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Hello people, welcome back to another written game review. You know, there have been a lot of good quality games out so far this year but, have been the one I’ve been personally looking forward to all year. Sure it ain’t no Portal 2 or Mortal Kombat but something about it spoke to me and said:
“I’m great, you’ll buy me and love me til the sequel.”
Of course games will say anything to get bought up by gamers and not fade into obscurity; so was Brink true blue or was it a jezebel that toyed with my emotions. Well I’ll say this, I’m only but so disappointed; and I’ll elaborate right now.
Brink starts like most games have this year, the end of the world, in this case a global flooding event. Survivors from all points on the globe hear there’s only one place to be safe and secure now; a combination floating geological experiment and self-sustaining vacation resort called the Ark (how biblical). So people came by the thousands and the people of Ark, called the ‘Founders’, accommodated. You know where this is going however, years past, tempers flare, the ‘Guests’ are tired of living in rusty ship hauls, fresh water rationing, and treated like 2nd class citizens; while the Founders are afraid of a militant uprising and whole Ark sinking into the sea in the process. War breaks out and that’s where the player comes in: you can either join the resistance and fight for the rights of all Ark citizens or get recruited as Ark security and save it from self-destruction. Whatever side you pick remember two things:
1) You can always play both sides
2) Nothing is as black and white as it seems
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Game Info
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Main characters for most games usually are given to the players with a few set skills and told to make the best out of them, Brink on the other hand gives you a blank slate and tells you to make best character for yourself – and I’m not talking just about looks here. There are four archetypes players can choose from: Soldier, Engineer, Operative (Spy Class), or Medic. Want to go commando destroying everything in your way, there’s a class for that. How about going behind enemy lines systematically breaking down there defenses, there’s a class for that. Creating auto turrets, laying mines, building gun nests or resurrecting fallen allies, making them stronger, faster, and even invincible for a time; you know there’s are classes for that. Each one of these profession, once specialized, can make you a juggernaut on the battlefield; or heck become a jack or all trades and let no barrier, computer, or situation stand in your way. Of course even the m
ost pacifists of medics needs a gun just to defend themselves, and why use a pea shooter when you can bring about a chain gun you grant eternal peace on your enemies? That’s right no archetype is barred from any weapon, only a character’s body type determines that. So basic you can create a hulk-like character armed with a massive grenade launcher; who can also stealth kill, hack tech, and disguise himself like fallen enemies. Epic win? More or less. Add to the fact players can customize weapons functionality to a point, improve general skills, and outward appearance and what you have is avatars truly made for the players using them. Of course you know you’re enemies (be it bots or players) will enjoy the same advantage. I’ll tell you something to its hard taking down a heavy medic. Not only are they armed to teeth and have enlarged health but they can heal others, rez them, and even themselves at higher levels. The various combinations of body types, weapons, and abilities with keep you on your toes.
Saving the Ark or freeing the Ark in Brink involves more than just gunning down your enemies. The game allows players to take up ‘objectives’ on each map; now these objectives are class based and can either move the attacking team forward or provide extra defenses for the defending team. Most things done can be undone by the opposing team. For example if I, an engineer, build a stair case that goes behind enemy lines – a enemy solider can destroy it with HE charge. Once the stair case is built however, I can then choose the objective to defend it from solders or any other enemy. 
I won’t be in the main battle, but as long as my stair case remains defended I’ll earn more XP (experience points) than normal – which is the reason why it’s important to decide objectives early on and earn as much XP as you can. Once you have enough to level up, your gain access to new abilities and gear for your character. Another thing that sets Brink apart in the S.M.A.R.T. system; short version is that when you run (the S.M.A.R.T. button it also the sprint button) mundane movements (jumping, sliding under objects, leaps, etc.) will all be automatically done as you approach an object.
This is indeed helpful in fight or flight situations; however, like the weapons, the S.M.A.R.T. limited to your character’s body type. So if you’re a light type you can reach almost any point in a stage with, but if you’re a heavy all you can really do is just run with the button. Finally Brink comes with three various modes: campaign freeplay, and challenge. The campaign game allows players to play it by themselves or online in co-op and vs; through campaign you can find out the whole story of the Ark. Freeplay is like campaign but the host/player can choose the parameters on each match and is played for fun (not at my house, hah). Challenge mode which once you complete will unlock weapons and upgrades. Though in my opinion it should be renamed training mode, because it gives you four scenarios that aren’t that hard, but gives you a clear idea what the campaign is going to entail.
