i dont believe this for a minute. Given that piracy is rife on the PC compared to the xbox 360. Yes, you can mod your console to play copies, but there has to be more people buying in relation to downloading on the xbox, where it would seem there are more people downloading the game than there are buying it on the PC?

    I dont think the 2 markets are related in terms of sales, i think the only reason MS would ever assume this is because more people would rather download the game for free on a machine that holds no restrictions compared to a console that does, thats why they wouldnt release them at the same time.

  • jade2001 #24 3 years ago

    It's not on there yet....What time do the PSN updates happen?

  • ChthonicEcho #25 3 years ago

    Perhaps they are too busy making sure the console versions are up to scratch before they move on and think about doing the PC version...

    Ah, yes, they are so busy they can't make a one-sentence announcement. That makes sense.

    You have to make sure your team are concentrating on the more lucrative market area first.

    And at the same time, you have to make sure that your other target audience isn't left out, otherwise you're risking to lose customers (not talking about myself, but it's always safe to assume customers are fickle and hard to please). You must at least dangle a carrot in front of them. That's a basic rule, something gaming companies overlook.

    Edit: Given that piracy is rife on the PC compared to the xbox 360

    That betrays your position. You're a console fanboy. All the biggest multiplatform hits have arrived to X360 on torrents much faster than to the PC. Alone in the Dark for PC, for example, hadn't appeared on the 'net for two months, while X360 pirates could download it soon after its release. And not everyone cares about the multiplayer they lose.
    Edited by 1 at 30/10/08 @ 11:33

  • kinky_mong #26 3 years ago

    Can't wait to give this a go. If it's much better compared to the very disappointing Banjo Nuts & Bolts demo I played yesterday I will cancel that pre-order and switch to Mirror's Edge.

  • Farstarbuck #27 3 years ago

    @ChthonicEcho

    Given that we're making assumptions here, "your a console fanboy" the one you made about me.

    Im going to assume 2 things,

    1. the fact you never answered my last question makes me think you dont pay for games on your PC.

    2. The fact you seem to have so much knowledge of when this was available to get on torrent etc, also leads me to believe that you dont pay for your games.

    So, its people like yourself who have led the PC market down the gutter, how long do you expect developers to care about a market who think its ok to download their games for free? They see no return for the hard work they have put in from people who use torrent sites.

    So in conclusion, i dont think you have a case to whinge about why there is no PC announcement.


    Or was all this just an assumption i made about you?

    See what making assumptions does.

  • Zaltan #28 3 years ago

    Gonna check this out when I get home then.

  • bodypopper #29 3 years ago

    Sadly I fear this will be trampled in the Xmas games rush.

    /Waits for Boxing Day sales ;-)

  • chessboxer #30 3 years ago

    @ Farstarbuck

    This (in terms of the sales figures between PC and 360) is what was said by some bloke at MGS. It was a news item on CVG during the Summer and it was only regarding games published by MGS.

    3rd party developers/publishers I guess have their own reasons for doing a similar thing, but for M$, it's all about maximizing the sales of the 360.

  • T4RG4 #31 3 years ago

    Played last night.

    Much as I feared. It feels fun, and certainly LOOKS fun for a while but as a full-game? full-price? Amongst everything else that is coming out? No go.

    I heard at least one other person saying it'd be good fun as an extended demo but couldnt play the whole thing. I think that nails it perfectly. Whilst some people will no doubt love the game and enjoy playing through, I dont think it has much staying power.

    It *could* well be lucky and gain a lot of sales though, even at this time of year, if marketing is spot on and it certainly comes across as 'different' which helps things.

    Short blast = fun
    Purchase? Not for me :(
    Edited by 1 at 30/10/08 @ 13:09

  • BadBoyBonner #32 3 years ago

    Looking forward to this demo.

    With Tomb Raider and Banjo, now this - it has been a bit of a demo extravaganza.

    So many good games at the moment - it really does make you wonder if some of them would have been better timed to be finished and released in the summer to early autumn.

  • BadBoyBonner #33 3 years ago

    @kinky_mong "Can't wait to give this a go. If it's much better compared to the very disappointing Banjo Nuts & Bolts demo I played yesterday I will cancel that pre-order and switch to Mirror's Edge."

    You do realise it is possible to climb on nearly all the buildings to collect the building crates don't you? And get enough notes to buy all blueprints and pieces off the market trader? - With a little ingenuity and lateral thinking.

    View from standing atop the flag pole at the top of the castle is a sight to behold and gives a real inkling to the scope of the game.

    Collecting more crates also means you have far more pieces to use and build into the challenges - anyone semi interested in things like technical Lego or Tamiya RC cars as a kid or RC Helicopters and likes watching scrap heap challenge - will have a blast.

    Anyone who has no desire to ever build anything could still like it - but unfortunately the game does require the user to be creative for maximum benefit.

  • BadBoyBonner #34 3 years ago

    "I think that nails it perfectly. Whilst some people will no doubt love the game and enjoy playing through, I dont think it has much staying power."

    Didn't one of the producers hint at there being a huge twist just under halfway through the game that spices things up a bit? - Clearly he was being a little enigmatic about it but it seemed to indicate there was a definite change of pace along the journey to game completion.
    Edited by 1 at 30/10/08 @ 13:29

  • ronuds #35 3 years ago

    "Microsoft Game Studios also have this release method for their games. They said that if they release a major title on PC and 360 at the same time, 80% of sales will go to the PC meaning lower sales of the 360."

    That's a good one, seeing as sales are usually the other way around. I'm SURE that's only because the 360 gets it first. Anyway, that's nice of MS -- in a case like Mirror's Edge -- to look out for PS3 sales too.

