Love it or hate it, you can't deny that last year's Mirror's Edge was an interesting title that made first-person platforming enjoyable -- even though it had some noticeable flaws. A lot of people criticize the guns, others say the checkpoint system was bad, and some say they beat it in an hour.

Even though the sales for the game didn't meet EA's expectations they have confirmed a sequel.  The following is a list of what changes I'd like to see in the sequel:

10. Get rid of the e-surance commercials - I don't think I'm the only one that disliked those things and if anything it just killed the sense of immersion. Is it so difficult to unveil plot points in-game, this standard of presentation has been around since Half-Life (maybe earlier but HL is the first that comes to mind) and most FPS games have used it since. Mirror's Edge isn't an FPS but it's presentation is very similar to one.

9. Release some episodic content - From my understanding Faith was a courier for enemies of the city-state. So how come there's only one mission in which I got to deliver a package. I get that all the events in Mirror's Edge happen in a 24-hour time frame but I'd like to play Faith doing her courier job more in Mirror's Edge 2. Include some missions she did before the events from the original Mirror's Edge. Separate those missions on a menu and you get to play short extra levels that cover different sections of the city and each presents a different scenario that would last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. It would allow you to do some platforming without cops relentlessly chasing you. Then they could release some more of these every few months at a reasonable price  so that we could keep coming back to Mirror's Edge.

8. Improve the melee combat - If an enemy is stunned shouldn't I be able to disarm him? Instead I put my hands out and grab air. I'd be shocked if this isn't fixed in the sequel. I'm not saying the melee combat was bad, it was actually pretty good when you compare it to your usual first-person game, it just needs some work. They could add a few extra moves to mix it up. The problem I have with melee combat though is the way that all of your punches and kicks seem to glance off of the enemy. I want to feel like my attacks do damage.

7. Checkpoint solutions - You know what pissed me off about the sewer level, if I took the alternate route and died I had to start all the way from the beginning. I'm almost positive I wasn't the only one that felt that these checkpoints weren't thought out very well. I'm crossing my fingers here and hoping that they won't make the same mistake in the sequel. And if they can't provide checkpoints everywhere at least give me the ability to quick save like a PC game(going to the menu should automatically do this).

6. Add multiplayer - Sounds like a bad idea, right? Well, with the unique gameplay Mirror's Edge provides, multiplayer should offer something different than the typical games we play online. Of course you'd have variations on the multiplayer modes you'd find in other games: Capture the Bag, Blues vs. Runners (Mercs vs. Spies), and Race modes. Then you'd have other stuff like Tag (that's right "tag" the game you played when you were 5), staying on the train (remember the train scene), or who could climb the highest in a map. It would be a sad if DICE didn't at least try to implement some form of multiplayer in ME2.

5. Don't make me stop - For a game that's all about building momentum why is the collision response so terrible? Now I haven't played the PC version so I don't know if PhysX fixed this or not but when I'm running at full speed and I hit a desk (the office levels) Faith shouldn't come to a full halt. The desk should be knocked over and Faith would've tripped and fallen. Or if there's a small obstacle in her way Faith should be able to walk over it without having to jump. If Faith's feet hit the wall of the building she's jumping to, her body's inertia should push her over the edge. Instead she falls to her doom if even her toe grazes the wall.

4. Keep the guns, pay attention to details - I'm pretty sure this is an unpopular opinion since most people I've talked to about the game seem to unanimously agree that guns should be removed from the game. I personally think they should keep the guns. The biggest problem for me was this fact, the enemies NEVER reload. Apparently their magazines are bottomless. That split second of reload would've given you the time to get the drop on them or run away. I have no idea how DICE missed this but they did.

They should also refrain from discouraging the use of weapons. "Test of Faith" is a cool trophy/achievement (beat the game without using a gun) but they should encourage the player to use all of their abilities. Including trophies/achievements for using weapons would encourage players to experiment more. I'm aware that the game is not a shooter but picking up a gun every once in a while isn't detrimental to the experience. 

3. Dynamic AI - The enemies in Mirror's Edge are essentially bots. They always know exactly where you are (even if you're behind a wall), they never run away or change their tactical position, and they can get a headshot on you from a mile away with a handgun. Now this is all understandable considering that DICE has only made Battlefield games so AI isn't really their forte. However considering that Mirror's Edge focuses on single-player the sequel better have some improved AI -- and by that I don't mean efficient killers, I mean fun enemies. First, don't make them all sharpshooters have them miss a little. Also, have them react to my actions, if I start shooting at them they should find some cover instead of just shooting at me. And most importantly have them detect my presence through their cone of vision and the sound I make not some radar/x-ray vision where they know my every move.

2. Give me options -  Now I'm one of the few people that liked the cramped platforming but the general consensus was that it killed the sense of speed. So give people alternate routes. If there's a section of cramped platforming always make sure that there's another way to get where you want to go. Maybe make the open section longer or add enemies so that the cramped platforming has a purpose, you could also add hidden bags in both routes that way you have a reason to take different routes on multiple playthroughs. Just don't force players to do something they don't want, especially in a game that's about freedom of movement.

1. Let me grab stuff - You're running full speed to jump between buildings, the ground beneath your feet disappears as you take that last step and you leap across the chasm, the street staring at you hundreds of feet below, your jump's arc is just about to end as your try to hit the pipe on the wall of the building. You missed! That's right, you just hit the wall a little bit to the left of the pipe and now you're dead, splattered chunks of meat and blood all over the street.

Faith's an awesome free-runner so it would make sense that if she was an inch away from the pipe she could reach out and grab it. So why not just add a grab button (I'm thinking the Y/Triangle button). I'm not saying they should remove auto-grab that's essential for wall-climbing and all that good stuff. Just if you miss the auto-grab by a little, let me save myself by reaching out for something. It could also introduce new mechanics like monkey bars or you could push yourself through while sliding (like in that TV ad I embedded up there). There could also be vertical poles (lamposts or fences) which you can grab for a sharp turn without losing momentum. When you walk off the edge of a building you could do a 180 and grab the edge like in Ubisoft's Prince of Persia games.

Now I don't expect most of these to show up in the sequel but one can always hope.