Here we are, people. The E3 kicks off with a major eruption of media, as always. Now, most of you have probably already seen the Mirror's Edge E3 trailer and have read our recent preview of the game, but this is the very first time we’ve seen it in action.

I can make it... Maybe not.

What's that smell?

The dynamic urban sport of parkour has clearly been a great inspiration for the Sweden-based development studio DICE. From the very first moment you observe the in-game world from the eyes of the female protagonist, Faith, you'll get the feeling of speed and motion, more effectively than in any other title to date. The sound of Faith catching her breath as she dashes across rooftops and walls, makes for a tremendously immersive ambiance. The action is heart-pounding. Performing death-defying stunts, mostly with the use of objects and surfaces in the environment, the main character seems to have no trouble taking out enemies. Guns are an option, but Faith prefers a swift melee take-down move, rather than taking part in a potentially lethal shoot-out. Another welcomed addition comes in the form of forgiving checkpoints, so when Faith plunges to her death, you can resume from a spot that's relatively close to where you left off.

The whole thing is in first-person and it does give off a sense of being "right there," in the thick of action. It's an adrenaline-pumping ride, with an almost constant feeling of suspense and tension (in a good way, of course). It does bring elements from a variety of sci-fi settings to mind – most notably, The Matrix.

The level on display featured Faith being chased into huge drain tunnels, which, according to the developers, were made according to actual tunnel systems in Japan. Our first impression was that the controls did require some getting used to. Well, okay, it doesn’t take too long get into practice. Besides, once you get the general idea of how it works, you’ll be able to string together some pretty cool moves. Also, gamers will have considerable freedom to move about and explore the area. They'll be able to do so with ease and with the help of the so-called Runner Vision, which highlights key objects in the surroundings that Faith uses to perform a range of acrobatics. It’s really not too hard to master. For example, PS3 users have to hit the L2 in order to slide, while Faith is sprinting. Pressing R2, players can approach an enemy sentry and perform a swift kick in the nuts (sweet!). Consequentially, you may press the triangle and effectively disarm your foe and then using the firearm yourself. Okay, if you're not bent on squashing someone's family jewels and ruining their future, you can always instruct Faith to kick her opponents across their ugly mugs.

At this point, there are a number of familiar elements from and acrobatics we’ve all seen before in games like Prince of Persia and Assassin's Creed. The difference in Mirror's Edge is that you can do it in first-person and as such the experience becomes far more immersive than in the two aforementioned titles.

At any rate, judging form what was shown, the game is already shaping up beautifully and the crew at DICE appear to be taking every detail into account to ensure a compelling atmosphere and engaging gameplay mechanics. The ever-present fun factor promises to be the key feature in this one; plus, we really enjoyed the fast-paced gameplay, as well as the huge number of combos you can pull off. Be on the lookout for Mirror's Edge on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC platforms.