So what's the deal with this game? Is it a large, open-ended game with a "go where you choose" environment?

It'd suck if there were levels or only small areas you can explore at a time.

4. How much focus will the concept of free roaming have? Do we get to run around wherever we want on the rooftops or are we somehow restricted to specific levels?

 

There seems to be some confusion about this - this is not a free-roaming game – and I think it is a better game for that. We have a story-driven action game and we want you to experience the story. There are however multiple ways of tackling every level whether it is the routes you take or the combat style you adopt. Also the type of movement we have in the game turns almost any area into a mini-sandbox. You will not feel restricted in the game.


source: http://www.on-mirrors-edge.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=2




Also:

"A journalist friend of mine was there....unfortunately i wasnt

but i asked him about him in detail and here's what he told me

Saner wrote:

2. what was the level like?  was it really a complete level?  how long and
diverse did it feel?  how was its design?  did it appear like there was multiple
ways to advance in the level?

it was a complete level....there are multiple ways to get across but it is by no means a sandbox.....its pretty linear but its not the kinda game that u even have the time to explore.....u just have to move move move

Saner wrote:

3. how many enemies were in the level? were they chasing the player?
where they using any weapons?

dunno how many were there but they do shoot at you

Saner wrote:

6. how was the camera and the full body immersion?   did you notice
any details about how immersive it is and still being able to tell
what you're doing at any given moment?  any noticable shadow effects?
did you see the full body (torso, arms, legs, feet), or just the legs, arms
and feet?   did the body animate/flow naturally between actions?
did you also notice Faith's carrying case (orange pack) during the gameplay?
does it have any physics built into it?   is it possible to drop it after a
bad fall or something?    was the whole demonstration completely first person view
for all events and actions? 

your head bobs around the faster you run but it is not so much that it puts u off or disorients you...the aim is actually to get across really fast but u need to build speed over time and its not instant....but as you get faster you see your legs below and your arms pumping harder...the animations between running, jumping etc are seamless....when your on a beam the camera automatically looks down and you can feel your heartbeat racing and the heights are dizzying....it was all first person and when you miss a jump you do fall down and its supposed to look very realistic and scary....if u get shot you feel the impact on that side of your body affect your momentum and if youre running, it will substantially slow you down.

Saner wrote:

8. did you see any melee combat?  what was it like? what moves did you
see? mainly kicks?  any punches?  any grappling/submission moves involved?
any judo-like reversals?

most of the combat is hand to hand and there are martial arts involved....there is a gun but the attempt it to make it as a last resort and the importance is more on hand to hand combat

Saner wrote:

9. did the player fall at all?  how was the momentum of starting and increasing
the speed of running?  how did slowing down/stopping appear?

i explained this above

Saner wrote:

11. did the player receive any damage?  any indicators that signal the player
about the damage? red screen or something? any idea how much damage
they can take?

player does receive damage but i dont know if there is any damage indicator....but there is no HUD or crosshair


it feels kinda strange to be giving you second hand impressions but i was so excited about the game that i asked him everything that crossed my mind....but after reading your questions, obviously i didn't ask enough lol

hope that helped



peace"

Source: http://www.on-mirrors-edge.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=222

in that case i might as well bring up ultima underworld and king's field because they used the same concept.

but all three games had one thing in common; they weren't cinematic.

Wow so much hostility over such a tranquil game haha. Just read up on that color thing Kaworu was talking about, it's really interesting concept, but I don't know I'm thinking it could get annoying in the long run.

This looks pretty great. Hopefully it plays as good as it looks.

I wonder how the combat will function being primarily hand to hand. Should be interesting.

Wow, if this is going to be like Breakdown then I'm definitely getting it!

Also, a couple people have said Parkour: The Game, but I don't really know why.  RUNNING yeah but I don't think the developers actually said anything about promising the spirit of free running, and I think that might actually be kind of missing the point!

Actually they said it was a sort of Prince of Persia-esc so I guess it is kinda free running like in some ways.

i went to a festival a few months back and we were talking to rhianna pratchett (who's writing the game) and although she didn't give much away, the plot sound really interesting with all sorts of twists.

i'm looking forward to it, it looks great and has quite an interesting plot.

There was one old FPS game where you played a girl in a jungle or something where you could see your whole body (even down your own cleavage) but i can't remember what it was called.

Jurassic Park: Trespasser

There was a tattoo of a heart on your cleavage that was a display of your life, so you'd literally have to look down at your own boobs to check your health. The interaction was very unique and creative as well, to pick up objects, you stuck out your hand and moved it with the mouse in and out, left and right, and rotating and bending it with modifier keys till you grabbed/manipulated the object. Was a bit more time consuming than PRESS USE KEY but it helped with the immersion, and definitely added to the tension when you needed it the most. Weapons were also aimed this way, adding a whole other dimension to FPS combat than just LOOK AT TARGET AND FIRE.

Some games have experimented with a peripheral vision like Operation Flashpoint and Call of Cthulhu which I ALWAYS RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO PLAY FOR AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE GODDAMMIT (essentially, objects to your side are blurry and distorted until you turn to focus on them) but that lack of vision is what makes it so immersive.  In games like Gears of War and GTAIV or any other 3rd person game you can tilt and rotate the camera to see around corners and view things you normally couldn't.  To me, this completely ruins the element of surprise in the game.  It's a lot more fun to constantly be on your toes than taking cover behind a barrel yet still have awareness of the entire battle field.  Games like STALKER specifically focused on knowing your battlefield because you could duck behind cover then pop up and realize that every enemy changed position and are flanking you.  Badguys can't do the same in 3rd person games because you already know where they're going to move even though your character technically doesn't.

yeah call of cthulhu was a great and original (as much as it can be) game, and i loved every minute of it. hell, i've been contemplating about playing it again recently...i just have to get it again. i remember the chase scene in it was one of the most tense moments i've had in a game to this day.

it was great to finally have an fps was no hud AT ALL no exceptions.