Mirror's Edge (PC)

Introduction: Mirrors Edge.One of those top class games thats ready to hit the top spots on Gamespot and other web review site lists.Whats so special about Mirrors Edge?.And why did I even bother getting the game for myself?.Well for the special thing you can read on ahead.But I'll tell you the second one.Why i got it.I was visiting a game video website when I saw a really nice video.I did some research on it and found something about it.It had a very special engine and was supposed to be a really great and impressive game with stunning graphics and a very addicting and "want to play" storyline.So yes I was actually impressed by not the trailer, but by the graphics.Never had such a game been invented in which such hard work had been put into to make sure that even the tinest to object be very clear and detailed.Then I waited some more till the coverart was released.And when I first saw the coverart I was like "Sweet!.Awesome looking characters!.Its gotta be a great game!".And so it was. Plot: Mirror's Edge plot is quite very simple and yet so very fascinating and interesting.The game takes place in an unnamed city where information is monitored very closely.All kinds of electronic communication are put under surveillance to reduce chances to crime.A mayoral election is up ahead in which two mayors are candidates.One is Mayor Callaghan and the other one who is quite a favoured one is Robert Pope.Faith's sister Kate a police officer works in one of Pope's offices.One day the Pope is murdered and the blame is put onto Kate and is arrested for the crime.Will she save her sister?.Or will her happiness be destroyed?.Play the game to find out.Till then read on ahead to discover other unique aspects of the game. Menu: Whoa!.I was totally stunned when I first saw the menu.I have never seen such a great and simple menu with such a blending colour scheme.Not only the menu but the starting videos are no less.They are so very excellent that it actually makes you feel like “Hey.This game looks great!”.The menu actually potrays a city in the background but the city is not coloured but is actually something like a premade 3D version of the city with a white material or filter applied over it.But even so it looks great (see screenshot).The text is so very clear and the options are actually quite very easy and not difficult and it has not many options but simple ones such as e.g: Resolution,graphic quality and Anti-Aliasing. Character: Faith Connors or just Faith is a protagonist and also a "Runner".A "Runner" for your information is a person trained to use the rooftops and other means to deliver messages between people without being caught by the police or any person.A really charming and fast character.Shes quite trained in jumping from one building to another without her bones being broken.She is also very agile and can easily slide under pipes and shes fast like hell!.Not only can she jump from one place to another but can also perform many disarming and “Prince” (Prince of Persia) style moves.Other than Faith we have Celeste,Kate and Mercury.Celeste is just another female runner like Faith and is also a friend of her.Kate is Faith’s sister and is probably the main reason for the game.Mercury is the guy who gives you radio support and all the information you need about your current and next objective.He is kind of like who guides you through the missions and keeps you up to date with the latest happenings and all. Sound: The sound in the game are no less to be talked about.Electronic Arts (EA) has surely done a great job with the sounds present in Mirror’s Edge.Most of the ambience sounds are present and perfect like when you go closer to birds they flap their wings and fly away.Then when you climb a netted fence you can hear the rattle of the fence.If you are being bored of your “running” life then jump off the roof to hear yourself breaking through the air and then hear the breaking of the bones like snapping of twigs.After that the radio sounds and other sounds are great.The gunshots make a very realistic sound when they hit the netted fence or any other object.After that comes your character sounds which are quite real.After running like hell your character starts panting which sounds very real.Then the running footsteps also make a very realistic sound adding its touch to the game.Not only are the game sounds great but the soundtrack present in the game is totally mind blowing.With soft music and great beats!.Its one of the best game soundtracks I have heard in a while. Controls: Looking at the screenshots and other stuff might make you think that the game is either difficult or boring?.The answer: no.The controls of such a game are actually quite simple and I assure you that if you play the tutorial once then you will be quite happy with the control system and also be very easy with it.Mirror’s Edge doesn’t utilize many keys for its unique gameplay.It actually excluding the movement keys only involves 3 keys and also the 2 mouse buttons.Simple eh?.Its been some time since I have seen such an easy controllable game with an addicting storyline.For the unique graphics and top notch gameplay read on ahead. Graphics: The most important and anticipated part in the whole review.How are the graphics?.They are actually amazing.Since the game does use PhysX it has many goodies in it.Lets