Commentary

04/15/2013

Tightrope Wasteland

A metaphor in the derelict setting of Mirror's Edge.

By: Zolani Stewart

Filed Under: Action Adventure Criticism Editor's Pick

At this point, the post-apocalypse narrative has been well explored by various media, so much so that it’s safe to say certain patterns or ‘tropes’ have been well established. One of these patterns is the aesthetic wasteland, a depiction of the mass removal of people, or representations of people, caused by a catastrophic event. Fallout 3 calls it the ‘Capital Wasteland.’ The Walking Dead imagines it as the empty city streets of Atlanta, and its vast neighboring rural areas.

Mirror’s Edge bears its own signs of the post-apocalypse. The game is mostly empty. Its building tops and streets are totally empty, and so are its office spaces and shopping malls and hallways, even though they bear the markings of occupation. In this way, the game also depicts a mass removal of people, from an event we can argue to be catastrophic: the riots, as described by Faith.

And if people are removed, then what emerges in their place? In many video games, the post-apocalypse tends to depict the removal of people, but also the return of nature. We see bright foliage permeating environments in Enslaved, and vegetation growing out of buildings and industrial spaces in The Last of Us and Portal 2. Here, our demise as a species is marked by the rise the natural environment. But in Mirror’s Edge, there is no natural environment. Nature doesn’t come back, per se. Instead, what’s left is the urban space, and only the urban space.

“What’s nature, now? To a significant extent, it’s us. It’s our machines — the hybrids of flesh and technology that we have all become. […] There is no “nature” left — only the portion of nature that we allow to live because we imagine it serves some purpose — as a thing to eat, a place to reprocess our waste, or an idea that fulfills our dwindling desire to maintain “the natural” for aesthetic or ideological reasons.”

Mirror’s Edge is a display of the post-natural: the extinction of the ‘traditional’ nature, which is replaced by the urban space, and the spaces of green that we find useful. There is no ‘nature,’ as we like to perceive it, in the game. Instead, the urban environment becomes our natural environment. It becomes our fields and rivers, our dense forests and feeding grounds. The central ideas that permeate popular conceptions about the natural environment also exist there. The bright, flamboyant hues, and the sense of colour that would imply diverse and compelling wildlife, and the harmony between the huge open building tops, and the jungles of underground vents and steampipes. Mirror’s Edge rarely gets credit for its sense of density.

But this isn’t just an aesthetic treatment; we also see this through Mirror’s Edge’s play, where it isn’t much about Faith’s impressive leaps and runs through the city though, so much as the overarching feeling of adaption. Through play, Faith is showing how one totally bends oneself, mentally and physically, to the city environment, to urbanity. A lot of what constitutes Faith’s identity is her relationship to the city. Timing jumps is difficult and often leads in tragic death. Platform placing is ambiguous and the difference between safety and risk is unclear, which also tends to lead to death. Mirror’s Edge is frustrating and sometimes plain unfair, yet this communicates nature of the urban space: meticulous and relentless, it demands flawless and perpetual execution from those within its systems. Playing the game ‘well’ implies executing every jump and landing every fall with proper timing, landing every zipline, reaching every pipe, walking every wire with proper balance. Playing ‘well,’ playing to prevent your death, playing to allow Faith to survive in her dangerous future, implies being totally synchronized with the city environment.

But what is the city environment? What constitutes it and what does it represent? Art, perhaps involuntarily, tends to move in accordance with the ideas of the time. Mirror’s Edge was released in 2009, during the most brutal moments of the western financial crisis. Mark Fisher, a teacher and theorist, discusses what kind of ideological shift the crisis represented in his reflection on Capitalist Realism:

“The various struggles that have blown up since the financial crisis show a growing discontent with the panic neoliberalism that has been put in place since 2008, but they have yet to propose any concrete alternative to the dominant economic model. Capitalist realism is about what Franco Berardi has called a corrosion of social imagination, and in some ways, that remains the problem:  after thirty years of neoliberal domination, we are only just beginning to be able to imagine alternatives to capitalism.”

What the financial crisis signaled, according to Fisher, was neoliberal capitalist thinking as merely a political thought used by major political powers, burying itself into realism, and   consequently becoming invisible. Berardi’s mention of the “corrosion of the social imagination,” can be linked to this. The point where the mindset of capital reaches its highest form, where it “presents itself as empirical fact,” is the point where it becomes incredibly difficult, more difficult than usual, for those living within this system to think and act outside of it.

Mirror’s Edge is a presentation of a system whose rigorous logic becomes totalizing, deeply embedded, and overtime, necessary to properly function within that system. Just as there is nothing outside logic of Capital within Capitalist Realism, there is nothing outside the logic of the city in Mirror’s Edge.

When looked at this way, the game can be seen as a sort of warning. Yet whereas many science-fiction works like to place themselves decades or even centuries in the future, Mirror’s Edge attempts to move itself a mere few years ahead. In that way, the game is the best kind of warning. It’s tangible and almost traceable.

