Mirror's Edge is a fantastic game that is absolutely not for everyone.
You play as Faith, a messenger (called Runners) whose sister has been framed for a murder she didn't commit. It's now up to Faith to find out who is behind the conspiracy and clear her sister's good name.
If the story sounds a little contrived, it is. While it's presented well, and the voice acting is top-notch, the script itself is very lacking. Also, the cut-scenes between levels have a cartoon-like style that will remind you of Esurance commercials, but they still manage to blend in with the game somehow.
You' ll be pleasantly surprised by how well the game plays most of the time, as EA Dice nailed everything from the graphics to the controls to the in-game mechanics. But as great as all of these elements are, it's the sound design that stands out over everything else. Whether it's the score, the aforementioned voice acting, or the flawless sound effects, the sound not only does its job, but it actually increases the immersion factor of this game dramatically.
The only times the game falters is when it forces you to slow down and repeat certain sections over and over again. Your reactions have to stay tight under pressure, and it does get to the point of insanity in spots. This is truly too bad, as the game does such a fantastic job of sucking you in, only to put you in situations like this where you're constantly reminded that it's only a game.
Also, the game is very short; you will have the story mode mowed down in anywhere from five to seven hours. This creates a problem, as the game ends just as you're truly starting to click with its controls. It does offer replay value in form of a higher difficulty setting and several highly-addictive time trials, but it does rob you of experiencing more new content just when things are getting good. The cliff-hanger ending that simply screams "SEQUEL!" doesn't help in this regard.
So when looking at this title, remember this: This game is not for wussies; its Trial-and-Error gameplay isn't everyone's cuppa tea. Also, if you're not the type of gamer who plays around with extra features or enjoys replaying campaigns, you won't get much value out of this title. But if you love a heavy challenge, the satisfaction that comes with it, and feel you'll get extra enjoyment running across rooftops in the time trials where your only enemy is the clock, then this one is absolutely for you.