Let me start off with saying this: I was Excited about Brink.
I was scrounging for snip-bits and scents of Brink all over the Internet when I first got a whiff of it a year ago. My hype died out due to personal stuff, and when I got the game today, I was approaching it with a cold anticipation.
I finally got my hands on the game, played it for four hours and now my eyes are blood-shot, so, I tore myself away from it.
I love Brink
Here is my view of the game, both the good, bad, and the fixable.
Lets start out with the first thing you see, the Graphics.
Graphics: Assumed scoring 7/10 (Good)
I originally thought that the graphics were going to be my least favourite part of the game, while I loved the art direction, I simply didn’t feel like the cartoony look gave this game justice. I thought it would deter from the game’s mood of the Civil War on the Ark.
Oh how wrong I was.
The graphics worked perfectly. The exaggerated features and playful colouring hit the nail on the head. It melded seriousness, fun, and beauty into one. The graphics do exactly what they’re suppose to do, immerse you, but never let you totally forget that your playing a video game.
Unfortunately, there are bugs. Textures in the cut-scenes tend to take a few moments to render and it DOES detract from the experience, but it isn’t anything that can’t be fixed.
Graphics: Actual Scoring 8/10 (Awesome)
Now for the real meat behind ANY video-game:
Gameplay: Assumed scoring- 9/10 (Amazing)
If it’s one area of this game I’m not COMPLETELY satisfied with, it’s this section of the game.
The gun-play: It is superb. The guns look, feel and sound right, I mean it’s not BC2 level, but it still get’s the job done, and it get’s it done well. SMG’s spit millions of metal pelets, AR-s Punch holes into enemies, Heavy weaponry feels… heavy. Shotguns give the “Boom-stick” nostalgia. It’s all very, very good stuff. The clip size actually adds to the game-play for me, it only keeps people on their toes. With the exception of grenades, which are more like firecrackers, the gun-play is very satisfying
The Smart System: At first I approached the Smart System with pessimism, and, to my relief, was proven wrong… mostly.
The Smart system works like you would suspect it to. It allows you to hurdle, slide, shimmy, jump and gallop into all sort’s of nooks and crannies to a degree.
The Smart System isn’t perfect. Thing’s you would expect to interact with you can’t, thing you wouldn’t expect, you can. While it isn’t perfect, it does get the job done.
Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain does just what it’s suppose to do for the most part
The Maps:
The Maps are good. Keep that word in mind.
The Maps that I’ve played through, for the most part, include claustrophobic hallways, wide-open bullet storm magnets, crow’s nests, rat holes, stair-wells and a combination there of.
Some of em have certain MG placements and cover to make me go “WTF!?”
Overall, I find the maps enjoyable.
Customization: NERDGASM nuff’ said.
The AI:
The enemy AI will tear you several knew ass-holes. Period.
Your team AI, on the other hand, get’s their job done, mind you, along the way, you’ll want beat them over the head with your monkey-wrench, in hopes that’ll make them smarter, but they do what they’re suppose to do.
Revive, repair, hack and escort and all that good stuff, but at the same time, they’ll leave you the lion-shares of the wok, which is what they’re suppose to do.
Sound: The sound is great, like I said before, not BC2 level, but pretty close.
I especially like the Opera Music after you lay incapacitated for awhile.
Gun’s sound great, voice acting is above average, the explosives sound pretty good, just wish they LOOKED better. Fire looks cartoon-esq…, but it’s suppose to.
Actual Scoring- 8.5 (Great)
Story: Assumed Scoring 6.5-7/10 (Good, but not great)
The story is… meh. From what I’ve seen so far, it’s just there to provide and excuse for the multiplayer, but it get’s the job done.
The voice-acting might not win any rewards, but it really drives home. You will BELIEVE each character has a motive to do what he is doing, albeit, the story doesn’t do the same.
In Brink’s case, think of the Campaign as an appetizer, which is good, because the PSN won’t be functional for a few weeks 
Actual Scoring: 6/10
Overall, the game, which is drowning in potential, does well… Through a few patches, DLC’s, expansions and possibly more, Brink can become the next FPS giant and knock COD off it’s undeserved throne.
Keep up the good work Splash Damage.
Final Score: 7.5/10
:stroggtapir: