Brink

 Xbox 360
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 409 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 140 out of 409
  2. Mixed: 148 out of 409
  3. Negative: 121 out of 409
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  1. Bullseye76
    May 10, 2011
    8
    I am giving Brink an 8.5 which I had to round so I figured I would round DOWN, to an 8 to be a little more realistic. First of all let me say, this is not your typical FPS game, if you try to play Brink like you play Halo/COD/Battlefield/Etc this game will punish you beyond words. I personally believe a lot of the negative reviews have to do with two things, #1 a supposed string of badI am giving Brink an 8.5 which I had to round so I figured I would round DOWN, to an 8 to be a little more realistic. First of all let me say, this is not your typical FPS game, if you try to play Brink like you play Halo/COD/Battlefield/Etc this game will punish you beyond words. I personally believe a lot of the negative reviews have to do with two things, #1 a supposed string of bad code(That I didn't notice in my copy that causes awful lag/slowdown/graphical distortion/etc.) and #2 You can not go into Brink with the FPS mindset of old.... If you listened to any of the developer videos they said over and over, they key to Brink is to MOVE, more than you SHOOT. I had to constantly remind myself of this as I was playing the challenges with a friend online (Which ran pretty flawlessly for us...) I found myself annoyed at first, then I found myself understanding this wasn't typical FPS fanfare, then adapting and enjoying the HELL out of this game. I believe people will have a hard time letting go of the comfort of traditional FPS, and that is fine with me, keep playing Halo/COD and the other dime a dozen FPS games out there, leave Brink to the people who appreciate something different. If you were interested in this game at ALL, ignore the reviews, go to the official site, watch the videos, give it a rent, or go out and buy it, but I promise you this is an experience of something that is slightly similar, but at the same time completely new, and it honestly has made the tired and worn out genre of FPS fun and exciting to me again, and for that I am grateful... Thank you Splash Damage! 360 GT-Waynetech B76… Expand
  2. MSeebs
    May 10, 2011
    9
    Brink is a solid mix of TF2 and Killzone and with it, it's something to enjoy. The game already has been patched on 360 which also voids some of the reviews, since many of the review complain about game problems that have been fixed. Story wise, their isn't much there and it's not something you will get focused on. But when we live in the COD generation where a lot of people jump rightBrink is a solid mix of TF2 and Killzone and with it, it's something to enjoy. The game already has been patched on 360 which also voids some of the reviews, since many of the review complain about game problems that have been fixed. Story wise, their isn't much there and it's not something you will get focused on. But when we live in the COD generation where a lot of people jump right into multiplayer and skip the single player all together, you'll find little to complain about.

    The menu system is well designed and customizing your characters is a rewarding experience. Once you unlock a lot of different outfits you'll find yourself just sitting in the character room trying to make your own perfect unique guy. The computer AI isn't amazing, but it's not the worse out there. The main flaw is that since this game is based on objectives, it can be a pain to get the computer to do something. You might end up with a team of 5 medics when you just need an engineer to crack a safe. This can be frustrating as you might have to switch over and just do it yourself. The core of this game though is multiplayer and thats where it's the most fun. While I only managed to get online with a handful of people, it defiantly changes the game up a lot more . Each class also ends up with a more unique role during a multiplayer session too, in a nut shell this game is just dying for competitive gaming. Their are some downsides I have found to Brink. First off, the level cap is 20 which can be achieved very easily. So far I am about 8 hours in and I've just dinged 10. Maxing out a level in a couple of days can lead to a disappointment, this game definitely needs a higher cap. The other thing that might get some people is theirs only a handful of levels in the game. While each level is pretty fun and has different ways to approach objectives, their is a point where they could get tiresome. Luckily, with the introduction of the SMART system, the gameplay in Brink is so fast paced that you rarely feel like the game is repetitive or boring. Something is always happening and someone is always shooting. The last two things that bother me aren't too big but for some people could potentially be a turn off. When a match finishes, theirs no actual way to see how many kills/deaths you had in that match. Also, their is no option for subtitles in the game which is slightly annoying for those who want to turn down the AI voice volume as they do talk A LOT during rounds. Overall, I feel Brink is a new and fresh game in the FPS market and is definitely something worth trying for those that get bored of the typical FPS stereotype of COD and Battlefield. But I will say this, Brink is a love or hate game. You're going to play it with a big smile on your face the whole time or you're going to take it right back. Myself, I have been smiling the whole time and can't wait to get back into the Ark world.    … Expand
  3. JesseH
    May 10, 2011
    3
    I wanted this game to be good. Honestly, I did. I bought it today, thinking that it'd be an epic class-based shooter with polished graphics, Mirror's Edge movement, decent if not good networking, and fun, original missions. All you get is clunky, inconsistent cannon fodder that tries so hard to be playable. The AI is reminiscent of...well, just about every game with horrible AI ever made.I wanted this game to be good. Honestly, I did. I bought it today, thinking that it'd be an epic class-based shooter with polished graphics, Mirror's Edge movement, decent if not good networking, and fun, original missions. All you get is clunky, inconsistent cannon fodder that tries so hard to be playable. The AI is reminiscent of...well, just about every game with horrible AI ever made. Teammates that are supposed to be obligated to a certain task rarely ever perform said task (except, THANKFULLY, for Medics, cause you'll need those if you try anything but Normal mode). The objectives are rarely even made obvious as to what to do, and yet you somehow accomplish them anyways. Online networking is godawful, and it literally makes the game unplayable if you have even a halfway-bad connection to the host. Trust me when I say that I really wanted to enjoy this game. I played it for hours and begged it to be better than what i was seeing, but I simply couldn't accept it. I'm returning this game as soon as I can, and pray that a further attempt at anything like this is even decent. Sorry.… Expand
  4. Pomornik
    Sep 13, 2011
    4
    Brink is an "intresting" mix between awesome artstyle, bad design choices and countless technical issues. I liked the locations, background story, music, amount of various skills and character creation, but thats all about it. Lets get to the lacking aspects, which are plenty by the way. First of all, the whole reasons for the conflict seems to be forced, just for the sake of having twoBrink is an "intresting" mix between awesome artstyle, bad design choices and countless technical issues. I liked the locations, background story, music, amount of various skills and character creation, but thats all about it. Lets get to the lacking aspects, which are plenty by the way. First of all, the whole reasons for the conflict seems to be forced, just for the sake of having two hostile factions fighting each other, that are reason for this game to exist. In reality they could get along very easily, but i dont want to put spoilers here so lets skip that. The leveling system is unfair, it would be ok if all it gave you was cosmetic stuff like new costumes (which it does), but it also makes your character have more abilities or stronger abilities, which gives you an advantage over players with lower level. There are f***loads of bugs, ranging from the harmless ones, like text errors or wrong messages (says you have to defend, when you really have to attack etc) to those annoying and gamebreaking, like game suddenly losing sound, crashing or you cannot see other players. The netcode is really terrible too. You will lagg even with a decent internet connection, even if you wont, the game will still run so clunky that you will feel as you did. With slow internet, forget about multiplayer, the game will be unplayable, stick to playing with bots. But dont worry, you wont loose much, because even in the multi you will meet more AI bots than real players. And the AI in this game stand for Artifical Idiocy. Its as if they was purposedly coded to be so dumb, so that you can easily tell its a bot, and not a person with a brain. Talking about stupid, lets talk about the whole S.M.A.R.T. thing, which is basically climbing and jumping over fences. Sure thats cool, because it gives you more movement freedom than most games, but you wont use it that often anyway, except to gett from spawn point to the battlefield. First of all, you almost cant do any of this stuff with heavy body (which is the most efficient in combat), second, you cant shoot when doing all those tricks, making you an easy target, and thrid, the maps are not really designed for this, as you mostly fight indoors, but even on streetfights you wont be able to climp on a building and jump over roofs (like in the trailer). Also the weapons in the game are really boring, all you have are machineguns with diffirent skin and slightly diffirent stats. There are also few otherweapon types but they seem to be significantly weaker than the machineguns, so everyone just uses machineguns (which i personally hate). Overall, Brink is a game that looks good and promising, but has so many flaws that i just can't give it anything close to a positive rating, even if i wanted to.… Expand
