Archive for February, 2009

Speaking of Mirror’s Edge…

Posted by The Management in games on February 3, 2009

This is an in-development game entitled “The Unfinished Swan.”

unfinishedswan Speaking of Mirrors Edge...

An ink-splattered bench in The Unfinished Swan.

It’s definitely an interesting concept, especially since the game uses no shading/lighting to speak of. Watching the demo video, though, I couldn’t help but think that it’d benefit from some movement options and effects akin to Mirror’s Edge. Nothing too crazy, mind you — there’s no reason to put in guards and guns — but something to add to the game’s exploration aspect.

Granted this is mostly a tech demo at this point, so this strictly a speculative opinion. Still, DICE is taking their title in a more streamlined and abstract direction with downloadable content; The Unfinished Swan already has that vibe, now I think it just needs some extra gameplay to accompany the rest of the package.

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The FOV in Mirror’s Edge

Posted by The Management in design on February 2, 2009

The pros and cons of Mirror’s Edge have been debated time and time again, but there hasn’t been much talk about its FOV.

mirrorsedge 1 The FOV in Mirror’s Edge

Fisheye field of view in Mirror's Edge.

In order to simulate a sans peripheral, stereoscopic view, FPS games tend to use a 90 degree window. The FOV in Mirror’s Edge, however, seems to be smaller. This might’ve been a result of wanting to achieve a more personal, zoomed-in feeling and a cleaner, flatter look (a smaller FOV tends to flatten the perspective of the projected image), but was it really necessary?

Now don’t get me wrong, DICE has created some really impressive visual effects in Mirror’s Edge. The motion blur, camera movement, body positioning and reactions, etc. were all a large jump ahead of the usual FPS fare where disembodied, chest-level cameras are a standard. Still, why shorten the FOV? After all, it tends to exaggerate camera movement which can lead to motion sickness, something that DICE had battled throughout the game’s development.

I myself never got motion sickness playing Mirror’s Edge, but the FOV still bugged me. Why? Well, at times it made everything seem too cramped up. Now this isn’t really noticable when overlooking a large vista, but it becomes quite apparent in tight hallways or in areas without an expansive view of the horizon. In a game that’s supposed to embody the spirit of parkour, it often caused me to feel boxed in and not adequately aware of my surroundings — probably not the sensation DICE intended.

Also — and this is completely unrelated — more of the music in Mirror’s Edge should’ve been as good as the title theme.

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