Tom Farrer, a Producer on Mirror’s Edge, talks about the development of the innovative game that is redefining the first person genre on PLAYSTATION 3.
How did you arrive at the idea of making a game based around free-running?
We were prototyping ideas in an urban environment and quickly found that the traditional first person control method and limited move set was extremely restrictive and frustrating. This led us to explore better ways to navigate the environment which made us to look at free running. This also meant lesser focus on weaponry because we found it unlikely that you would do all of these athletic movements with a huge armoury strapped to your back.
We started off simply by using pencil and paper to sketch what we thought different movements would look like in first person. When we saw that this could really work we became very excited by the idea and immediately began prototyping the different movements and the controls.
What were the biggest challenges in realising this idea?
The first challenge was quite simply, how are we going to do this? We had to create a new way of making things in first person, a new animation rig that would allow us to make the more natural and organic movements we needed. Oddly enough one of the hardest things was figuring out how to animate walking and running, how to make it feel right. Since we all know how it feels it’s actually a very tricky thing to do. We don’t all know how it feels to leap between buildings so that’s actually an easier feeling to create. There was never really one big problem just lots of little ones that we had to solve in order to create the game. Fortunately we managed to overcome these challenges and I’m really proud of the team and what we’ve accomplished.
Which aspect of the game are you most proud of?
That’s really hard to answer. There are so many things I’m proud of in Mirror’s Edge. I think the best thing to say is that I’m very proud that we have created something new and fresh both in terms of gameplay and visuals. It’s a tough thing to do in this industry and the team has done a wonderful job.
Did you learn anything new about designing games with a first person perspective?
A lot! We had to find completely new ways of doing things. So much of the first person gameplay hadn’t really been done before and we had to throw out so much of the traditional methodology of working in first person. There are just too many things to list but I think one of the most important is the creation of the animation rig we used. That is the basis for so much of what we were ultimately able to create.
Did you work with any experts in deciding which moves to include?
We worked with Krista Wagner, an expert in the Chinese martial art wing chun. She helped us create the disarm moves Faith uses in the game. We used a lot of parkour and free running reference material in the creation of the moves before seeing how the community reacted to them. It was important for us to create the fantasy and feeling of the movement rather than the exact reality. We’re happy that it’s been well received by the parkour/free running community. You can check this out from the movie online of us at the free running world championship. We’ve also had the pleasure of welcoming Sébastien Foucan, one of the founders of free running, to our studio to do some work with us on the game. We actually had a Foucan ghost for the Time Trial mode when the demo came out to see if the players could keep up. It would seem they could!
What are Faith's strengths as the main protagonist?
That she is a different kind of female lead for a game. We wanted to get away from the stereotypical portrayal of women in games as eye candy. We wanted a human heroine that whilst being athletic and attractive, was not overly sexualised. Someone who becomes a hero not because of superpowers or high-tech weapons, but because of how they react to the extreme situation they find themselves in. I think Faith encapsulates these values and I hope we see more heroines like her in the future.
Which real world location would you most like to see her running across?
The City takes influence from places the world over, from New York, Tokyo, Dubai, Singapore, the list goes on. We actually spent some time in Tokyo collecting a lot of reference photos. We liked the organic nature of the streets and great height variation so I think it would be pretty interesting to see her running there for real.
How important is the game's soundtrack to the overall experience?
Very. We spent a lot of time creating the in-game music. It is customised for every single area in the game, which allowed us to really create the feeling and mood we wanted the player to experience. I’m really happy with it, I often listen to it on my MP3 player!
Do you have any tips for players trying to top the Time Trial leaderboards?
Watch the ghosts. The best players will show you all kinds of tricks and routes through the maps. Never forget though, there is always a better way of navigating even the most simple area.
How would you feel about a sequel?
It would be a lot of fun to make a further game in the series. We’ll just have to wait and see.