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The Goods:
Character Customizations: A lot of games offer this feature but Brink is one of the few that does it to the fullest. Sure they give you a template and none of them are women (sorry ladies), but after making that choice everything else will be up to you. What he wears, what he uses, what he is, and once you’re done and maxed him out you can start all over again with a new template (or redo the one you already have). Its fun experimenting with options and finding things that work.
Levels: In most FPS’s there are certain sweet spots that make the best sniping nests or the most defended with walls and no windows or what have you. In Brink there are no sweet spots, you can be either reached (in quick order) by light types or circumvented another way. Short cuts created by engees, blown into by soldiers, or hacked through by ops. Heck, half the time its routes that are easy to get to but just out of normal vision that will do it (seriously in the first stage I never knew there was a side ramp that got pass all those resistance bottlenecking (you’ll see what I mean once you play the game)). By the manual’s own admission the only way to stay alive in this game is the “NEVER stop moving”! While the statement is valid, I find keeping your head on a swivel works just as well. Never the less, Brink we keep you on your game every board you play.
S.M.A.R.T. System: The S.M.A.R.T. is pretty smart and excellent way to even things out with the body types. Light types would get shredded in a straight up fight, but thanks to S.M.A.R.T. they can use their agility to escape trouble or even bulrush opponents of their feel with a sliding kick. Even heavies can make use for nothing else but get over obstacles quicker. It’s tricky to learn, but once mastered it makes any level in the game a parkour paradise.
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The Bad:
The Look: I like I said before this was I game I was looking forward to for a long time. Every time a video came out I watched it five times just to get myself mentally prepared, so once I brought the game (for the Xbox) and started playing it I noticed one glaring flaw already – the graphics. They’re very simple and nowhere near as smooth as the gameplay videos I saw weeks prior. So that means the gameplay video I saw is from the PC version. I call shenanigans people. Maybe in the 90’s I would have let the graphical differences go of PC v consoles, but this is 2011 now, the current generation of consoles have enough in them to make games look every bit as good as PC driven ones. The fact my Xbox 360 with HDMI hook up makes this title look like a rainbow covered in dirt make me think someone got lazy during production – bad form Bethesda.
AI Enemies: Most times you’ll be playing against computer controlled enemies, even in vs. you’ll have to wait until more people to show up to make it full pvp. Now the problem with them is that they’re impossible to beat (and stand) at times. You’ll cut down wave after wave of enemies only for them to respawn all at once and Zerg Rush you into oblivion! What’s worse is that once the A.I. gets a foothold they’re never give it up unless you get ‘realty’ lucky. Of course it’s a little easier on co-op and A.I. dominance is random (meaning they’re not invincible all the time), but on single player it will drive you to pull out your hair, especially when you’re A.I. teammates are sooooooooo bad.
Too Short: My only guess on why they made the CPU enemies such juggernauts is because of the fact the game has little to offer in the way of content. In most games the campaign and multiplayer are two separate entities; here they’re one in the same. Story exposition is nothing more than 20 second cut scenes at the beginning of each stage and even quicker audio logs from the menu. Even if you play both sides of the conflict, finish challenge mode and created all ten character template, you still find the game lacking in things to do.
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Ranking
Despite my griping above here and my initial disappointment on how this game wasn’t the Team Fortress 2 killer I was hoping it would be (curses), Brink is still fun to play online or off. What passes as a story here was also is enough to get me interested for future DLCs; but as for right now think of this title as part one. My recommendation – rent it before you buy; I’ll already bought it and the only thing that’s keeping me from trading it in for Red Faction Armageddon is the fact the multiplayer (and thus its replay value) is pretty solid, the S.M.A.R.T. is neat, and the DLC should be good. Of course I’m just guessing there will be DLC in the future, but how everything ended in the game was very open-ended, and I don’t believe they’re wait until Brink 2 to continue the trials and tribulation of the Ark civil war and doomed world they temporary left behind – stay tuned.
On a serious note
Randall Mario Poffo, also known as, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, died today in a car accident while in the middle of a heart attack. He was one the most famous athletes and entertainers of our times. Our thought and prayers go with him and his family in these difficult times.
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