[art credit]

Filed Under: Action Adventure Criticism Editor's Pick

About the Author:
Zolani Stewart is video game critic and game designer. He's written at Nightmare Mode, Paste Magazine, SquareGO, and writes a column on typography at Designmodo.

232 Responses to “Tightrope Wasteland”

  1. Dan Cox

    It’s probably even worse than you wrote. If we accept that different colors and combinations are a sign of diversity within the urban space, then the fading of the “Runner Vision” — something that marks Faith and her group as unique — might represent her finally being inculcated into the capital system. Throughout the course of the game, she steadily loses this sight as synchronization with the environment increases. As the player becomes better at conforming to the seeming endless maze of urbanity, Faith might be losing her individuality in the face of the monolithic system she’s trying to overcome.

  2. hey

    Taxi moto line
    128 Rue la Boétie
    75008 Paris
    +33 6 51 612 712  

    Taxi moto paris

    Aw, this was an incredibly nice post. Taking
    a few minutes and actual effort to create a very good article… but what can I say… I put things off a whole lot and never seem
    to get anything done.

  3. https://vbuckgenerator.8b.io

    Hi, Neat post. There’s an issue together with your site in web explorer, could test this? IE still is the market chief and a huge element of folks will miss your great writing due to this problem.|

  5. cheap flights

    I do agree with all the ideas you’ve presented on your post.
    They’re really convincing and will certainly work.
    Still, the posts are too brief for newbies. Could you please
    lengthen them a bit from subsequent time? Thank you for the post.

  6. cheap flights

    Hey would you mind letting me know which hosting company you’re working with?
    I’ve loaded your blog in 3 completely different browsers and I must say this blog loads
    a lot quicker then most. Can you suggest a good internet
    hosting provider at a reasonable price? Thank you, I appreciate it!

  7. tinyurl.com

    It is in point of fact a great and useful piece of info.
    I’m glad that you just shared this helpful
    information with us. Please stay us up to date like
    this. Thanks for sharing.

  8. cheap flights

    of course like your web-site however you need to check the spelling
    on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very bothersome to tell the reality nevertheless I will definitely come back again.

  9. http://tinyurl.com/yyvnayek

    hello there and thank you for your info – I have certainly picked up anything new from right here.

    I did however expertise a few technical points using this site, since I
    experienced to reload the web site lots of times previous to I
    could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK?
    Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times will sometimes
    affect your placement in google and could damage your high quality
    score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I’m adding this RSS to
    my email and can look out for much more of your respective exciting content.
    Make sure you update this again soon.

  10. http://tinyurl.com/

    Hello there! This post could not be written any better!
    Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate!
    He always kept preaching about this. I will forward this article to him.
    Fairly certain he’ll have a great read. Many thanks
    for sharing!

  15. v bucks generator

    An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a friend who was conducting a little research on this. And he in fact bought me lunch due to the fact that I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to talk about this matter here on your web page.|

  33. Jorge Margulis

    Heya i am for the first time here. I found this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and aid others like you helped me.|

  41. gamefly

    Why people still make use of to read news papers when in this technological world all is presented on web?
    ps4 games allenferguson ps4 games

  43. coconut oil

    Hi all, here every one is sharing these kinds of
    experience, thus it’s nice to read this website, and I used to go to see this webpage everyday.
    games ps4 185413490784 games ps4

  49. ps4 games

    Article writing is also a fun, if you be familiar with
    then you can write if not it is complex
    to write.

  51. ps4 games

    I don’t know whether it’s just me or if perhaps
    everybody else encountering issues with your blog. It appears as
    though some of the text on your posts are running off the screen. Can someone else please provide feedback and let me know if this is happening
    to them too? This could be a problem with my web browser because I’ve had this
    happen previously. Kudos

  53. web hosting

    You’ve made some good points there. I checked on the internet to find
    out more about the issue and found most individuals
    will go along with your views on this site.

  55. tinyurl.com

    I have learn a few just right stuff here.
    Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting.
    I surprise how a lot attempt you place to create any such magnificent informative
    website.

  56. web hosting

    Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your
    point. You clearly know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your blog when you could be giving us something informative to read?

  80. 0mniartist

    I like the valuable info you provide in your articles.

    I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly.
    I’m quite sure I’ll learn a lot of new stuff right here!
    Best of luck for the next! asmr 0mniartist

  123. or gamefly

    Good post but I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this subject?
    I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit further.

    Bless you!

  125. and asmr

    Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew
    of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
    I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time
    and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this.

    Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy
    reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  126. asmr is

    Great blog you have got here.. It’s difficult to find quality writing like yours these days.
    I really appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!

  139. where gamefly

    It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly donate to this excellent blog!

    I suppose for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
    I look forward to new updates and will share this site with my
    Facebook group. Talk soon!

  142. are asmr

    My brother recommended I might like this web site. He was
    totally right. This post actually made my day. You can not imagine just how much time
    I had spent for this information! Thanks!

  150. Georgia

    Hi there, this weekend is good in support of me, because this occasion i am
    reading this impressive educational article here at my house.