  5. cass500
    Jun 1, 2011
    6
    Brink is so far my biggest disappointment of the year. I love FPS but really don't have the time or skills to kick it hardcore on multiplayer, so a decent solo campaign is crucial to my purchase decision. Unfortunately the solo AI in Brink is so broken that there is no point in playing. Your virtual teammates are completely useless so unless you do all the mission specific tasksBrink is so far my biggest disappointment of the year. I love FPS but really don't have the time or skills to kick it hardcore on multiplayer, so a decent solo campaign is crucial to my purchase decision. Unfortunately the solo AI in Brink is so broken that there is no point in playing. Your virtual teammates are completely useless so unless you do all the mission specific tasks yourself (switching roles mid map as needed) you will never finish some of the missions, as your teammates will run off to guard command posts rather than assist with escort duty. In addition the really limited number of maps means solo play gets pretty boring pretty fast. It is not that hard to make an FPS with a solid solo campaign. Cyrsis II being just one recent example. Brink had a number of things going for it , a quirky art style, good customization of weapons and play style, a potentially good story line. But it fails to deliver where it really counts in the game play. Solo is a nonstarter and unless you are playing with a group of friends the online "team play" that should be the selling point is non existent. The two days I played everyone just went their own way. This is one more game i am glad I rented first.… Expand
  6. TheQuietGamer
    Jun 4, 2011
    7
    This was one of my most anticipated games of 2011, all the cool features I heard about had me excited, but in the end it let me down, don't get me wrong it's not a bad game, and the ability to fully customize your character is cool, and it's fun to play with friends or a well organized group of people, so it's good but not great, this game was built for multiplayer, so if your notThis was one of my most anticipated games of 2011, all the cool features I heard about had me excited, but in the end it let me down, don't get me wrong it's not a bad game, and the ability to fully customize your character is cool, and it's fun to play with friends or a well organized group of people, so it's good but not great, this game was built for multiplayer, so if your not connected to Xbox Live I wouldn't recommend it, and only then if you have friends who will play this with you, if your not connected to Xbox Live you'll have to play with the stupid A.I. , who rarely work with you, when you have to stop enemies from hacking a computer, instead of working with you the A.I. will run off to hack a computer or something while your left to fight off the endless hordes of enemies by yourself, so it's frustrating at times, and the smart system doesn't always work like they said it would, but if you get some friends together and play this, and manage you time and choose the correct classes, this can be fun, but in the end it's good but not great.… Expand
  7. DrNoodle
    Jun 9, 2011
    8
    Upon purchasing brink< I can honestly say I had my doubts as it was getting all of this nonsense PR yet I had not heard raving reviews, praising it as the new dawn of FPS games. Skeptically, I watched the tutorial video and went on to play the first mission. Right off the bat, single player AI is something you have to get used to, and coerce them into helping you do the ACTUAL objective.Upon purchasing brink< I can honestly say I had my doubts as it was getting all of this nonsense PR yet I had not heard raving reviews, praising it as the new dawn of FPS games. Skeptically, I watched the tutorial video and went on to play the first mission. Right off the bat, single player AI is something you have to get used to, and coerce them into helping you do the ACTUAL objective. However, with a little patience you find yourself in a world that mixes Borderlands and Battlefield in almost a perfect blend. The resupply/aid system in the game is awesome, considering that the game is based much more on teamwork and tactics than all out slaying. This is not a game you can jump into, and expect to have your weapon as your best friend. There will be actual times where *OMG* you will have to take cover and work with your team. Another thing is the way you can effortlessly switch between classes, and unlock the virtually hundreds of items to use in the game. Customization is the name of this games revolution, and so far there is nothing that can match it. The fact that you can build multiple characters to even further the customization makes this game have thorough replay value. For all those who are bored with CoD and KIllzone, it's time to pop this game in and learn the new meaning of tactics.… Expand
  8. benoski
    Jul 17, 2011
    7
    I was really looking forward to Brink, but when it got mixed reviews I decided to think about it. But I bought it anyway early in July. I was a bit disappointed, since I did not get excited about the single player for one bit. That explains how bad the campaign is. The same goes for the A.I, since even on the Easy setting I keep getting incapacitated a LOT! There are custom settings forI was really looking forward to Brink, but when it got mixed reviews I decided to think about it. But I bought it anyway early in July. I was a bit disappointed, since I did not get excited about the single player for one bit. That explains how bad the campaign is. The same goes for the A.I, since even on the Easy setting I keep getting incapacitated a LOT! There are custom settings for multiplayer, but they are for Private matches only which sucks.