discuss about character graphics first then we shall come onto the environment.First of all the shadows are quite impressive.Suppose if a character is standing and another one comes over and casts its shadows over the other one the shadow will become more darker.The skin is no less with great graphics and amazing shadows.The anatomy of the body is correct and well a nose is a nose and not a squished pancake or something and a face is a face.Atlast!.The clothes they wear are actually quite nicely rendered.You can easily see the stiching somewhere and and even the strands of that material can be seen.The hair is quite impressive though it looks like some 3D made hair and not much rendered though it does go very well with PhysX as when its windy atleast the hair is moved by it.If by somehow you see her pants which you do (see screenshot) you can easily make out that she has this set of pockets and also you can make out the creases in the pants.Really realistic and interesting I would say.Now for the environment and the outside world in Mirror’s Edge.Great environment I have to honestly say.Its quite very impressive and has a great set of details bind to it.The sun shades are blocked from the other buildings shadow and the shadows are just nicely reflected.Window reflections are totally unique and I would have to say that this game would potray the best reflections ever to be reflected in the gaming history.The streets are not very detailed but the rooftops are.You can make out the cars and people and a bit more stuff but not more than that.Water is totally top notch quality.Clouds are done well and are not like other games that they are all the same size and shape and don’t move.But actually are sometimes only wisp’s and some times there are huge clouds over the city.The details are given quite nicely on the rooftops since you can clearly make out the netting of the fence,stairs and almost everything.Its a very big and colourfull environement but actually it looks beautiful from above.After that the last thing that I would say is the PhysX on the rooftops.Now suppose there is a blue cover over a building and its very windy.So it will be moving in creases and that’s excatly how it goes in Mirror’s Edge (see screenshot). If you wanted to see the most beautifull game that has a very playful environment and also has breath-taking graphics then I would have to see without any hesitation that I would say its Mirror’s Edge. Soundtrack: As I have said before.The game has a really touching soundtrack and it has been made into many version by many famous Dj’s like Benny Benassi,Paul van Dyk and Armand Van Helden.Heres the list of Standard songs released of the soundtrack. The whole soundtrack comes to a total of 37 minutes of worth brilliant music by fantastic Dj's # Title Length 1. "Still Alive (The Theme from Mirror's Edge)" (radio edit) 3:38 2. "Still Alive" (Benny Benassi mix radio edit) 3:42 3. "Still Alive" (Armand Van Helden mix) 5:25 4. "Still Alive" (Paul van Dyk mix short version) 6:48 5. "Still Alive" (Benny Benassi mix) 8:26 6. "Still Alive" (Junkie XL mix) 4:38 7. "Still Alive" (Teddybears mix) 4:37 Gameplay: The gameplay in the game is quite fun.All you gotta do is run from one place to another and dodge obstacles.But don’t think that if all you gotta do is run its boring.Its actually fun.Thats what makes the game different from other games.With sets of obstacles and a very big and nicely made city top you can do whatever you want.Now its not always the running.Sometimes you have to disarm enemies and steal their guns and then well throw them away.Yes that’s right, you just cant have a gunfight and cant carry a gun either since carrying a gun will slow you down and thus making your jumps more difficult to be made.So its better to be not carrying a gun and jumping.Now for the animations a bit.This might surprise you a bit but the game actually uses anime style and cell shaded animations to display the cutscenes.Sweet isnt it?!.But no worries the cutscenes actually look so much better in anime style drawings that you wont want a real animation made.If you don’t believe me then look below for the screenshots. Final Thoughts: I have clearly mentioned a lot of times that the game is excellent and would not require much more graphics or anything.The plotline is totally amazing and the gameplay is just out of bounds and yet so very interesting.The character is really great looking and does great jumping.I assure you gamers!.This one game wont disappoint you so I really urge you people to try the game out.For a list of screenshots I have not used in the review can be seen below. Screenshots:

HAWX (PC)

