Mirror's Edge Built with Unreal Engine 3

May 7, 2008 2:40 PM

EA DICE revealed that the free running action game Mirror's Edge (PC, PS3, X360) was built with Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 middleware, Joystiq reports.

Though DICE regularly makes use of its internally-developed technology, the Mirror's Edge project began early in the development of its Frostbite engine, prompting the studio to use Epic's technology instead.

"With Mirror's Edge we deliberately set out to create something that was different from Battlefield," said a studio representative. "Frostbite is a very powerful engine but this project started a long time ago, and at that time Frostbite was still being developed and was very closely supporting the Battlefield Bad Company team."

Epic's Unreal Engine 3 has been licensed for use in development by a number of studios including Konami, 2K Games, and John Romero's Slipgate Ironworks studio. For more on Mirror's Edge, be sure to check out the new trailer.

Aaron Linde

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ArB

 reply
May 7, 2008 2:38 PM

Watch as the Shack's interest for this game mysteriously declines.
- lookitzpancakes
  
   reply
  May 7, 2008 2:46 PM
  
  .....and why would that happen?
  - ArB
    
     reply
    May 7, 2008 2:59 PM
    
    I always see people complain about Epic and Unreal Engine 3 on here. I don't know why. They all have their tongues up Gabe Newell's ass.
    - Murdoc.
      
       reply
      May 7, 2008 3:06 PM
      
      Its because two years ago if you were using Unreal 3 you were getting a big "STFU and do it yourself" by Epic while banging your head against your desk because nothing fucking worked.
    - dedgecko
      
       reply
      May 7, 2008 3:20 PM
      
      People bitch and complain about Epic and UE3 because Epic talks some shit, and most of the complaints are how UT3 looks too much like Gears.
      
      There's been some pretty good work that has been put out using UE3. However, ME definitely breaks the mold given how bright/colorful it looks in comparison to the much darker and somber materials that we've seen from other games.
      - tomwiththeweather
        
         reply
        May 7, 2008 3:59 PM
        
        Yes, some UE3 games look bad, some don't. It's not so much the engine itself as it is the art design decisions made by the developers.
        
        GoW and UT3 had the same art director (if not just the same company) as far as I know which is probably why they look so much a like. Just because those two games are super heavy on the bloomy effects and brownness, doesn't mean it's because of the engine.
        
        I could make a UT3 or GoW level that totally breaks away from the gloomy look seen in those games with UE3's default lighting.
      - lookitzpancakes
        
         reply
        May 7, 2008 4:32 PM
        
        I would say Mirror's Edge kind of trumps all in terms of bright colors on UE3.
- ZaldronGG
  
   reply
  May 7, 2008 2:46 PM
  
  hahahahah
  
  Let the AA bitching begin..
- nudel
  
   reply
  May 7, 2008 4:45 PM
  
  Shitloads of great games have used the UE3, including ones that are popular on the Shack.
  
  UT3 may not be popular a popular game here but I don't think people have anything against games using the UE3 engine that UT3 (and many other games) use.
  
  UE3 has been used on such an incredibly diverse set of games, from FPS (no surprise) to MMORPGs, that I have no preconceptions about games made using that engine. Time was when an engine could tell you how the renderer looked and what sort of environments were possible in the game but these days it's really just libraries and middleware which is flexible enough to do just about anything if devs put their minds to it.
  
  There has been some criticism of Epic's support for the people who licence the engine but apart from delaying titles or removing features we never knew were planned, I don't thing that really affects the end product or what people at the shack (non-developers anyway) have in terms of preconceptions about games made using that engine.