    The parkour mechanic is alright, but it doesn't work well. I actually would have loved it if you just pressed LB to turn parkour mode on or off, but instead, Splash Damage just HAD to do the following: Press LB to turn sprint on or off and HOLD LB for parkour.

    There are ONLY 4 challenges to do, all have 1 star, 2 star and 3 star level. So the challenges are terrible.

    Brink is, to me, quite an unfinished title. I may hate the A.I, but I can always go on Multiplayer right? The SMART mechanic is a nice addition to the game and I will hopefully be getting the free DLC when it releases at the end of the month. If you have an Xbox 360 and Brink, I'd be happy to play with you. Brink is a great shooter, but designed for multiplayer experiences. Ignore the problems and you should have a fine shooter.    … Expand
  9. nufrequency
    May 24, 2011
    5
    Brink was suppose to be a fps revolution, too bad it turned out to be mediocre product (at least on xbox) with more annoyances than you can imagine.Muddy, washed out, low resolution textures that constantly load here and there, unfriendly confusing GUI, unlocks for weapons that can be only obtained by playing single player challenges and extremely clunky non responsive controls that makesBrink was suppose to be a fps revolution, too bad it turned out to be mediocre product (at least on xbox) with more annoyances than you can imagine.Muddy, washed out, low resolution textures that constantly load here and there, unfriendly confusing GUI, unlocks for weapons that can be only obtained by playing single player challenges and extremely clunky non responsive controls that makes you feel like ur character has bunch of bricks in his pants ...throw in so called single player and you end up with a $60 game that forces you to ask yourself " what the **** did I just bought !" There are some cool aspects like classes and team objective gameplay but at the end its just not enough (at least for me) and only way I could recommend this title is to wait for a bargain bin price… Expand
  10. s0cks
    May 24, 2011
    5
    Funnily enough I quite liked Brink. I bought the game without much prior knowledge or hype and was pleasantly surprised. The character customization is great. The game objectives give you something to actually play for, and the level design is rather good for the most part. So why have only given Brink a 5? Player base. I've purchased the game a mere 2 weeks (if that) after release andFunnily enough I quite liked Brink. I bought the game without much prior knowledge or hype and was pleasantly surprised. The character customization is great. The game objectives give you something to actually play for, and the level design is rather good for the most part. So why have only given Brink a 5? Player base. I've purchased the game a mere 2 weeks (if that) after release and there is NO-ONE playing. Or at least not in my area of the world (Australia/New Zealand). Playing against bots just doesn't have the same appeal. The game is pretty much dead, and so soon after release is disappointing. This game could have been good, but I cannot recommend it to anyone as it is no longer played. Now I have to try and sell.… Expand
  11. DWlubu1998
    May 30, 2011
    8
    Im going to start on a low note, Brink was a game i was going to get day one then i went to gamestop to have my buddies there tell me the game was horrible so i got marvel vs capcom 3 then a couple days later i picked up brink anyway got home put it in hour and a half later i beat the revolution portion of the story and i was not satisfied at all. The only idea of a storyline is theIm going to start on a low note, Brink was a game i was going to get day one then i went to gamestop to have my buddies there tell me the game was horrible so i got marvel vs capcom 3 then a couple days later i picked up brink anyway got home put it in hour and a half later i beat the revolution portion of the story and i was not satisfied at all. The only idea of a storyline is the beginning cutseen. Then its just basicly capturing headcorders and protecting bases but its kept me intertained its unique to the other FPSs out there so i thoguht this was OK… Expand
  12. PevMaster
    Dec 10, 2011
    6
    After playing Black Ops half to death, the symptoms of CoD-itis were beginning to show. I wanted to try out a new, fresh shooter that actually did something different rather than used the same old rinse-and-repeat mechanics that plague every new Call of Duty. Brink's prospect of a free-flowing parkour system, fresh ideas, joyfully customisable and teamwork-oriented gameplay.

