Let's start things like this: I love Bethesda games just like I love Rockstar Games. Oblivion and Fallout 3 are some of the best games I've ever played, just like Grand Theft Auto 4 and Red Dead Redemption. And just like I didn't like Rockstar's LA Noire, I don't like Bethesda's Brink.
Brink is a Class-Based FPS released for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC back in May. I would like to clarify though that Bethesda did not create Brink, Splash Damage did. Bethesda only published it, but does that mean that they approved every aspect of this game. My question is why?
So Brink is supposed to be a class-based FPS. I say supposed to be because it barely fits the genre description. Most class-based games (i.e. Team Fortress 2, Battlefield, etc.) have drastically different classes so that you get an entirely different experience depending on what class you pick. Not Brink. Every class has access to the same weapons, looks, and most powers. The only difference between the classes are their trademark powers, and certain unique powers. For example, only medics can heal people, and only engineers can build turrets. But no class has an advantage against any other class, so it really doesnt matter who you pick. Personally, I chose medic because I could revive dead teammates and give myself extra health.
The only time when a certain class is required is to complete certain objectives in each game. That's how Brink is played; through completing attack and defend objectives. For example, one team might have to take intel from a safe and the other team would have to defend it. Only certain classes can complete each objective. Only an engineer could open the safe to get the intel. The game gives you an easy option to change classes at any time to complete an objective though a control panel on the game map, and then you can change back to whichever class you want.
The most infuriating aspect of Brink is the AI. Splash Damage really messed up when they forgot to learn how to construct AI. By that I mean that it sucks. Regardless of dificulty, the enemy AI is constantly overpowered to an unbelievable extreme, and the AI on your team is as weak and helpless as Krillin from Dragon Ball Z. In other words, the game is nearly impossible to play alone as you and your team are constantly dying. I can honestly say that I have never thrown a controller out of anger untill I played Brink. Even on the easiest difficulty, it literally took twice the amount of hits to kill an unbuffed enemy as it did for him to kill you. Quite frankly, the game is broken, and because of it, I never finished the game. And it's not like I'm bad at FPS's. I'm quite good actually. I've even beaten several FPS's at their hardest difficulties, and my most impressive feat is getting the ridiculously impossible and unforgiving "Vidmaster: Annual" achievement in Halo 3 (look it up).
That being said, I do know the story. Not because I read it on wikipedia, but because it's extremely bland and barely existant. Basically, the entire world is flooded and everyone that survived lives on a floating futuristic city known as "The Ark". The Ark is divided into two sections. One is a utopia, fluorishing in wealth. The other is a rotting, broken down slum. The residents of the slums want to leave the Ark, believing that there is another civilzation somewhere on Earth. To leave, they require copious amounts of water, which is the most valuable and rare resource on the Ark. The Ark's government can't afford to let them take the water, as it could potentially lead the residents of the Ark to extinction. Each story mission is a multiplayer-esque attack and defend match. It can barely be considered a campaign, since there's no structure and, like I said, it is played just like a multiplayer match, but with bots.
Speaking of multiplayer, it is terrible. There are simply not enough playing, so the rest of your team is filled up by the terrible AI. In multiplayer, it is nearly impossible to win unless you are defending, as all you have to do is camp in one spot and let the AI kill everything. Instead of the enemy AI being overpowered, the defending AI is overpowered in multiplayer. At least you have a 50/50 shot at winning, unlike the 0% chance at winning in campaign. And while there is an option to play through the campaign with other people is an option, there is barely anyone online, most likely because they don't want to torture themselves with this poor excuse of a game. Another problem with multiplayer: it's the campaign. There is literally no difference between multiplayer and campaign, other than the lack of cutscenes, and the addition of real people.
Brink's trademark that was supposed to set it apart from other games was it's S.M.A.R.T. system. It allowed you to freerun through levels a la' Mirror's Edge. Unlike Mirror's Edge though, the freerunning doesn't work. Instead, Brink has you sprinting towards a wall and maybe climbing up it. Different body classes in Brink, light, medium and heavy, allow you to utilize the S.M.A.R.T. in different ways. For example, light bodies move faster and can climb higher ledges. Light bodies are also able to walljump, but it's an impossible feat to accomplish. Medium bodies can climb most ledges, and heavy bodies can't climb. All in all, the S.M.A.R.T. system is worthless, and you will never find yourself using it. Good job, Splash Damage.
All of those terrible features aside, Brink does look beautiful. It is part of a growing trend in games where they just look amazing. It truly is amazing how far Xbox 360 graphics have improved since its launch in late 2005. The vivid colors and realistic textures are the one shining aspect of Brink.
In conclusion, Brink is a terrible game that should never be played. The AI actually stops you from doing that. Every class is virtually the same, gameplay is unimaginary, the story is bland, the S.M.A.R.T. system is useless, the multiplayer is extremely uninspired, and the AI is masochists. The only thing it has going for it is it's graphics, but that is definitely not enough to save this game. Although, I would enjoy a sequel or patch that would at least fix the AI. Then the game might be alright, considering I could play it without seeing the respawn screen every two seconds. But given the amount of returns on this game, I see no chance at all of a Brink 2 being created. Brink is definiteley a huge blemish on both Splah Damage and Bethesda.
Final score: 1 out of 5
