Brink - Complex but accessible multiplayer action

Mike Bantick
Sunday, 22 May 2011 12:19

Entertainment

I hated Brink to begin with, but over time the nuances of this multiplayer game come to the fore.  Whilst it borrows heavily from past titles and has a dubious art design, players not traditionally attracted to multiplayer only games might find some fun here.

The secret is understanding the core concepts and mechanics of a game such as Brink, for a multiplayer shoot-em-up it is a complex game.

Brink
	Developer	Spash Damage
	Publisher	Bethesda
	Rating	MA 15+
PS3, PC, Reviewed on Xbox 360

There is a class system similar to Team Fortress 2 as well as a dynamic objective system stripped straight from developer Splash Damage's previous work on titles such as Quake Wars.

The premise of a floating island of humanity, known as the Ark, where civilisation is on the brink of complete breakdown provides the backdrop and separation of teams (law and order and rebels), but the lore is rarely drawn upon, providing simply an excuse for battle, and a number of locations to war over.

Playing as either Soldier, Engineer, Medic or Operative, a number of objectives (usually primary and secondary) appear at the push of a radial dial.  The good thing here is that the class system paths the way for non-twitch expert gamers to take a role.  Whist everybody has a weapon, not everybody needs to be on the front line, Medics can provide revive syringes to downed team mates from behind cover.  Players can then choose the best time to revive themselves.

Objectives usually require one or more specialist classes to complete, perhaps the engineer needs to open a safe, or an operative needs to hack a mainframe, all under fire from the opposing team.  If successful, this may open a second primary objective, perhaps requiring the specialities of a different combination of classes.

Players can change class at command checkpoints, and whether they are buffing other player's health or weapons, planting mines or turrets, healing, or the obvious, causing damage to the opposition, experience points are earned.  These points can then be converted to general and class specific perks, abilities that become essential as the combat ramps up.

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