Brink, My thoughts on it. Options

[Adarael]

This was initially posted for a friend, on my facebook.

It should be noted, first off, that I like very particular flavors of multiplayer games - I am not indescriminate in my consumption of online pew-pew-pewing. I would go so far as to say that I avoid such experiences for the most part, owing to the fact that the internet is a cesspool. Ergo, if a game is going to make me play online, it's going to be because it meets certain criteria:

• I prefer games where one can drop in and out with a minimum of fuss. Waiting times and high buy-in are a killer for me, because I don't want to dick around waiting for other people.
• I generally only play games where it takes a minimum of bullets to take people down. For instance, I only played Call of Duty on Hardcore mode, because the normal mode annoyed me by virtue of it taking too many bullets to kill someone. This is also why I have a hard time playing Team Fortress 2.
• I like asymmetrical games, and asymmetrical maps, preferably on the larger size. This is why I keep trying to play Team Fortress 2, despite my problems with it. Killhouse and maps like it? Yuck. Overgrown? Yes please.

So with these things in mind, let's talk about Brink. Bear in mind I am ONLY talking about the PC version of Brink. Your experiences with Xbox 360 and PS3 versions may vary.

What Brink does right:

1. Flow: I love the flow of the game. Once you get the hang of how to manouver around the maps without resorting to the usual hallways, there is a serious "aha!" moment. There are so many ways to drop in from above, erupt from below, outflank and outmove the opponent that you have to be on your toes at all times. The game doesn't let you turtle without risking an assault from the rear. You never risk getting caught in the 2Fort syndrome of "well, 40 more minutes of this and maybe they'll make a mistake!"
2. PEW PEW PEW!: The meat of the gameplay is obviously going to be "putting bullets into other people until they stop moving." The gunfire feels tight, controlled, and effective; I've never been stuck going "Is this thing even on?" It feels visceral. The damage balance is pretty good, too - you need to burn more bullets than I'm used to, in order to kill someone, but not as many as in most shooters. Ammo conservation and team tactics also play a major role; this isn't a game where you can go solo in multiplayer, because you'll either end up dead or out of bullets. Plus, what's not to love in a game where you can slide-tackle a dude and shoot him with a shotgun as he's falling? (PS: This is very hard. But it is awesome when you do.)
3. It's Classy: Unlike most games that have dubious class balance, Brink's balance is on the ball. Seriously, I have never seen an FPS where you *needed* to have a member of every class to succeed. The Soldiers provide ammo refills, Engineers boost damage and provide turrets, Medics ressurrect and heal, and Operatives ninja stuff. Of all the classes, I think the Operative is least needed, though. Something to address in balancing.
4. In and Out: It's not the easiest game to jump into and out of, as far as multiplayer is concerned - that would be Left 4 Dead - but it's close. You can play solo, play private, play public, and in between each round, it's simple to jump into a new server without ever searching the server list. If you want to, though, you can.
5. Swank Duds: The game's customization options are awesome and amazing. Seriously. But you know me, I love to play dress-up as a pretty pretty princess.

What Brink does wrong:

1. Unabalanced Guns: I don't know if it's just me and my tendancy to gravitate toward particular weapon loadouts, but it seems like there's very little to recommend certain guns in the game. Some guns just seem to fire faster, with more damagae, while being more accurate. Also, would it have killed you guys to put in another semi-auto rifle or two? Sheesh.
2. The Hot Mess: The UI is beautiful and amazing but jesus christ are the menu systems a mess. The way they have attempted to organize things just doesn't work. It is a clusterfuck. And when you try to do certain things, like filter servers for "not full, not empty", you can't. You can only filter by number. It LOOKS great, but jesus christ, people. The in-game UI is much better, but there are still things they should add: icons over people's names, so we can see what buffs they have on them, cuz like... I don't wanna run next to a dude to find out if I need to amp up his damage, thanks.
3. I Gotta Unlock What?: Minor gripe: Unlocking the light body type took too long. Especially when it enables more of the much-touted SMART running.
4. Short Pants: I know the game is for multiplayer, and I know the replayability is where it's at, but the game needs at least 3 more maps. The game is just too damn short. Welcome to DLC Town, next stop, your wallet.

There have been a lot of other problems people have mentioned. Some of these problems are preference based, as I mentioned. Some are more technical. Looking at the preference-based complaints, I think I can reaffirm what I've said since I started playing the game: Brink is not a game the average gamer is going to instinctively "get". It's different, and it's not BETTER different, nor WORSE different. It's just different. Some complain of frivolous objectives, or that they don't like how quickly things unlock - which leads to the game being 'over' too quickly, or the like. None of these complaints have a material, objective thing I can point to and agree with. I like the level design and objective placement; others do not. As to the speed of unlocks, nobody complained that Modern Warfare was "over" as soon as you'd unlocked everything. For me, that was when the MP game really BEGAN. Some have kvetched that the shooting feels anemic, that headshots should be a one-shot, one-kill situation. I question their depth of understanding: headshots can be set to insta-kill in the game options when you host.

