14 DAY TRIAL // Bad news for those who were expecting Splash Damage's latest creation, Brink, as Bethesda, the game's publisher, has announced that the project's retail release has been delayed into 2011. The title was set to be launched this fall, but has been held back, probably for better polishing. This is quite an unexpected move from the developers, because the gameplay footage outed looked quite nice to many.
Brink is an innovative first person shooter that means to combine single player and multiplayer in a new way. Eight players can take part in the cooperative story missions or against another eight people in competitive team-based online play. The narrative of the game revolves around the Ark, a city with limitless resources, in a future where the Earth is completely covered by water. The Ark can host 5,000 inhabitants, but the great floods were survived by 50,000 more who had set up their home in a flotilla of junk outside the city.
The two sides of the conflict that inevitably occurs from this situation are The Resistance and The Security. The former try to break in the city and open its gates for those stuck outside it, while the latter struggle to stop them and defend those that are already living in the Ark. Both sides have their own story campaigns, so that players can see each perspective.
The E3 presentation of Brink showcased some abilities that players can get as they reach higher levels of experience. According to the game’s director, Paul Wedgewood, one can unlock weapons, new outfits and other customization options. Fresh powers can be received like one that allows a third person view while doing an action to better scan the battlefield and see approaching enemies or one that notifies the player when they have become a foe's target.