| Title | What Brink isn't |
| Author | Tom Chick |
| Posted in | Game reviews |
| When | May 13, 2011 |
The problem with Brink is that it's not very Call of Duty. Thumbs up..
Read the full article"You know that mad concentrated scramble when the quarterback fumbles a football, or when a baseball flies into the crowd at a stadium, or when a single bread crust is tossed out to a bunch of geese?"
I feel like I did when I found out there was no Santa Claus.
What Brink apparently also isn't: a solid online experience.
I do like your faith in Splash Damage, Tom. The version you played had lag issues, sound issues and graphical issues, but you're sure that at some point this'll all be fixed, so you're willing to look past them. If they're not fixed by year-end, will this still show up on your always-inexplicable 'best games' list?
I agree Keys. How could you Tom? Don't you know, the quarterback typically dribbles the puck! Sports Nerd!!!
Also, damn you for making me want this game now. I had decided to pass on it; and then you had to go and say:
"The problem with Brink is that it's not very Call of Duty."
and
"The beauty of Brink is how closely you're working with the other players."
Brink really throws you in the deep end and hopes you start swimming. After doing challenges (it's boggling that they aren't used as a tutorial, boggling!) and getting the basics down, I'm doing laps and thinking it's great. I'm really just enjoying this online multiplayer like no other (including section 8) I've dabbled in over the past years.
I'm not seeing the problems with the bots other are proclaiming are destroying the game. It's just those really unfortunately technical issues that are giving me cramps.
Since when does Tom W. Chick use sports metaphors? ;)
You've really disappointed me, Tom. Using a metaphor that accurately reflects the sport it comes from? For shame.
Yeah, I realize that was probably a bit of shock. Would it ease the blow if I told you I had to consult with a sportsist to come up with those?
I still haven't played Brink - but I'm enjoying the reviews and discussion about the game. I can't remember the last game to caused this great a gap between the product released and the players' expectation of what it should have been. A good deal of these game players are reviewers.
I've heard people talk about how dumb the bots are, only to listen to the explanation for said stupidity become a rant about how they wouldn't support that player in whichever obtuse strategy they'd deemed appropriate for that particular moment. In most non death match games, bots work best when you, the player, can support them. A game like Brink certainly doesn't look like it would support the ability to constantly reassign bots, Unreal Tournament style. It's just not that basic in it's goals.
I hope to check this game out soon. My bigger hope is that irrational negativity doesn't chase away the players who'd do well with it before it can build a decent following.
Like the game, hate it...who knows which side I'll be on. But thanks for a nice level headed review.
I play on the 360, and so far its been pretty difficult to get into a lag-free online match. When it does happen though, its a load of fun. For those just picking this game up, I would suggest playing solo and ranking up a bit before joining the online fun - the frustration of lag is far worse than the bots (IMO), and you'll probably need the skill unlocks to be effective online anyways. Also, the menu system isn't great about letting you know all the characteristics of the guns (like, which are full-auto vs burst vs single shot), so you'll also want to invest some time just learning which weapons suit you best. Those stat bars are often terrible at determining "real-world" effectiveness.
Finally, if they fix this, it really could be a gem.