    Well, when I    After playing Black Ops half to death, the symptoms of CoD-itis were beginning to show. I wanted to try out a new, fresh shooter that actually did something different rather than used the same old rinse-and-repeat mechanics that plague every new Call of Duty. Brink's prospect of a free-flowing parkour system, fresh ideas, joyfully customisable and teamwork-oriented gameplay.

    Well, when I got into the game I discovered this was not the case. The maps were as boring as a brownbread ham sandwich, the customisation elements seemed rather pointless, the SMART system felt tedious, the voice actors lacked talent, the graphics are average, and the story was.....wait, what story?

    Despite all of its flaws, to its credit the guns do feel pretty solid and the teamplay works pretty well. In addition to the multiplayer, there is a pretty neat challenge mode, but there's only about four challenges, and the only replay value attached to them is in trying to achieve more points.

    But there's yet more flaws. The game is CRAMMED with bugs and graphical issues, and in a foolish attempt to 'unify' single-player and multiplayer, there is only eight levels. In the entire game. Each of these maps have one mission. And that's it. The game doesn't even have enough replay value to keep its players occupied.

    In spite of all the teamwork-gameplay and 'freshness', the most Brink is capable of achieving is the status of 'just another shooter'. Behind the illusion, you still have unlockable guns, perks and abilities, which, at heart, makes Brink a CoD clone, really. While it's new ideas could have been revolutionary, a lack of a story and bad voice actors keeps players disinterested in the missions; you quickly tire of the eight missions; the dull graphics make you want to fall asleep.....I could go on forever.

