Mirror's Edge

10/10 - Hands down, my fave game of all time thusfar, and that's saying alot. Games such as Call of Duty 4, the Tomb Raider saga, Splinter Cell, Ace Combat 6 amongst others all rate VERY highly with me, but there is a flare, a certain je-ne-sais-quoi, about MIRROR'S EDGE.
Actually "Je ne sais quoi'' is french for "I dunno what" and that would be lying.
This is the first game on the x360 that as SOON as I completed the campaign, I turned around and started playing it through AGAIN. This is a game of "Extreme Running" a FPS that really isn't an FPS...more like an FPR...First Person Runner.
While there IS some shooting ability in the game, it is rarely there, and when it is, it's not necessary. Instead, you are encouraged to quickly Disarm your opponents, konk em out, and move on. Your objective is to get away, not kill everything in sight.
The colour palette is most palpable, and the Stark Blue-ish White contrasted by the "Runner Vision Red" makes the game simply pleasing to look at. The music is light and lofty, giving you a relaxed state of mind until the adrenaline kicks in.
Here is the kicker: my fave part of the whole experience:
In Puzzle/maze games such as the Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell, and Prince of Persia series, you are normally given a very specific route to take, a certain direction where you MUST go. Objects to grab onto are VERY in-your-face so you know where the designers intend you to travel. Even Assassin's Creed, another game at the very TOP of my fave list, still has specific paths up walls to take. Sure, you can go anywhere and everywhere, so long as the game LETS you.
Mirror's Edge is a WHOLE different ball-game. If you can only grab a ledge with so much as your fingernails, you can find some way to grab it. Ther really is not a single thing you CAN'T do, not a single route you CAN'T take. The first mission even shows how you can grab onto the skids of a nearby hovering Helicopter.
Once the campaign is complete, you then have the option of playing it on Hard mode, where all "Runner Vision" is turned off. This means that all the "Runner's Red" that you see (such as the crane in the above picture) is no longer red, but white to blend in with the surroundings, forcing you to think harder, think faster, and take other routes you didn't know about before, but seemed to discover by accident.
Multiplayer doesn't TECHNICALLY exist on this game, however, it allows you to keep track of the top runners in your friends list and in the World, and allows you to try and beat their times. This is on levels and time trial arenas. Time Trial arenas even allow you the option to have a Ghost Image of the runner you are competing against run with you so it MAY show you some routes you didnt think about before, thus decreasing your overall time on the run.
Overall...hands down..BEST...GAME....EVAR!