In terms of technical issues, a host of them rear their head: Lag. Popping textures. Busted animations. Crashes. Shooting through walls. These are fine complaints to have. But I personally have not experienced any of them. That's right. I haven't even experienced the rampant lag people are speaking of. So while I empathise with the frustration of others, I haven't experienced it.

[Epicedion]

I'm right with you on most of this.

In the "Pros" column, I'd also add that not only is the UI pretty, the game is damn pretty too. It has a heavily stylized part-CGI part-cell-shaded appearance. Sort of like Borderlands, but much cleaner and far, far better.

I'm not sure about the unbalanced guns, as I haven't really found one I like yet. Some of the light SMGs are super-accurate, though, since I get killed by them all the time. The sniper rifle is pretty cool. Those kevlar plates and health buffs people can pass out seem to be pretty effective, too, so sometimes it's not just the gun.

As for the Unlock system, I have to admit that I don't understand it at all. Every level you get a point to spend or save, but then rank comes into play and I'm not sure what rank is with respect to level. All I know is I don't have it yet.

My overall impression of this game is very favorable. For some reason I haven't quite figured, it reminds me a lot of the original Tribes.

EDIT: Oh, and regarding the Operative, on their face they're fairly useless. They pick up some neat toys, though, that make it harder for the other team to steal your command consoles, that allow them to hack enemy turrets, remove mines, and so on. Also they're needed for any Hack objectives. If you're not getting shot by turrets and stepping on mines, you might have an Operative to thank.

[Tanegar]

For some reason I haven't quite figured, it reminds me a lot of the original Tribes.

Ooh. OK, now I'm interested. Tribes rocked.

[CanRay]

For combining storyline (My main buying point) with Multiplayer (My main gripe), they did a poor job. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

[Yerameyahu]

You buy *shooters* for storyline? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[CanRay]

I rent shooters and hope for an intriguing storyline.

Slowly, hope dies... Yet another piece of hope dies within me...

[Adarael]

For combining storyline (My main buying point) with Multiplayer (My main gripe), they did a poor job. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

I admit, I should have been clearer in my mini-review: Brink has only slightly more story than Left 4 Dead. But Brink was absolutely not a game I bought for story, but for the man-face-shooting. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

In the "Pros" column, I'd also add that not only is the UI pretty, the game is damn pretty too. It has a heavily stylized part-CGI part-cell-shaded appearance. Sort of like Borderlands, but much cleaner and far, far better.

Yeah, definitely. I didn't even bring up the look of the game, because it's my opinion that it's so obvious as to not need stating. Basically if you don't like how Brink looks, chances are I share no asethetics with you at all. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I'm not sure about the unbalanced guns, as I haven't really found one I like yet. Some of the light SMGs are super-accurate, though, since I get killed by them all the time. The sniper rifle is pretty cool. Those kevlar plates and health buffs people can pass out seem to be pretty effective, too, so sometimes it's not just the gun.

After a few more hours with the guns, I'm beginning to get an idea of how each one is supposed to operate in concert with the game, and I confess I may have been wrong about many of them not having a use. This is because there are a few "hidden stats" so to speak, with guns. While the stability stat indicates how quickly you lose accuracy with a given weapon during rapid-fire, the hidden stat related to it is how FAR the bullets scatter. While the Rhett AR has amazing stability and the gun levels off quickly, once stability begins to falter the bullets have a very wide scatter. Conversely, the Euston appears to have nearly identical stats to the Rhett, save with slightly less damage, slighltly less stability and a higher rate of fire... but the scatter area once stability is lost is noticably less than the Rhett, lending the weapon a different role. You need to do short controlled bursts with the Rhett, but the Euston can crank out longer bursts.

As for the Unlock system, I have to admit that I don't understand it at all. Every level you get a point to spend or save, but then rank comes into play and I'm not sure what rank is with respect to level. All I know is I don't have it yet.

Rank is just a secondary rating of level, to prevent people with all kinds of crazy class-specfic abilities from whomping on new characters. Rank 1 is level 1-4, Rank 2 is 5-9, Rank 3 is 10-14, Rank 4 is 15-19, and Rank 5 is 20.

EDIT: Oh, and regarding the Operative, on their face they're fairly useless. They pick up some neat toys, though, that make it harder for the other team to steal your command consoles, that allow them to hack enemy turrets, remove mines, and so on. Also they're needed for any Hack objectives. If you're not getting shot by turrets and stepping on mines, you might have an Operative to thank.