    In conclusion, Brink is probably simply best for the kind of person who's sick of Call of Duty to pick Brink up for five pounds when the price drops. They'll be entertained by the moments of fun, but to be fair Brink will probably end up being condemned to the bottom of the games collection, forcing you to wonder what this could have been.    … Expand
  13. baddeadtaste
    May 24, 2011
    6
    While I did enjoy my time with brink it also left me wondering.....what just happened? The overall interface is a little confusing IMO and I often had a hard time understanding who was on my team and who or what was a bot. Perhaps I am just ignorant and the execution of the team mechanic was lost on me. Nonetheless I was left with a feeling of wanting more by the time I decided to callWhile I did enjoy my time with brink it also left me wondering.....what just happened? The overall interface is a little confusing IMO and I often had a hard time understanding who was on my team and who or what was a bot. Perhaps I am just ignorant and the execution of the team mechanic was lost on me. Nonetheless I was left with a feeling of wanting more by the time I decided to call it quits with Brink. That is not to say the game does not have it's strong points and should be outright dismissed, it just did not work for me. Both the movement and gun play in Brink is excellent. Hit detection seems to be overall excellent and clean. The movement system really had me smiling from time to time. It was great to run, jump and slide around the map avoiding enemy gunfire on the way to my next objective. There is also a great deal of character and weapon customization at ones disposal. Everything from grips, silencers to under mounted grenade launchers. Mostly standard fare but still cool. You have enough character options to truly craft a unique persona and probably not run into anyone else that looks even remotely like you, if you can determine when you are actually online with other human players which was my main problem. Some may read this and think I am a fool for not being able to determine a bot from the human counterpart, but so be it. I have been a gamer for over 30 years now and overall Brink left me a little confused. IMO it is worth a rent to check it out and see if it may be for you, but I do not think this game is worth the full $60 price tag by any means.… Expand
  14. L00neyT00ns
    May 20, 2011
    6
    An opportunity wasted to bring something new & fresh to an increasingly stale genre.Brink could have been so much more but instead it gets let down by dated graphics & sound,lack of maps,poor single player,lag in multiplayer & a poorly implemented Parkour system.
    It does have a few plus points though,the character customization & character balancing are good and splash damage should be    An opportunity wasted to bring something new & fresh to an increasingly stale genre.Brink could have been so much more but instead it gets let down by dated graphics & sound,lack of maps,poor single player,lag in multiplayer & a poorly implemented Parkour system.
    It does have a few plus points though,the character customization & character balancing are good and splash damage should be applauded for trying something new.
    I hope they make a sequel but learn from this game as it can only get better.    … Expand
  15. SHennings
    Jun 1, 2011
    9
    I give brink a 9 out of 10 simply because it is a great break from the bleak genre that is first person shooters. Too many games have been created that have fallen under the concept designs first laid down by either Halo 2 or Call of duty: Modern Warfare. The games design is to be team based, and if the bots, while sometimes showing lacks of intelligence, still complete objectives andI give brink a 9 out of 10 simply because it is a great break from the bleak genre that is first person shooters. Too many games have been created that have fallen under the concept designs first laid down by either Halo 2 or Call of duty: Modern Warfare. The games design is to be team based, and if the bots, while sometimes showing lacks of intelligence, still complete objectives and allow you to play the game the way YOU want to, and there are endless ways to do that. The bottom line: if you're critical of a game based on the belief that Call of duty is the only way to make a first person shooter, and have no friends online who you enjoy playing with, then by no means buy this game. However, if you are willing to have a hell of a good time with your friends, killing other people and working as a team to have success, and be able to jump around like however you damn well please, and are willing to overlook slight imperfections that don't heed game play in the slightest that then definitely play this game, you will love it… Expand
  16. MechMarine
    Jun 5, 2011
    7
    While Brink is a wonderful multiplayer game, it is just that: A multiplayer game. The singleplayer AI lacks the intelligence to create a full experience, while the objectives are often much harder when you have no competent allies to help. Beyond the bad AI, Brink is a wonderful game. While it could use a better tutorial, and perhaps more of a backstory, the gameplay is phenomenal.
  17. Birchy76
    Jul 13, 2011
    1
    It's quite a depressing feeling when you discover that you've dished out £45 for something you only want to play once.
    I was really looking forward to this game, the ideas of free-running and shooting seemed to be a match made in heaven. Sadly it wasn't. The enemy A.I. Is stupid, the graphics were mediocre and the gameplay was repetitive and dull.
    There was no real feeling of    It's quite a depressing feeling when you discover that you've dished out £45 for something you only want to play once.
    I was really looking forward to this game, the ideas of free-running and shooting seemed to be a match made in heaven. Sadly it wasn't. The enemy A.I. Is stupid, the graphics were mediocre and the gameplay was repetitive and dull.
    There was no real feeling of shooting when I fired my rifle, the weapon seemed ineffective and limp as the enemy in front of me slightly wriggled while I emptied an entire magazine into his cliched urban soldier body. After all, who can't take 46 rounds to the chest from an assault rifle whilst hacking a computer?
    I have spoken to numerous friends about this game (who have also fallen foul to Brink's over confident advertising campaign), the outcome was one of anger and a an increasing lack of faith in modern computer gaming development. I'm off to sell my copy on a well know auction site now. It'll go for a cheap price but I still beg you, don't buy it from me or anywhere else.    … Expand
  18. Boltfrowah
    Jul 4, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bottom line up front, this game was just poorly designed. Unless you have friends that can play it too, you're at the mercy of playing with incapable AI teammates that are more interested in capturing and re-capturing command posts versus actually completing the main objective. And I swear to crap that constantly hearing "THEY"VE CAPTURED OUR COMMAND POST" just because comparable with hearing nails on a chalk board. I made the mistake of buying this, where it will remain on my shelf after possibly playing only about 10 hours of it. This game is also the reason I joined, and will be using Metacritic from now on before I buy any more games!!!… Expand
  19. slsoccer7
    Jul 11, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. All in all, I say this is a rental. I got this about a week after it came out, eagerly waiting to play it. I heard so much about the character customization and how many different possibilities there are. That is a very cool feature. As for the rest of the game, I wish it could have been done differently. I don't like how the multiplayer is almost the exact same thing as the single player. The other thing I do not like is how the resistance missions and the security missions are just flipped around. For example, instead of guarding the person, you need to kill him. You also don't get new maps for different campaigns. The reason it got a 7 from me is because the first time playing, and getting to use the parkour system "SMART" is pretty neat.… Expand
  20. jcop678
    Jul 25, 2011
    7
    well frankly im disappointed i thought for sure this was going to be fun and it kind of was the multiplayer was fun the controls are smooth and i love the parkour. The thing i hate and is why it gets a seven is the AI... this is the worst AI i have ever seen in gaming you have to do everything your self and its just annoying and another reason is the graphics they aren't what I expectedwell frankly im disappointed i thought for sure this was going to be fun and it kind of was the multiplayer was fun the controls are smooth and i love the parkour. The thing i hate and is why it gets a seven is the AI... this is the worst AI i have ever seen in gaming you have to do everything your self and its just annoying and another reason is the graphics they aren't what I expected from a 2011 game im deeply disappointed with the out come of this game it was a great idea and the devolper couldnt do it but i had fun despite my disappointment… Expand
  21. NinjaSniperJim
    Nov 28, 2011
    5
    This game is really not too good. Crappy Graphics, Boring Storyline. Oh and don't get me started on the A.I just DON'T! The only good thing is the Shooting and Custimazation. But that only feels like Half a Game. Overall this game felt rushed.
  22. crockerspaniel
    Aug 2, 2011
    9
    Not quite everything that I thought it would be. But I had this game pretty hyped up for a long time having had it preordered for almost a year. After a few months from having it released, I still think it's a great game and it has everything that I was looking for (except the "intelligent" AI) , but it was missing the execution, it just didn't feel like I thought it would. But I think INot quite everything that I thought it would be. But I had this game pretty hyped up for a long time having had it preordered for almost a year. After a few months from having it released, I still think it's a great game and it has everything that I was looking for (except the "intelligent" AI) , but it was missing the execution, it just didn't feel like I thought it would. But I think I like what this game stands for the most. I hope most games start incorporating some freedom of movement now and add a more team based focus to multiplayer games… Expand
  23. InsaneDC
    Aug 2, 2011
    10
    The game Brink is one that could use a bit more polish then what is on it. The real problem with it over everything else is the lack of a decent party system which is needed for a game like Brink. The amount of teamwork required for a "skunk" isn't at all that much, just that players need to play their classes like they were designed.

