At the tail end of an already exhilarating E3 press conference, EA gave the floor to subsidiary developer DICE to announce something many fans were looking forward to for years: a new Mirror's Edge game, one that would be a complete overhaul with an origin story of the protagonist, Faith Connors.
Before the announcement, fans were hopeful at best despite several leaks from retailers, and EA itself. After the major label put minds at ease with a teaser trailer that appears very true to the feel of the original 2008 cult classic, executive producer Patrick Bach explains why now is the best time for a franchise reboot.
Speaking with IGN, Bach talks about the strategy behind relaunching a new (and hopefully more successful) Mirror's Edge:
"We had to dwell on what it should be and what it could be, as well as find the right focus for the franchise, bringing it back and not just rushing it out there. I think the franchise deserves a proper launch."
Previous statements from EA Games label boss Patrick Söderlund cite the advancement of console hardware, but the right pitch at the right time might very well have sealed the deal. Bach is well aware of the fleeting industry fads that have come and gone, and expresses that Mirror's Edge will not fall prey to any gimmicks.
"How do you innovate and move forward without ruining what made the game great? It’s easy to capitalize on gimmicks or things that are popular right now. Couple years ago everyone’s talking about subscription... ...Now no one is talking about subscription... ...Jumping onto the awesome wagon that’s passing by is not helping your franchise if you have a great franchise. And Mirror’s Edge is one of them. We need to always remind ourselves what the game is at its core so we don’t move away from that."
As for Faith's origin story, many fans have already begun piecing together a series of events for the female lead. Being that many of them are addressed in the original game itself, it doesn't seem too far-fetched to assume that elements of her past will return with greater importance. Characters like Merc and Jacknife, for example, are assumed to be a more integral part of Faith's character, and her transition from ordinary citizen to ruthless Runner.
While very few details have been revealed about the reboot, DICE is confident that it is developing the best Mirror's Edge it can. Creating it with the all-new Frostbite 3 engine doesn't hurt either, and could serve to showcase the technology on next-generation consoles - perhaps even sell a few. Ranters: What do you think Faith's origin story should be about? What kinds of characters and locations would you like to see more of? Let us know in the comments!
Mirror's Edge 2 is currently in development by DICE, a subsidiary of EA, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC. No release date has been scheduled, but rest assured that when we find out, so will you.
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Source: IGN