A couple weeks back Edward V did a review on Brink, so take a look and see what he thought. I was also sent a copy of the game, so this is our official second opinion of the game. My outlook on the game pretty much differs from Edward Vs, so here is what I think of Brink.
After reading a couple negative assessments of this title, I went into it not expecting much. After all the coverage of the game over the past two years I knew a fair amount about what Brink offers. Although I was never really a Brink enthusiast leading up to the games release, upon playing it I was surprised to find myself actually liking the game.
Forget anything that anybody ever told you about Brink. It’s nothing like Killzone and it’s not a Team Fortress 2 knock off. Though I’m sure those who enjoy Team Fortress 2 type gameplay will enjoy Brink, but that doesn’t mean it’s indeed a knock off. Brink is all about working together to engage the objective. Call Of Duty players steer clear, because this game is not about ‘beasting’. Brink has its own science on team based game play. You must play for the team and not to pad your stats.
Brink’s story revolving around the Ark lacks any real substance; the extent of the story telling is a short cutscene which is shown at the start and at the conclusion of the various missions. Now when I say missions I am referring to the games campaign, which is essentially just multiplayer objectives. The campaign objectives are fully online compatible, and you can set it so a friend can jump in and help you anytime. Some may find this to be a cheap way to do a campaign mode, but it is essential to understand what Splash Damage are going for with Brink. I get the impression that the story is left bland on purpose, because the real attraction in Brink is interacting with other gamers and utilizing teamwork. If you take that much seriously then Brink is a reasonably fun experience. I believe that some expected too much from this game, and may have expected certain things that weren’t part of Splash Damage’s vision for Brink.
Much credit has to be given to Splash Damage for the character design. The character designs give the game a comical touch, which indicates that the game is all about having fun. I think most of the harsh criticisms come from those who are taking Brink way too seriously. The customizations are another area where Brink shines. You have multiple customizable options on both your character and your choice of arms, making your experience in Brink feel personal to you.
There are enough arms in Brink to satisfy, and once you get used to killing with a specific weapon you will likely stick to it. The game makes it easy for you to switch to a new load out should you want to, as every time you respawn in game you will have access to a control point. These control points allow you to switch load outs, classes and objectives. A good tip to increase team efficiency is to try and take control of as much control points on the map as you can. This will make it easy for team members to adapt to changes in combat without having to wait till they die and respawn. Maintaining your character abilities will also give you an edge in combat. Each class has a set of different abilities which you can unlock by spending points gained by completing objectives.
In closing I think Brink is a fun experience if you take it as it is. This is the type of game that you play with friends on Friday night after work. Getting together and organizing to complete the objectives is something that not many games offer. Yes games like Call of Duty are known for the multiplayer, but it’s not known for pushing gamers to play in a more strategic manner. If you play Brink on your own you might just get fed up of the terrible A.I, but at this point you should use your own initiative and jump in an online game to get the best out of the experience.
Edward V is a very credible gamer, as he gets through a ton of games. So definitely give his review a read once again. But if I had done the official review for Brink I would have given it 7/10.