HAWX takes a pass on pilot doodz, excessive brand placement, and the indie soundtrack. But don't expect a serious flight simulator either. HAWX wantonly bends aerodynamic laws in the name of having a good time. Its X-factor comes from making you feel like a top gun fighter-jock in every mission; Goose, Merlin, and Iceman optional. To keep this an experience accessible to virtual pilots of all skill levels, HAWX strikes a balance described better as believable than realistic. Recognizable planes from modern air forces give newcomers something familiar from recent newscasts to take to the skies in, while the extensive collection in the hanger should satisfy most military aviation buffs. It includes some experimental planes, but you won't find outlandish fantasy craft that break the illusion of the game's near future setting. Each plane feels different as well: Heavy ground attack planes respond more sluggishly and are able to take a heavier beating than the nimble, but more fragile, dedicated air-to-air fighters. Flight basics apply equally across all of them, though, making it easy to hop from cockpit to cockpit and fly whatever suits the mission at hand. Once you select which one to take, HAWX wastes little time getting to the action; the emphasis remains sharply focused on putting those planes to use. After a briefing, scenarios start with you -- and any assigned wingmen -- at the station and then thrusts into battle almost immediately. Not only do you not have to worry about taking off (or landing later), you don't even see it happen. Nor will you fly long legs to waypoints on patrol or rendezvous with air tankers to refuel. Most every moment at the controls in HAWX gets spent in the heat of the fight. Otherwise HAWX falls into the conventional design pattern established by the long list of air combat games that came before it. Missions progress through the usual assignments, such as escorting special planes across a map while under constant attack, and taking out fortified bases. The Tom Clancy canon provides its trademark by-the-book story of a fictional conflict roughly a decade from today as a backdrop. It also allows for some crossover with the special operations teams from the Ghost Recon series. As seen from the cockpit of a Mach 2 Fighter at 5000 feet, it fails to develop much tension and flames out in an unremarkable ending. Though predictable, the individual levels present a target-rich mix of air and ground units and force you to prioritize among them based on the objectives in order to succeed. Ground support missions deliver some of the best moments by building a sense of urgency that, without your help, all would be lost. But it's hard to beat the raw thrill of air-to-air dogfights, and HAWX makes them particularly dramatic with its signature OFF system. OFF combines a dramatic shift in the perspective you play the game from and a generous relaxation of realism to let you toss planes around the sky like toys. In practice, OFF mode lets you throw on the brakes and slip the plane in a radically new direction, much the way you would emergency brake and powerslide a car. To keep up with the action, the camera pulls way out so you can see your plane as it flips around the sky. The first time it does this, and probably many times thereafter, the effect is disorienting. But, if you can come to grips with it, you'll be rewarded with a unique aerial ballet. Being able to watch a missile approach, flip the plane at the last second to dodge it, and then tuck in behind your pursuer and line up a shot gives quite a rush. And it does require developing a skilled touch. Unrealistic though the whole idea may be, the game keeps some semblance of reality by forcing you to keep up your airspeed or risk falling in a stall. This simple limit effectively balances the OFF system into the game. Take it all online and that enemy you're dancing with becomes a real person. In competitive multiplayer the OFF system turns dogfights into frantically swirling masses of planes. Fun in short doses, the chaos of it all detracts from the potential, with kills often being traded in such rapid succession that they lose some of their satisfaction. Playing the single-player campaign cooperatively online prompts the opposite result. Live partners reinvigorate missions that otherwise start to seem repetitive. Having others to split the objectives among creates a stronger feeling of being in a dynamic battle, particularly when you get a full group of four together and can fly in two two-man wings. For the work put into developing these strong online modes, their inconsistent incorporation into the game comes as a surprise. HAWX does co-op right, with the entire campaign available as you unlock it. Friends can even join games in progress, but only if you remember to create your game as online at the start; there's no way to allow them in midway if you didn't. The biggest source of frustration comes from the poor integration with the system for advancing your pilot in the game. Throughout HAWX you earn experience to level up and unlock planes and special weapon packages, but in multiplayer only the host receives the extras awarded for completing the level. If everyone is on their first play through, this creates an annoying situation where the second, third, and fourth chairs each need to host and play through that level again to get the rewards the game presumes you have after that stage. Despite these annoyances, the online play -- particularly co-op -- gives HAWX significant replayability. Everything from the picture-perfect planes to the stunning real world environments looks great, even after multiple passes. And the flyability afforded by the well-executed controls makes you feel like a pro -- it immerses you in the world of being a fighter pilot without ever taking off. Return trips stay fresh too, because you'll find yourself playing out unique mini-stories as each enemy-dogfighting encounter unfolds anew. HAWX is a remarkably exhilarating entry in a genre that seemed to have been stuck in a rut.