Brink Review
You won’t need to have the Brink disk in your PS3 for long to realise how ambitious were the plans for the game that you are playing. Multiple soldier classes, different body types allowing different abilities and weaponry, a story that allows you to pick a side to fight with; there’s lots that you should be able to sink your teeth into here. Unfortunately, although Brink does offer its players a good time for a while, it falls short of that high mark for which the developer’s were aiming.
Storyline
As you first start Brink you will find yourself thrust into a future world, in which a group of humans inhabit a man-made floating city. This Ark was created as an experiment for a completely self-sufficient society, but it seems that somewhere along the line things went dramatically wrong, and now the once comfortable civilisation stands on the very brink of civil war. You will have the option to choose whether to side with the security forces seeking to restore order to this artificial ‘paradise’, or to join with the rebels determined to be released from what they view as a prison, keeping them from joining the potential survivors back on solid ground.
Don’t expect the plot of this game to really immerse you; despite the potential for an in depth tale, the developers have spent more time focusing on creating an intense online shooter instead. And as it doesn’t really matter which side you choose to battle on in your original choice (as you can play both sides of the campaign all in one go anyway), you may not find much here that compels you to replay this title after completing it once.
Gameplay
Some interesting gameplay concepts can add a bit of longevity to this game, for example you will need to select your body type when you go through the character creation process, and this body type you will be stuck with! You will start with a medium body type, but light and heavy builds can soon be unlocked. As a heavy character you will understandably be able to carry the largest weaponry, and will have more health than your skinnier counterparts. Light characters can only use small weapons, but they have the advantage of speed and agility, being able to reach areas of the map that heavy soldiers can only dream of seeing. A medium build is, predictably, something of a combination of the other two body types.
Another feather in Brink’s cap is that of an all new feature named Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain (or SMART). Holding your SMART button essentially allows you to reach where you are trying to get to in one fluid motion. You’ll be able to scale walls, overcome obstacles and even drop into a slide beneath enemy gunfire. This is a truly excellent addition to the game and, with the detailed tutorials provided at the outset, one that you will quickly adjust to.
Graphics
Graphically this is a game of polar opposites; at times things look very attractive, with uniquely designed characters, clothing upgrades available as you progress through the levels and some excellent art design. Occasional frame rate issues, pixelation and a dark and dingy feel to the design though, does leave things looking ugly occasionally.
Conclusion
Brink is a game that aims high but unfortunately does not reach its target. You may find enough to enjoy here to make it a worthwhile purchase, particularly if you have friends to enjoy an assortment of skirmishes with. But on the whole you are more likely to find yourself frustrated by the unrealistic AI, online lag and the lack of any great story to sink your teeth into.