  • mainaman #36 3 years ago

    The demo is really exciting and beautiful.Aside of some trial and error gameplay and the relatively predetermined paths,the running is free-form,there are numerous awe-inspiring,but believable stunt moves including close quarters combat and it's not on rails as i feared-you are in control and it's both challenging,exciting and satisfactory.

    The art and the soundtrack are great,the movement and motion capture outstanding and aside of the jaggies,the engine is technically impressive and the frame rate is rock solid.

    The draw distance and the scale of the enviroment are beyound anything else i have seen on FPS game and if the full game can maintain the excitement throughout,this could be very well this year's Portal.

  • SharkOfDesecration #37 3 years ago

    I was one of the people who got to play it yesterday. 6 times, in fact.

    I really couldn't get enough. Building momentum, dodging bullets, wallruns... the first POP remake enthralled me when I saw it in action, but Mirror's Edge is in a different league.

  • m0thr4 #38 3 years ago

    Didn't like this at all. Maybe I'm just getting old, slow and stupid, but I seemed to fall to my death far too many times for the game to be 'fun'. I played all the way through with relatively few problems, but on my second play through, there's one bit I just can't get past, shortly after the training bit finishes where you do a leap across to another building and have to grab one of two red pipes on the other side.

    Question: When I need to grab onto something mid-jump or at the end of a jump, am I supposed to

    a) keep holding the L1 button to make the grab,
    b) release L1 in the air and then press it again at exactly the right moment, or
    c) just hit L1 to jump and let Faith grab automatically

    The in-game instructions don't make this clear at all.

    EDIT: Also, I found the circle button (which is supposed to point the camera at your next objective) next to useless. It doesn't take into account anything that might be blocking your view (like a sodding great building) so, much of the time, it simply makes you stare at an unscalable wall.
    Edited by 1 at 30/10/08 @ 21:58

  • Branoic #39 3 years ago

    Re: jumping to the red pipes, I think you just press L1 once to jump and assuming you aimed in the direction of the pipe she will grab automatically. Really liked the demo. The only bit I have trouble with is the damn balancing on the pipes, keep falling off those. Using the sixaxis to balance was wank in Uncharted and it's wank in this.

  • m0thr4 #40 3 years ago

    Re: jumping to the red pipes, I think you just press L1 once to jump and assuming you aimed in the direction of the pipe she will grab automatically.

    How odd then. I had no problem in the first playthrough, but on the second play, it just doesn't seem to work... even if I get the aiming reticule right on the pipe. Maybe it's because I'm looking down... I seem to remember reading in an Edge preview of this game that you shouldn't look down when making long jumps.

    The only bit I have trouble with is the damn balancing on the pipes, keep falling off those. Using the sixaxis to balance was wank in Uncharted and it's wank in this.

    Yeah, played for about 5 mins before turning that 'feature' off.

  • Darren #41 3 years ago

    I didn't really enjoy this game at all, which was a big disappointment as it looked so good in the trailers. Part of the problem is that it's a trial and error game that doesn't flow unless you know *exactly* where you're going. The game really doesn't give you any time to look around, do so and you'll die and be put back to the last checkpoint. At one point it took me ten attempts to jump across a gap to hang on to a thin pipe... not fun at all. The main problem with the game for me though is that it looks so better to watch than play and that is obviously not good.

    The first person perspective might be immersive but at times it's annoying and I was wishing for a third person view. The graphics are also very bland, being poorly textured and extremely ugly and jaggy on the PS3. There's even screen tearing too. I wanted to say that I had fun playing the demo but I just didn't, not for want of trying though. The gameplay seems very one-dimensional really and just wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. The poor graphics are just the icing on a stale unpalatable cake. I'll try the 360 version later to see if I still think the same but I feel that this game would have worked better as a £10 downloadable title for PSN or XBLA rather than a £40 game. I'm just not seeing enough substance there to warrant full-price myself. :?

  • muscleblade #42 3 years ago

    darrengamer.net

    Sounds like my kind of game.

    Except for this: "The graphics are also very bland, being poorly textured and extremely ugly and jaggy".
    If thats true im a little shocked.

  • Darren #43 3 years ago

    Well I thought the graphics looked mediocre as there's very little detail and everything has a bleached, overbright look to it. It looks OK while I'm playing but once I stand still then I couldn't help noticing how PS2-ish they were, particularly with all the jaggy edges and super low-res textures. Yuck! Even the anime intro is poor IMO. As I said I thought the game looked great in the trailers but having played it I just don't like it at all. I'd happily watch someone else play it though, it's more enjoyable that way, probably explains why I liked the trailers! ;)

  • Thunderbolt #44 3 years ago

    Darren,

    Not wanting to start a war but do you think that the graphics will be better on the 360?

  • muscleblade #45 3 years ago

    "Not wanting to start a war but do you think that the graphics will be better on the 360? "

    This is one of few multiplatform games that probably will look pretty much identical on the PS3 and 360 imo (maybe slightly crisper on the 360). I might be wrong though.

  • Thunderbolt #46 3 years ago

    Thanks muscleblade,

    I am very interested in this game as i enjoyed the parkout elements of Assassins Creed but the first person POV does concern me.

    I'm also wondering if you can increase the size of the reticule might not be an issue once I've actually played the game. I have ad eyesight caused by playing too many games. LOL

    This year more than other a game really has to stand out with all the AAA being released but I'm keeping my fingers crossed

  • Fleeby #47 3 years ago

    Played this through twice now - I think it's superb and easily warrants a full-price purchase based on the demo. Not sure why people would feel this is somehow a 'lite' game just from the demo in fact. Also, the graphics are refreshingly bright, crisp but elegant. Really nice art direction so hats off to DICE for delivering on the look that makes it stand out from the murky greys and browns of the rest of the crowd. Count me in.
    Edited by 1 at 01/11/08 @ 01:40