At first glance Brink seems like your average team-based shooter. It has mission objectives, different classes for characters, multiplayer features and a wide variety of weapons. But digging a bit deeper into the third-person shooter, gamers will soon realise that it’s actually something special that might not be to the tastes of every passing gamers.
One of the biggest aspects punted by developers Bethesda before its launch was the customisation of characters and weapons. Although it’s only true in parts, players will be required to build their own character before they venture into the fray.
Straight off the bat, there are a number of outfits and accessories available, but most of the cool stuff needs to be unlocked before they can be used in combat. There have been some numbers thrown around to the tune of 300 000 different combinations of clothing, but to be honest, players will only use a small portion of the actual customisation. The same goes for the weapons.
But clothing style and facial tattoos aside, the game features a single player and a multiplayer campaign, although the two are meshed into one. While playing the single player missions, gamers can start the next level in multiplayer mode, without having to reload the entire campaign from scratch.
It’s great – in a way – but it does make the single player campaign a bit useless, as most gamers these days play with friends online. It’s always better to fight in a team, and nothing could be further from the truth in Brink.
In single player mode, the title makes use of bots to fill in the AI slots on the same side, but these tend to be thicker than maple syrup in winter. And this is where multiplayer works so great. Teams are made up of up to 8 players on a side, each with a different skills and tricks.
Although four fairly-standard classes are included (Engineer, Operative, Medic and Soldier), players aren’t bound to one class for the duration of the level. Gamers can swap classes by way of checking in at a Command Post, quickly complete a class-specific task, and change back.
In terms of controls, there are several layouts available – even one that mimics the control scheme of Call of Duty. So any player familiar with that scheme will have no problems with the buttons and their functions – although some button placement is a bit unorthodox.
Graphically, the game falls into a strange category. They are more than sufficient to deliver their message and visual appeal, but for in-game they could have been just a bit better. They are by no means bad, but the in-game graphics don’t come anywhere close to the cut-scene or menu visuals.
Speaking of which, the cut-scene and menu facial graphics are amazingly fantastic with their slightly disproportionate heads and facial features. It almost seems like they were designed in clay and then transferred into the game.
But the main attraction of the game is the dynamics. Players (in their respective teams) are given tasks, or missions, to complete, where the opposing team will more than likely try to stop them. Each level comprises of about six or seven missions, which usually include tasks like defending an entrance, planting a bomb or escorting a person-of-interest.
The team-play aspects works brilliantly here, as each member knows exactly what they need to do. Medics will hang back and heal the wounded; operatives will plant a charge, while soldiers and engineers make sure that everybody stays safe in the hail of bullets.
Brink is not your typical team-based shooter, but there is no doubt that it’s a lot of fun when gamers work together in a team like a well-oiled machine. Although other team-based shooters do exist, Brink is a refreshing take on the genre, and includes some really hair-raising moments.
By Charlie Fripp – Consumer editor
