The story of Mirror's Edge unfolds in a utopian city of the future, where life is comfortable, and crimes are nearly nonexistent. But this is a result of a totalitarian regime that reigns here, whose agents monitor all communications, control the press, have the power to illegalize almost any actions instantly, and practice sham courts and false democracy. Eighteen years before the events of the game, they ordered fire to be opened on demonstrators protesting against their regime, killing many peaceful citizens.
The story begins on the eve of the mayoral elections, when one candidate, Robert Pope, advocates for the abolition of state regulation, which is supported by the incumbent mayor, Callahan.
Gameplay focuses on finding the shortest path to the goal, while combat with characters plays a secondary role. In Mirror's Edge, your heroine can use weapons, but for most of the adventure, you will have to manage without them. Additionally, completing the game without shooting grants the character bonus points. Moreover, weapons in hand slow down the heroine. This approach adds tactical elements to the game: you sacrifice weaponry for mobility or conversely — use firepower but lose speed.
In addition to the main mode, there is a secondary speed mode in the game. Here, the player must complete the route in the shortest time. You can also download the best results — the so-called "ghosts" — of other players onto your console's hard drive to compete with them.