Mirror's Edge is an developed by and published by . It was released for and in 2008, and for in 2009. Set in a near-future city, the game follows the story of , an underground courier who transmits messages while evading government surveillance. To progress through the game, the player must control Faith from a perspective and complete a series of that involve performing a sequence of acrobatic manoeuvres, including jumping between rooftops, running across walls, and sliding down zip lines.
Inspired by chase scenes featured in and the films, Mirror's Edge features hundreds of first-person animations to convey Faith's movement and interactions with the environment. Although the game is powered by , a new , which is able to reflect colors and create a lot of soft shadows, was created to give the game a unique art style. The game deliberately makes use of strong , with outdoor environments predominantly featuring white and distinctively lacking in green. The game's score was composed by electronic music artist , while the main theme song was composed by Swedish producers and and performed by Swedish pop star .
Upon release, Mirror's Edge received generally favorable reviews. Critics praised its visuals and immersive first-person perspective, but some criticized its gameplay and restrictive levels. The game sold more than two million copies worldwide and won Adventure Game of the Year at the 2009 . Retrospectively, the game has grown in esteem and developed a passionate fanbase due to its unique style. A prequel to the game, also titled , was released for in 2010. A that explores a new origin story for Faith, titled , was released in 2016.
Mirror's Edge is an where the player must control the protagonist, , from a perspective and navigate a city. To progress through the game and its storyline, the player needs to complete a series of that involve performing a linear sequence of acrobatic manoeuvres. These include jumping between rooftops, running across walls, climbing pipes, walking along ledges, sliding down zip lines, and getting past opponents controlled by the game's . Faith's arms, legs, and torso are prominent and their visibility is used to convey her movement and interactions with the environment. Her is an important aspect of the gameplay, as preserving it through multiple obstacles allows the player to run faster, jump farther and climb higher. To help players chain moves seamlessly, the game employs a navigation system, called Runner Vision, which turns certain objects in a bold red color as Faith approaches them, allowing the player to instantly recognize paths and escape routes.
Although the player can perform melee attacks and disarm opponents, using weapons is generally discouraged as they slow Faith down and hinder her acrobatic abilities. For example, carrying a weapon that is heavier than a pistol prevents the player from being able to jump and grab ledges. Weapons have a finite magazine and must be discarded when they run out of ammunition. If Faith has preserved enough momentum, the player may use an ability called Reaction Time, which temporarily slows the gameplay down and allows the player to time their next move. Faith has a certain amount of which automatically regenerates when she does not take damage for a brief period. If Faith falls off a significantly high position or her health is fully depleted, the player must start the level again from the latest . In each level, the player may also find and collect three hidden yellow bags. These encourage the player to explore the game and unlock .
