I don’t expect Brink to review well. It is a unique game, that isn’t another variety of the typical shooter these days. There isn’t a heavily scripted, dogmatic single player about killing terrorists or aliens that are a metaphor for terrorists, the game play downplays lone wolf heroes in favor of teamplay, it is a new IP, etc etc. And reviews are mostly crap anyway, especially for multi-player games. So much relies on the players to make the game with MP games. If you have a selfish obnoxiious player group, the game won’t be fun to play, no matter how smooth it runs or how sporadic its net code is.
The review thread
FrankieGodskin
(FrankieGodskin)
#22
Personally, I value Eurogamer’s reviews far more than IGN or G4. I do accept, though, that the majority of the public doesn’t feel the same way, and that these reviews just cost Splash Damage some $$. 
dajfactor
(dajfactor)
#23
It might have been better if they had just marketed and made the game as a pure MP game haha…its getting hit hard for the single player and bot AI
Achromatis
(Achromatis)
#24
Two things seem iffy to me. No class distinctions, and frags not being terribly useful. The latter is an issue when a team just balls up in a room, there should be a way to flush them out(counter strategy).
Also, http://www.destructoid.com/review-brink-200746.phtml
7.5/10
Probably one of the better reviews IMO. And I kinda hate Jim Sterling.
CapnHowdy21
(CapnHowdy21)
#25
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/300618/reviews/brink-review/
8.0
The reviews being mixed aren’t too surprising. I really think it has a lot to do with what you were looking for in brink.
dajfactor
(dajfactor)
#26
Frags were designed that way by Splash Damage to make sure kills were completely up to player skill…
Also the IGN review makes no sense. If you’re a goddamn soldier OF COURSE you can’t put down a turret.
Apparently it takes a really high IQ to understand what each class does
Achromatis
(Achromatis)
#28
[QUOTE=dajfactor;295349]Frags were designed that way by Splash Damage to make sure kills were completely up to player skill…
Also the IGN review makes no sense. If you’re a goddamn soldier OF COURSE you can’t put down a turret.
Apparently it takes a really high IQ to understand what each class does[/QUOTE]
So give frags to only Soldiers, everyone else gets a flashbang or concussion lol. Going by the reviews an entrenched team is an iwin strategy, and there should never ever be an uncounterable strategy in a MP game of any kind. Granted, seems like theyre all playing against bots or with few players so Im not saying he knew what he was talking about.
bacon82
(bacon82)
#29
Yeah these are some very mixed reviews. I’m surprised IGN rated it so low (I know it shouldn’t be a HUGE surprise, but they’ve been hyping it up alot for a while). But ultimately these reviews are opinions…and as much as I hate seeing 2/5’s and such, i’ll still be picking this game up as soon as i’m done with my Finals tomorrow. I’m excited as hell and cannot wait to finally put this game in my 360 the second I get home. I’ve always preferred teamwork in shooting games as well more than anything else so maybe that’s why i’ve been so excited for this game for so long.
Oh and i’m new to the forum! Lol :).
dajfactor
(dajfactor)
#30
I can’t take the reviewer seriously when he doesn’t understand the fundamental differences in the classes.
Also, that’s why Molotovs exist. Get a bunch of soldiers and clear out half the room with them.
Cheerio
(Cheerio)
#32
There is no incentive to become a lone wolf – there are more points for reviving a teammate than going it alone. Brink’s lack of stat tracking is glaring, though. The official website holds some info, but otherwise level, kills, deaths, and successes are hidden – those of other players too
LOL failure of a reviwer
Hyrage
(Hyrage)
#33
So many stupid reviews that use the argument that there aren’t any proper singleplayer game when Brink is mainly multiplayer…
It’s like reviewing an RPG and saying ‘‘haa no cars in this game, 2/10’’.
bacon82
(bacon82)
#34
[QUOTE=Cheerio;295373]There is no incentive to become a lone wolf – there are more points for reviving a teammate than going it alone. Brink’s lack of stat tracking is glaring, though. The official website holds some info, but otherwise level, kills, deaths, and successes are hidden – those of other players too
LOL failure of a reviwer[/QUOTE]
LMAO Which review was that from!?
Rickyricc
(Rickyricc)
#35
All Reviews so far:
http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2011/05/10/review-brink/
9/10
8.8/10
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/review/34911/brink/
8.2/10
8/10 from Eurogamer
http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/brink/review.html
8/10
http://www.computerandvideogames.com…/brink-review/
8.0
7.9/10
7.5
6/10
2/5
ThePuzzldPirate
(ThePuzzldPirate)
#37
[QUOTE=Rickyricc;295378]All Reviews so far:
http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2011/05/10/review-brink/
9/10
8.8/10
http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/review/34911/brink/
8.2/10
8/10 from Eurogamer
http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/brink/review.html
8/10
http://www.computerandvideogames.com…/brink-review/
8.0
7.9/10
7.5
6/10
2/5
http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61917/Brink/review/
2/5[/QUOTE]
Might as well add Gamesradar.com
8/10
Rickyricc
(Rickyricc)
#38
Heres 1up - Give it a “D”… Said they would update it once theyve applied the patch… Seems a bit harsh tho, a D
splodead
(splodead)
#39
Thanks for aggregating this.
I definitely agree that the reviewers expecting a single player experience out of this will mark it down at least a full 1/10 points if not more because this game, in my opinion, is a multiplayer only game with the addition of single player to give you something to do offline or when you just want to chill out.
As far as reviews go, I don’t currently have the time to sift through all the reviews but for the most part the main things that Brink is getting marked down for is because of the single player. If you want intense SP action you should look hard at this, if you don’t then disregard that and consider that they are essentially giving it a 9/10 or whatever if you don’t take into account sp issues.
Here’s an example of what a reviewers quick thoughts on the down sides of the game:
[ul]
[li]Lackluster story.[/li][li]Unfairly difficult solo campaign[/li][li]A lot of borrowed and recycled ideas and mechanics [/li][/ul]
This was from http://www.computerandvideogames.com/brink-review/
I look at that and say, hmm I don’t care about the story I care about the core gameplay. I want a challege, and he is contradicting himself with recycled ideas considering in the pros he considered SMART fresh and innovative.
Also, my key game, the game that lasted me years of solely playing that single game has an 80 on metacritic and only about 100 servers up at this point. Just because all your friends aren’t loving something doesn’t negate its value to you.
TL;DR
Make sure you’re not simply looking at numbers. Take a look at what the reviewer dislikes that you actually value, rather than just the overall score and assuming that everything you care about is as bad as games with similar review scores. People dislike things for different reasons.
EDIT1
After reading through a couple of these reviews I wish they would put more work into saying what they disliked about key game mechanics rather than just picking out the small launch day technical problems that will likely be patched up. It’s important to reference them, but for example the fact that xbox servers are lagging at the moment shouldn’t be influencing your grade of the overall game in my opinion.
vexicat
(vexicat)
#40
I have been watching streams and gameplay videos nonstop since last week. I am almost certain I will enjoy it,and I don’t care much about the majority of people,as long as I have a group of people to play with i’ll be fine. But yes,I do wish this game wouldnt fail.