When comparing Quake III Arena vs Mirror's Edge, the Slant community recommends Mirror's Edge for most people. In the question“What are the best first-person games on Steam?” Mirror's Edge is ranked 20th while Quake III Arena is ranked 24th. The most important reason people chose Mirror's Edge is:
The game's core mechanic is about traversing levels using wall-jumps, rolls and slides without losing momentum. It does a great job of creating a fluid sense of motion that you have complete control over.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Worthwhile time investment for competitive play
Not many available FPS games have such a high skill ceiling as Quake III Arena, making this a great game to invest time into, for those that want to get to a competitive level.
Pro Offline LAN support
By using a LAN connection, multiple computers can facilitate multiplayer without the need for an internet connection.
Pro You can easily run the game on low end PC's
Due to the age of the title (released 1999) and the requirements of said title in the modern day, the game can easily be played on just about any PC from the last 10 years.
Pro Plenty of variation with multiple game modes keeps the gameplay fresh
Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag are the various modes that players can select within the game. This allows for enough change in gameplay for the user so that the game never gets old too fast.
Pro Innovative, parkour-inspired, first-person platforming with excellent sense of motion
The game's core mechanic is about traversing levels using wall-jumps, rolls and slides without losing momentum. It does a great job of creating a fluid sense of motion that you have complete control over.
Pro Time trials
There are time trial bonus levels that are free of platforming sections and combat, just pure timed running missions.
Pro Unique, minimalistic art-style
Mirror's Edge is set in a world where a totalitarian government runs a city and tries to eliminate anything that stands out, such as the free-running protagonist. The levels are created minimalistic, mostly white with aggressively contrasting primary colors, to represent the oppressive nature and sterility of the world.
Pro Great soundtrack
The soundtrack's spacious ambient texture coupled with electronic beats and synthetic sounds supplement the game's otherworldly, contrasting setting. The complete soundtrack is available with the purchase of the game.
Pro Keyboard controls work quite well
Surprisingly (for an EA game especially) the keyboard controls are actually designed to work quite well.
Cons
Con Poor quality voice-overs
Given that it is an older title and thus released when studios put little money towards quality voice-overs, Quake III Arena stands out as one of the worst of its kind, not least on account of the game announcer who is one of the main culprits.
Con Poor combat sytem
The combat system often feels out of place and definitely interferes with the flow of the gameplay.
Con Some people may experience motion sickness
In order to maintain its immersive nature, Mirrors Edge has virtually no UI, other than a small dot at the center of the screen. This should ward off motion sickness for most people, but be aware that if you're queasy, you might not feel too well after playing.