A real review on Bethesda and Splash Damage’s Brink
Foreword: Let me just say that this is an amazing concept and a beautifully crafted engine (In reference to the smart engine). Below I give my thoughts and reviews, hoping Bethesda and Splash Damage will actually take the time to read this so they can save an amazing game before its to late. I would also like to state that I am not bashing the game nor hating on it. I’m just giving constructive criticism in hopes you, the developers and publishers, take me seriously. No matter what I will love and appreciate the work you guys did here. 
This is also a review with very little knowledge on the creation of video games. I would very much like you to keep that in mind. I would also like a reply back please based on the review I have presented.
Now first off where to begin, lets see , ahh yes how about when I first stumbled on this game. Now before I begin Video Games have always been one of my favorite hobbies as I view it as an art, my favorite being the first person shooter. Although as of late, most first person shooters these days are repetitive such as the big 3, Call of Duty, Battlefield and of course Halo. Its the same mindless thing every time, from single-player to multi-player. Grab a gun, shoot some bad guys and save the day. When I cam across Brink, my mouth literally dropped. Finally a game that's going to redefine the first person genre. The game play was amazing in the trailers, absolutely genius! I instantly went a reserved a copy for the 360 and the preceded to follow the Brink. I became obsessed with the concept itself, raving to colleagues and friends about how the game was going to change the first person genre forever. I became proud to know that there was creative people in the video game industry looking to bring fresh ideas to an already over used concept. I was excited and interested until i went to grab my copy.
Now upon instant start up, I was hooked, the intro video captured me right from the beginning. I choose a side, that of the rebels, and created my character. I must say, before I continue, that I found the character creation not living up to what Splash Damage said it was going to be. Yea there are many customizations, but after awhile you’ll realize it gets limiting. Anyways I started the campaign and that's when I started to get disappointed. The mechanics of the game are beautifully crafted, The A.I is responsive and intelligent, The S.M.A.R.T engine is almost perfectly executed. The objective wheel is a little lacking and repetitive but none the less great. Where I started to get disappointed, was how your actions really don't effect the outcome of your crafted character and the story the character is telling. Now I really do understand how story elements are crafted and executed, it takes time and effort. Although in your marketing Splash Damage, you stated how you would be telling your own story. What your final out come was, was a short average 3-6 hour, very linear, story. Dont get me wrong guys, the actual concept of the Ark and the civil war ensuing is very captivating and awesome story, but you can't market a role-playing style with a linear based story. Now with that said, I understand the blurring of the lines between single player, co-op, and multiplayer. How you can take your individually crafted character online and face friends and others alike. Here's where I see an issue, the same linear story, is exactly the same online. Now in my personal opinion, I feel as if that takes away from the "craft you own story experience" and dulls the multiplayer one. I personally, wouldn't want to play through the same linear story driven battles both by myself and with multiple people. What I would suggest is creating a single player experience in which your choices (As you marketed remember) would affect the outcome of the war and afterwards. At the same time, addressing the multiplayer, create a pre-crafted story that goes with of course the war, but only exclusive to online play. Such as battles that you would never experience in single player, like maybe starting a riot(for the rebels) or preventing one(for security). Or maybe assassinating a founder or preventing that. Theres various things you could do. One last thing before we move on here, I think its a little ridiculous that when you choose a side you could play as the other. Doesn't that take away from the point of even choosing a side. It seems to me like you guys wanted to create more playability with your character. Why not just have a new game feature where your ability's transfer over but you can choose a different path to take that you diddnt before with your faction. If you would like creative ideas in adressing story telling for single player and multiplayer and still be able to blur those line, I'm devout believer to this game and the idea of it, and would more than love to help out. Also yes I have kept in mind the fact that this games massive strength is multiplayer, but there is nothing wrong with both a single player story line that coincides with a mulitplayer one and yet still being different story's from one another. I also have kept in mind that it seems you guys wanted to get away from scripted events and make them more random based on actions of the battlefield. There's nothing wrong with scripted events on the battlefield that show emotions and story from A.I characters around you. Kinda like what you showed in your game play trailer of container city at the beginning.
Now on to the graphics. I do understand that the game play trailer shown here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwU0rKEhMJ8 (Which was played and Directed by Paul Wedgewood) was played on the PC with a controller attachment. Yes, I know that all video games that cover the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, will look far more graphically superior on the PC. What I don't understand is how you took that( What you had presented in the original game play trailer) and turned it into what you have now on consoles( I cant really say much for the PC, I purchased it as well as 360 because I wanted to see the difference, but at the time of this review, I haven't really analyzed it). To me it seems like the poor graphics were in put in play to compensate for possible lag on the consoles because of the S.M.A.R.T engine and the hundreds of things happening all at once. Let me remind you of games that seem to have over come this. Battlefield Bad Company 2, Red Dead Redemption, Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, La Noire, Mafia 2, and Red Faction Guerrilla. All these games have thousands of things happening at once, and yet are able to achieve good to superior graphics. Even if some to most of the events are scripted, they yield amazing results. Problems here are the texture loading times and splotchy meshes and textures. I feel like this can be compensated with re-addressing the Level of Detail, or as you guys know LOD. Almost like what they did in oblivion ( Which I have modded several times) in how detail at a certain range was intense, but a further viewpoints was less intense. Outside of the, the lighting seems to be a little off on objects but not to bad. The characters do look amazing the way they are, I enjoy the cartooney aspect. Even if the graphics outside the characters is meant look look cartooney, I feel like they could have been achieved better. I'm sure you guys can fix this with some re-addressing and a update or patch or DLC.
Despite all the setbacks, I admire and am grateful for what you guys have accomplished in the genre and will continue to support Brink. The S.M.A.R.T engine is well crafted and a genius idea and concept. The Ark is a great and well written story, Kudos to the writers. The character detail is great and the implementation of game play is amazing. The A.I is great and guns seem to be well balanced. Although with the guns you should release more types and balance them out a little more. All in all a great game. I feel like you guys can make it a piece of video game history if you fix the problems I have presented with patches, DLC, and updates. You don't have to produce another the engine is already in place. Kinda like how we modders are able to completely change a game. I give this game a 7/10
Keep up the work Splash Damage, don’t give up. It shouldn’t be about the marketing and money! More about the art.Bethesda don’t stop publishing amazing games I have collected them all.
I look forward to hearing back from you guys.
Supportive of developers as always.
Tyler
TSean0429@aol.com
