Mirror’s Edge is 12 hours long

12 hours is a good length for a game like this. I just hope it is not to repetitive.

Game’s out next week, in fact.

It is. Edited. I’m looking forward to it.

Is this the first game ever with camel-toe?

I really don’t think they need to be making excuses for the length of the game. This is an action game, and even in the last few years I can’t think of that many action games actually having a length much longer.

Fable II’s lack of content was greatly disappointing, I admit. They could’ve tripled it and it still would’ve felt as unique and amazing, but as it was the game was only worth about half its price, because it played more like an expandalone than an actual sequel. That doesn’t mean that Fable II wasn’t brilliant, charismatic, and thouroughly enjoyable (if predictable) though. It was just very, very short for an RPG.

But Mirror’s Edge isn’t an RPG, it doesn’t need to be like… well, I think Fallout 3 is a better example, to be honest. Fallout 3 has a good amount of better written and thus more enjoyable content, it’s a better RPG than Oblivion by leagues. So yes, Mirror’s Edge doesn’t need to be like Fallout 3.

A more fair comparison would be something like Half-Life 2, and wasn’t that only about eight hours long? I know I completed it in one sitting, anyway. And HL2 is still considered to be a pinnacle of action gaming.

Considering that, the 12 hour mark is probably a slight bit longer than most action games, these days.

Fable 2 lack of content, what now? I probably spent 10% of playtime on the main quest in that. There are enough diversions and more importantly at a high enough density to keep anyone occupied should they tire of following the golden breadcrumbs. If you mission that game, racing to the end then you are sorely missing out. The game tells you enough times in many ways, from subtly via the dog to outright telling you at the points of no return, that it’s not the most enjoyable way to play it.

Fallout 3 probably only has 50% more actual content, but it’s less dense which works as it suits the setting and exploration aesthetic. Most of the quests are freeform which goes hand in hand with the go anywhere openness of the world.

What they do have in common is that you can play as much or as little away from the main quest as you want. And if you just stick to that main quest alone, you aren’t going to get as rich an experience as you could. Fable 2 at least tempts you to experiment albeit at the expense of some freedom. Upon leaving Vault 101, you have nothing to go on but the quest to find daddy. That fits the setting though, your initial view of DC compliments what your character should probably be feeling at that moment. As ‘right’ as that may be, it’s still a big ask for the casual gamer, dropping them into the quicksandbox.

So, Mirrors Edge. The qualification of the length again comes down to density and we have to judge that density on the game’s mechanics. What actually occupies the gamer’s time. For RPGs it’s the quests and the locations that take you to. For Mirror’s Edge it’s the puzzle platforming, combat and to what degree the story elements exposit the rationale for your actions. Filling 12 hours with a varying degree of environments to navigate sounds tough. They must have found a whole lot of ways to mix up those different obstacles or reinvent their gameplay by introducing new elements to familiar problems. Cutscenes can only punctuate the game so much before they become an annoyance.

And I’ve just written far too much.

Tiger Walts am become Esha.

I’ve spent around 120,000 seconds (that’s how the game calculates playing time) on Fable II and I’m about half way through.

So much to do it’s untrue.

Not to be the picker of nits, but Oblivion is not extremely open world. It’s extremely BIG world, yes. But OPEN world denotes the world is open … which it ain’t. GTA and Crackdown are extremely open because they’re at the extreme end of openness (regarding their worlds)
Also suspect here is the use of the word “focused”. I understand what Manuel is getting at, but it’s still a rather clumsy stretch to imply open-world games aren’t focused. The new PoP is open (or openish at least), and that game seems pretty focused to me.

I think when a game is looking to sell a couple of million copies, as does Mirror’s Edge, these companies should keep their producers in the closet and break out the devs to do the talking, as to answer these questions sans the hyperbole.

Regardless, the game looks great.

…

Oh, and Fable II’s got plenty to do. If you disagree, I suppose the game wasn’t really designed to your sensibilities. I am having no shortage of time-eating fun there, and certainly no desire to burn through the main story in 240,000 second

Justifying / criticising any game on such a criteria is fucking worthless. It’s as dumb as grading a book based on the number of pages or a film based on its running time.

DRoD has lasted me years and years and I’ve still not seen the end of it’s amazingly designed levels.

Tetris can be played forever.

I’ve seen speedruns of Zelda on SNES beaten in under 10 minutes.

The original Quake can be played through in something like 6 or 9 minutes.

Anyway, Mirror’s Edge looks fun. The demo was ace. Buying it.

I played the demo about 20 odd times its a definite purchase.

Interestingly enough, was just watching the 1UP show where one of the presenters said they made it through the game in about 5.5 hours. He reckons that 6 hours is what most people will finish it in unless they get stuck with the combat (I’m guessing that’s without spending any time on the timed modes).

Gamereactor gave it 6/10

That seems a tad harsh… but I can only really base my impressions on the demo.

[Edit - Just looked around and it seems most of the other reviews are 8s and 9s]

Without wanting to exagerate how good it is, i think i saw enough in the demo to know this game will be far from a 6.

me too.

when I get this game I’m turning off runner vision I found it far more fun working out were to run by myself than have it colour coded.

Can’t wait for the full version love the theme song to Mirror’s Edge

Agreed David.

Totally and utterly agreed. I will defintely rent it, or get it next year, hopefully in a bargain bin.

Nothign really like it, becuase it’s FPS, but it really made me crave a decent 3D Sonic game. I could totally make that game… And it’s not even difficult.

Whatever, this game is awesome.

According to Playr this morning, the single player’s completable in five and a half hours.