  151. asmr where

    Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it is really informative.
    I’m going to watch out for brussels. I will be grateful if you continue this in future.
    Numerous people will be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

  153. asmr your

    This is really fascinating, You’re an excessively professional blogger.
    I have joined your feed and look ahead to looking for extra of your wonderful post.
    Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks

  167. tinyurl.com

    scoliosis
    I am really grateful to the holder of this web site who has shared this wonderful post at at this place.
    scoliosis

  169. http://bitly.com/

    scoliosis
    Good information. Lucky me I found your website by
    accident (stumbleupon). I have book-marked it for later!
    scoliosis

  173. j.mp

    scoliosis
    I am sure this piece of writing has touched all the internet users,
    its really really nice piece of writing on building up new website.

    scoliosis

  174. https://785days.tumblr.com/

    dating sites
    Howdy this is kinda of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code
    with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no
    coding knowledge so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience.
    Any help would be enormously appreciated! https://785days.tumblr.com/ free dating sites

  178. of asmr

    It’s an amazing piece of writing for all the web viewers; they will obtain advantage from it I
    am sure.

  179. Szybki serwis samsung kraków na miescie

    What i don’t realize is if truth be told how you are now not
    really much more smartly-favored than you may be
    right now. You are very intelligent. You already know thus significantly in terms
    of this topic, produced me in my opinion believe it from
    a lot of various angles. Its like women and men don’t
    seem to be fascinated until it is one thing to do with Lady gaga!

    Your personal stuffs great. Always care for it up!

    ekspresowy Serwis samsung kraków na Miescie
    Sprawny serwis telefonów samsung kraków w Centrum; http://t.werock.co.kr/,
    Sprawny samsung kraków serwis w Centrum (Bestrevie.ws)

  185. dating sites are

    Hi there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group?
    There’s a lot of people that I think would really
    appreciate your content. Please let me know.
    Thank you

  189. free dating sites and

    Amazing issues here. I’m very happy to peer your post.
    Thank you a lot and I’m looking forward to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?

  191. on surgery scoliosis

    I think that everything typed was actually very reasonable.

    But, what about this? suppose you added a little content?
    I am not saying your information is not solid, but suppose you added a
    title that grabbed people’s attention? I mean Tightrope Wasteland | Bit Creature is a little
    boring. You ought to look at Yahoo’s home page and watch how they create
    news headlines to grab viewers to click. You might try adding a video or a picture
    or two to grab readers interested about everything’ve
    got to say. Just my opinion, it would bring your website a little livelier.

  192. a free dating sites

    I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
    Did you make this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it
    for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to construct my own blog and would like to find out where u got
    this from. kudos

  193. of free dating sites

    Wow, marvelous blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?
    you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your web
    site is wonderful, as well as the content!

  194. tinyurl.com

    A fascinating discussion is worth comment. I
    think that you need to publish more about this subject matter, it may not
    be a taboo matter but usually people do not speak
    about such topics. To the next! Many thanks!!

  196. http://tinyurl.com/

    An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you should write more on this
    issue, it might not be a taboo matter but usually people don’t
    speak about these issues. To the next! Cheers!!

  220. RubenFaf

    Где смотреть Евро-2020? По каким каналам можно посмотреть матчи Евро-2021?
    Полная информация на сайте https://cerrajerosrivasvaciamadrid.site/2021/17-smotret-evro-2021-za-1-dollar/?utm_content=noutbuki&gclid=CjwKCAjwqvyFBhB7EiwAER786Z0LHMq3_FTF8J2ndP743o1bRxyhRktJBgyopErI8UHLnc0hWg6fnxoCpDcQAvD_BwE

    Простейшие варианты где можно смотреть Евро-2020 бесплатно или за 1 доллар в месяц в качестве HD.

  228. Claytoninity

    can i buy amoxicillin over the counter in australia amoxil – amoxicillin 500mg buy online uk

  229. Eve

    Thanks for one’s marvelous posting! I certainly enjoyed reading it, you could be a great author.I will remember to
    bookmark your blog and will often come back very soon. I want to encourage one to continue your
    great job, have a nice morning!

  230. Chasity

    I know this website provides quality depending posts and additional material,
    is there any other web page which gives these
    information in quality?

    my blog post; Chasity

  232. stornobrzinol

    Hello my loved one! I want to say that this post is awesome, nice written and come with almost all important infos. I would like to peer extra posts like this .

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

The Latest:

  • Originals

    Swan Song

    This is a tough one to write. For those of you who know me, in person, by my writing, or…


  • Originals

    The Fool and the Villain, Part II

    (Warning: In Second Life, pixelated tits and dicks abound. Abandon all hope, all ye who enter this article at work.)…


  • Commentary

    The Edge Of The Ocean

    The problem is to plot the map. My sense of geography is spotted with black holes. There’s the Chinatown and…


  • Originals

    Play Everything

    Play everything. No, I’m serious, play everything. Play that game of hopscotch those kids drew up on the sidewalk with…


  • Commentary

    Genre In Question

    Why are there so few video game comedies? At least twice in the past year I’ve bumped into conversations trying…