Renowned publisher, Bethesda, is looking to shake up the FPS market for the PS3, Xbox 360, and the PC with a new fast-paced shooter titled Brink. Developing this ambitious title is the UK-based Splash Damage, and they have set the bar quite high, from what it sounds like. Oh you know Splash Damage; they made that Quake Wars. They are promising extreme character customization, an immersive story, and an upgrade system that will supposedly blur the lines between online and offline gaming. This all sounds good, but what could really set this apart from other games? The implementation of Parkour-esque maneuvers coupled with solid gun play is supposed to be the primary selling point of this game. Crazy acrobatics, aerial flips, and over-the-top shoot-outs seem to be what these brave souls at Splash Damage are looking to create. Brink sounds like sexy business, but we have all been horribly deceived by video-games before, have we not? Well, shall we take a peek at what facets of Brink that could possibly elicit that $60 from us? We shall!
S.M.A.R.T.
What is S.M.A.R.T. you ask? Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain. The S.M.A.R.T system will be an intuitive new method to traverse over various obstacles and perform various acrobatic moves with the press of a button coupled with the aim of the reticule. Say you are dashing away from an enemy that is spraying lead at you and you find yourself impeded by a horizontal obstacle; if you were to aim your reticule beneath the object and press the S.M.A.R.T. button then you would slide beneath it and continue fleeing from your pursuers. In that same scenario if you pressed the same button but aimed for above the obstacle then you would vault over it instead. The dudes at Splash Damage assert that this system is quite intuitive without really taking over for the player. This new system coupled with standard FPS controls could produce some seriously epic gun fights. I just hope they pull it off smoothly. I cannot help but to fear that it will be clumsy and cause for severe frustration and much colorful cursing. The idea seems solid, the videos look good, but hesitant I shall remain. If this game truly allows for the quick-witted to get creative then that would be fun stuff indeed.
A Tale of Hate and Your Special Hero
The story of Brink takes place on what is called the “Ark”. This Ark is a floating city that was built to be one %100 environmentally friendly, totally self-sufficient, and has survived generations without contact from the outside world. So word on the Ark is that the ocean levels were rising and forcing folk from the outside world to seek refuge in the Ark. So now we have two distinct groups of people, both of which have generations of ancestors that all adhered to different beliefs and customs. Two groups thrust together due to unforeseen circumstances; this just sounds like a recipe for the Hate. So it should come as no surprise that these two groups decide the best course of action to be taking up arms and killing those that disagree with them. Where do you fit in this messy business? You can either roll with the Ark Security forces or side with the Resistance. Why is your hero so special, you ask? Well, Splash Damage makes mention of a rather deep character customization system that should make it difficult to run into identical characters on the internet. Of course, earned experience points translate into more unlockable gear and goodies to trick your gun-toting free-runner out. I just know that my gun-toting free-runner will probably look cooler than your gun-toting free-runner, and his dad could probably beat up your dad.
Oh How Your Guy Gets Around!
In yet another attempt to bring something fresh to the proverbial table, your custom character can be used in single player, co-op, and even multiplayer game play; acquiring experience all the while. Brink is boasting up to 16-player multiplayer matches laden with team-oriented objectives as well as the 8-player co-op mode, all while putting your custom ninja to work. This online madness also boasts a class system as well, and each class plays a vital role in how you get down on missions and handle various situations. Could this be true? An 8-player co-op campaign mode? That sounds quite appealing to a co-op whore such as I. I just hope it plays long enough with a high enough level of difficulty to appease a lobby full of veteran shooters with insatiable blood lusts. I personally enjoy the idea of maintaining that consistent identity as you drag your same character from game mode to game mode. I hope that the objective-based multiplayer modes for Brink are effectively rendered so that we can enjoy something fresh as opposed to the stale molds that many shooters have emerged from. I am quite eager to see how well this class system is implemented and to what degree weapons can be upgraded.
As for a release date; nothing has been confirmed as of yet, aside from the mysteriously vague assertion that the game will hit shelves in the spring of 2011 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and the PC. The idea of pulling off some crazy free-runner shit just to lay waste to some punks on the internet sounds terribly appealing. If this S.M.A.R.T. business is as sexy as they claim then we should be in for quite a treat. What I would not mind seeing hit the dashboard would be a nice multiplayer demo, but until then I can only remain curious as the spring of 2011 draws closer. Keep an eye on this one, I know I will I be.
Joseph Bryant – SwiftGlassEater
