The first FPS games like DOOM and QUAKE didn’t just prove that shooting things in first person was fun, they also proved that shooting your mates in first person was fun. FPS games on the PC grew in popularity thanks to their multiplayer deathmatch modes which quickly became staples at LAN parties. Multiplayer in console FPS games experienced a similiar spike in prominence with the release of Goldeneye 64. Since then FPS games have been moving more and more towards bigger and better multiplayer modes. Brink is the next step in this move to focusing on multiplayer.
The developers of Brink, Splash Damage got their start developing the mod Enemy Territory: Wolfenstein and then went on to develop the sequel Enemy Territory: Quake Wars which, although quite a solid multiplayer title, didn’t quite garner the player-base it was hoping for. Brink is set in the near future and the battles depicted in the game's science fiction world take place on The Ark. The Ark was supposed to be a utopian city located off the coast of San Francisco but ended up devolving into a civil war between The Ark's Security Forces and The Resistance.
Quake Wars suffered from a weak single player component and Splash Damage are planning to fix this in Brink by fusing the single and multiplayer components of the game. The single player is a campaign of objective based levels which can be tackled with AI teammates or you can take it online and play through the single player missions against other people. On top of that the objectives in each mission are different depending on which of the two factions you play as. Brink’s single player will also feature a co-op mode for you to play with friends against AI opponents.
Two key features which Splash Damage hopes will allow Brink to stand out amidst the already crowded FPS market are the SMART system, and the high amounts of character customizability. The SMART system stands for Smart Movement Across Random Terrain and it brings a unique style of movement to the objective based FPS gameplay of Brink which isn’t usually seen. The SMART system brings a parkour style of movement to the game, it is similar to the movement seen in Mirrors Edge and looks to make movement in Brink a joy to use.
The other feature that Splash Damage are counting on is that Brink will feature a large amount of character customizability which will persist across both the Single and Multiplayer modes. Players can choose from one of four different character classes similar to Bad Company 2. Players are also able to highly customize their character's appearance, giving themselves their own unique look which persists over into both single and multiplayer.
Like most modern FPS games Brink will have a weapons and upgrades system which is accessed via experience points earned by completing objectives and just like your appearance, these unlocks persist across the entire game. Brink is also innovating in its art style. While a lot of modern FPS games push for realism, Brink is going in a different direction by utilizing an art style that exaggerates the features of the characters to cartoonish proportions.
Brink is set for release on the 13th of May 2011 and it comes out on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.