Earlier today EA released this video as well as a press release announcing the new "Pure Time Trial Map Pack" coming this January for 800 Microsoft Points on the Xbox LIVE Martketplace or $10 on the PSN.

Personally, I think these look gorgeous. I must say, I was not expecting the DLC to be free-floating like this, but I suppose this makes it more open for interesting level designs. Kudos to everyone involved.

Pictures and the press release are below.

EDIT - Forgot to add a link to the video.

Award-winning Action Adventure Game Delivers Fresh Content to Challenge Even the Best Runner

Guildford, UK. – Dec 4, 2008 – Leave the city behind! DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that the highly acclaimed first-person action adventure title, Mirror’s Edge™ will release downloadable content (DLC) for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and the PC in late January. DICE also confirmed today that the PC version of the game will ship to retailers in North America on January 13th and worldwide on January 16th, 2009.

Players will be challenged to achieve the fastest times possible on nine races across seven all-new and totally redesigned Time Trial maps. No guns, no cops, and no city: this is true aesthetics, agility and flow that will challenge any runner. This special DLC pack will be available for $10 USD or 800 Microsoft points. As an added bonus, all PLAYSTATION 3 Mirror’s Edge fans will be able to download an additional map for free.

“The freedom of movement and control in first person has been the most popular aspect of Mirror’s Edge so we decided to distil these down to their purest form for this map pack,” says Owen O’Brien, Senior Producer, DICE. “We deliberately chose a more abstract aesthetic that is still within our distinctive art style and then focused on flow and gameplay to create an experience and challenge very different from the main game.”

Time Trial is a popular mode in Mirror’s Edge that challenges players to find the fastest route across various maps. Players can upload their best time to the Mirror’s Edge leaderboards for their friends to download and compete against. Players can see their friend’s ‘ghost’ run as they race their way through the course to the top of the leaderboards.

Mirror’s Edge was awarded “Best Xbox 360 Game” at the recent GC Developers Conference in Leipzig, Germany. It also received the “Best Action Game” of Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) by IGN and the Game Critics Award for “Best Original Game” at E3 in July. Mirror’s Edge delivers players straight into the shoes of Faith, a modern day heroine who traverses the vertigo-inducing cityscape, engaging in intense combat, fast-paced chases and challenging puzzles. With a never-before-seen sense of movement and perspective, players are drawn into Faith’s dangerous world.

[Credit to Gamersyde for the pictures]