Are you looking for a new FPS that provides a thrilling, innovative adventure for all modes: single, co-op, and multiplayer? Your best bet might be to check out Brink, Bethesda and Splash Damage's latest collaboration. Bethesda has a pretty high pedigree for bringing us the highly acclaimed Fallout series, but can they break out of that shadow with a new IP? Brink sets itself apart by trying to balance and redefine game modes by blurring the line between them all. In all of this, Brink attempts to satiate everyone's tastes: its there for the lone solider, those who have game dates with friends, and of course for the competitive player who wants bragging rights. Brink is encapsulated by the city of Ark, a floating city on the verge of a grim Civil War. Hate is in the air, but that's not the way it started, as Ark was a man-made creation, and a highly experimental one at that. The floating city was built as a completely "green" city and as an autonomous, independent territory. Problems first surfaced when the Earth's oceans began to rise up, and the rising tide brought countless refugees. A city that once felt sheltered from everyone was now as packed as Hong Kong. Tension exists between the previous residents and the newfound refugees, and they've formed two militant groups, Security and the Resistance forces. These two factions are about to embark on a vicious battle for complete domination over Ark.
In both the campaign and multiplayer, you must choose a side, and it will test your endurance and beliefs. Story is nice in a first person shooter, but what is Brink truly bringing to the table? For starters, it's letting you have complete control over creating your avatar. There are a plethora of options and as you advance through the game, you'll unlock even more customization options, so altering the appearance of your character will progress as you play. What's even more exiting is that you can take your character through the campaign and then use that same character for the online features in the game. The most impressive part of Brink, however, is the connection between game modes. For instance, in multiplayer, the story moves to online where you still pick between the Security or Resistance side, and you experience the narrative with others online. The fact that the single player campaign also functions as levels in the multiplayer only further enmeshes the two. In multiplayer, you can connect with up to seven other people and play corporately against an opposing fraction. You're able to assign AI players to your team, and Splash Damage boasts that its AI is more than competent; a bot might be a better option than an actual player. Also, to its strength, Brink is trying to balance out the online competition. The game will not match inexperienced players with the hardcore unless you ask for a challenge beyond your level. It even goes as far as if you're teaming up with a person who is a higher level than yours, it still won't provide you an unfair match.
The levels are capped at 20, but spending time in either single or multiplayer mode will increase your level no matter what, so you're encouraged to switch off between them. Splash Damage is also striving to make the controls less of a barrier between players and the game. Brink adopts the basic controls from many shooters others are already familiar with, and refines them enough to make the whole experience less frustrating. In Brink, there exists a S.M.A.R.T. button, which allows the players parkour-like moves to get to the objective or can work in battle, where you need to make the most strategic decision. Brink also strives to destroy even more exasperation that many have with feeling directionless in games: you will always know your next objective, how to go there, and what your bonus you'll receive for completing it. Brink will also dynamically generate just about every piece of the game out there: objectives, communication from square mates, missions, and items are all determined by the role you've selected, where you are, who you're with and how the battle is going. Still don't think it's original enough? Splash Damage's last two Enemy Territory titles, Wolfenstein and Quake Wars, have both contained similar combat and class system's to Brink. Brink refines these elements and gives players much more to work with.
There are four classes to choose from in Brink: medic, solider, operative and engineer. In Brink, weapons run the gamut from measly pistols to dangerous heavy weapons, and weapons are not restricted to any specific class. The way each class separates itself is by its unique abilities. More particularly, operatives masquerade as foes, medics acquire skills that you think medics would have, engineers don't focus so much on the gunplay, but rather the strategy of the mission, and soldiers maintain an equal balance between all of their skills. Similarly to Borderlands, each class has a unique passive buff to give his allies additional power. Success, in all of this, requires a teamwork mentality. There's even a HUD that allows players to determine where their allies are and what they're working on, so the player can determine where they should be strategically. So far Brink appears to be an amalgam: there are so many different parts, and they're all blending together to create a larger whole. With less than a month until the game's May 10th release, it's definitely a game worth keeping tabs on. Who knows? Brink just might be the next great FPS to hit the 360. Will you side with the Security or fight alongside the Resistance? With less than a month until you get your hands on this potential gem, you won't have to agonize too long over the decision. Stay tuned for a full review on Brink right here at PlanetXbox360.com later this month.