I've started fooling around with Operative a bit more, and started a new character so I could devote the majority of his points to Operative, and I think I'm starting to see how they plan out. The Turret hacking, Cortex Bomb and Comms Hack abilities seem to be where it's at.

Edit for CanRay: For FPSes with interesting storylines:
Bioshock (You've probably played it, but I gotta say it anyway)
Crysis (No, seriously. I'm not kidding.)
FEAR 2 (Great fun. Also buy it since they're my new employer)
Metro 2033 (Post apocalyptic russia! And you can leave the voice acting in russian, yay!)
STALKER, STALKER Clear Sky (Open world post apocalyptic russia!)
Borderlands. Okay, Borderlands doesn't have the most cohesive story, but Borderlands is amazing, and great Co-Op fun.

[Epicedion]

Edit for CanRay: For FPSes with interesting storylines:
Bioshock (You've probably played it, but I gotta say it anyway)
Crysis (No, seriously. I'm not kidding.)
FEAR 2 (Great fun. Also buy it since they're my new employer)
Metro 2033 (Post apocalyptic russia! And you can leave the voice acting in russian, yay!)
STALKER, STALKER Clear Sky (Open world post apocalyptic russia!)
Borderlands. Okay, Borderlands doesn't have the most cohesive story, but Borderlands is amazing, and great Co-Op fun.

"Story-based shooter" tends to be code for "railroad." This is why I can't recommend most shooters for their storylines. Running from cutscene to cutscene doesn't really count, in my book, at least not in games made within the last 5-10 years. Cutscenes between missions are the minimum you can get away with.

That also happens to be why I like the Half-Life games so much, since they never really break the immersion to deliver story updates. I'd go back to classics like Deus Ex (and the new one might even be good) and System Shock 2.

And the Thief series -- though Thief suffers from the mission-cutscene-mission format, one of the cutscenes is this. Creepy little girl interpreter.

[Stahlseele]

FEAR 2 (Great fun. Also buy it since they're my new employer)

Wait, what?
Congratulations O.o

Also, even if it's called an RPG, Fallout3/New Vegas are pretty story driven FPSes really.

[CanRay]

I burned out a PS3 with Fallout 3 during a rather bad period in my life. Luckily, it was still covered. By three days. (I got lucky.). I've got a timer for Fallout: New Vegas so I don't RRoD my X-Box 360, and am eagerly awaiting the new DLC for that. Especially as they seem to have Colt M1911s and Thompson SMGs. (I'm a major John Browning Fanboy, and loves me my .45 ACP! I was really happy that the 9mm was the Browning Hi-Power!).

Thanks for the rest of the suggestions, I've tried them all. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) And congrats on the job, Adarael! Now get back to work on F3AR!

[Adarael]

And the Thief series -- though Thief suffers from the mission-cutscene-mission format, one of the cutscenes is this. Creepy little girl interpreter.

I sat down in college and transcribed everything she said, actually. Thief and Thief 2 are awesomesauce. Still haven't finished Deadly Shadows, though.

Wait, what?
Congratulations O.o

Thanks! They seem like good people, so far.

[KarmaInferno]

And the Thief series -- though Thief suffers from the mission-cutscene-mission format, one of the cutscenes is this. Creepy little girl interpreter.

I still count the Shalebridge Cradle from Thief Deadly Shadows as one of my favorite game experiences.



-k

[LurkerOutThere]

Ooh. OK, now I'm interested. Tribes rocked.

Then you don't want Brink, you want Section 8: Prejudice.

[LurkerOutThere]

Having messed with it a while i can honestly say that Brink is one of the most overhyped games i've ever played. I'm pretty well convinced that any game site that gave it a positive or tepid review was paid to do so.

[Raven the Tricks...]

I've been playing Brink from day 1 and loving it! Hell I played it 24 out of the first 48 hours it was out (on the other hand I'm still looking for a job atm, so that's nothing to lose sleep over).

I pretty much solidly agree with Adarael's review and his comment on "hidden" weapon stats. I initially thought that I knew exactly what weapons I wanted, but having tried a few of the others to change things up now I'm starting to see that they're a lot more balanced than expected.

Was the game overhyped? A bit, the AI is nowhere near as good as the previews lead people to believe, although I understand that they're working on it, and otherwise it sits pretty well with me. Does it need more maps? Yes, but they've decided to put out the first DLC for free (in June or July if memory serves), and in the mean time 10 maps is about as many as a lot of shooters ship with.

Is it the most fun game I've ever played in multiplayer? Absolutely yes!