14 DAY TRIAL // What we know
Brink is one of the few all-new intellectual properties of the year but has been largely overlooked by quite a lot of gamers due to the wide array of sequels and bigger, more marketed new games, like Bulletstorm or L.A. Noire.
The title is developed by Splash Damage, based on a modified id Tech 4 engine, and will be published by Bethesda this May.
The game is a multiplayer-oriented first-person shooter, taking place in a distant future where Earth has been flooded by the ocean and the last remnants of humanity live on a floating city called the Ark.
Brink is different than any other shooters as it doesn't have a separated single-player and multiplayer modes.
Instead, the game has a series of story-based multiplayer missions, which can be played by up to 8 people cooperatively against AI-controlled bots or against other people.
These missions, pitting Resistance against Security teams, will have their own narratives, essentially acting out as regular stages from the single-player campaigns of other games.
What's more, Brink isn't just a regular first-person shooter game, as the team at Splash Damage also added its SMART ( Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain) system which allows players to execute parkour and free running movements, thus adding an extra bit of gameplay to the title.
Besides this, regular shooter troops are present, with Brink allowing you to choose from four classes, Soldier, Engineer, Medic and Operative, each with their own abilities and talents and level them up by completing matches.
Why it matters
In an industry where first-person shooters are a dime a dozen, Brink is set to bring quite a few new things to the genre, so it's well worth our attention.
The team at Splash Damage is really dedicated, and with a publisher like Bethesda, who has been nurturing quite a lot of great titles recently, we'll have to be on the lookout for it when it comes out.
Speaking of which, Brink is set to appear on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 17, in North America, and May 20, in Europe.