    The thing I don't understand is why Bethesda (the    The game Brink is one that could use a bit more polish then what is on it. The real problem with it over everything else is the lack of a decent party system which is needed for a game like Brink. The amount of teamwork required for a "skunk" isn't at all that much, just that players need to play their classes like they were designed.

    The thing I don't understand is why Bethesda (the publisher, mind you) is getting so much flak for a game they didn't even create. Splash Damage (the developer) did a fantastic trying to bring the FPS genre out of the same crap seen in every COD/Halo/enter generic shooter title here. The addition of the free running only adds to this. The in game art, the character design and the use of color makes this one very pretty game to look at. The classes were well thought out and essentially this game is a smaller class based game like TF2 but with customizable weapon loadouts.

    The only thing I did not like about this game, other then the lack of a party system, was the fact that you could unlock almost every gun and attachment in about a good 20 minutes of playing the challenges. If they would of spread the attachments out as well as the weapons people would still be playing this like crazy just like the do with their CODs and Halos to unlock everything that they wanted to. COD with the weapons and Halo with the outfits.

    But overall, it's an excellent game.    … Expand
  24. Mattar
    Nov 30, 2011
    5
    When I first started playing Brink, I loved it - the objective based rounds, the different classes and the ability to play online co-op and multiplayer. However, things went downhill from there. The AI are the worst part about this game. If you put AI in a game, I'd expect them to provide defense for me when I'm trying to capture an objective, or help me capture it. But all the Brink AIWhen I first started playing Brink, I loved it - the objective based rounds, the different classes and the ability to play online co-op and multiplayer. However, things went downhill from there. The AI are the worst part about this game. If you put AI in a game, I'd expect them to provide defense for me when I'm trying to capture an objective, or help me capture it. But all the Brink AI seem to want to do is take command posts (secondary objectives which give your team a health/supply boost) and then run off only for the command posts to get captured by one or two enemy team members. Thus this cycle repeats itself. However, the full customization of your character was a very good idea, and the graphics are very good. The Parkour aspect means nothing to me though sadly, because if I wanted to survive taking an objective by myself I had to make myself a heavy body type, meaning I can barely climb over crates and low walls. This game had such potential.… Expand
  25. 360gamer8302
    Feb 1, 2012
    6
    This game isn't bad. It's just not that good either; it's kind of middle of the road. The graphics aren't very good. The "story" is below par compared to other FPSs. My only real advice is instead of playing a game that takes ideas from TF2, why don't you just buy The Orange Box? It has TF2 in it. Plus more games. It's like 10 dollars at GameStop.
  26. AyexeM
    May 11, 2011
    7
    I've been eagerly anticipating this game for many months. All the talk about the unique features had me drooling for something new in a shooter.

    In my opinion its a great game, but it doesn't live up to the PR hype that splash damage put out. First, the seamless experience between multi-player and single-player just means that single-player doesn't exist. Instead its offline    I've been eagerly anticipating this game for many months. All the talk about the unique features had me drooling for something new in a shooter.

    In my opinion its a great game, but it doesn't live up to the PR hype that splash damage put out. First, the seamless experience between multi-player and single-player just means that single-player doesn't exist. Instead its offline multi-player with bots which have average shooter AI, which means they are morons with excellent vision.

    Also, the developers talk about rewarding teamplay, but in this case it basically means that if your team sucks, then you cannot do well. Gun skill means nothing in Brink so enemies can just run away and their health will refill. Also, no post-game stats, it only displays "points". You could be waxing fools left and right but that bot medic constantly healing teammates will probably out score you.

    Now what I do like. The characters maps and weapons are all beautiful. I love being able to customize my character. Voice acting is fantastic. It is feels great to push through the enemy and complete objectives which come at a fast pace and can vary widely from map to map. The perks are totally different from any other shooter.

    At this point I'm only 6 hours into the game, so I am still discovering things. I don't regret the purchase at all, but I have to shake my head at all the pre-launch PR from splash-damage.    … Expand
  27. msherry9
    Aug 4, 2011
    8
    In actuality, I'd give this game an 8.25, so I decided to round down. If you don't feel like reading my entire review than to sum it up, Brink is an interesting, new FPS that at times is utterly addicting or sometimes rage-inducing. It has many strong suits but at the same time, has numerous weaknesses that tend to plague the overall experience. I've had the luxury of buying Brink onlyIn actuality, I'd give this game an 8.25, so I decided to round down. If you don't feel like reading my entire review than to sum it up, Brink is an interesting, new FPS that at times is utterly addicting or sometimes rage-inducing. It has many strong suits but at the same time, has numerous weaknesses that tend to plague the overall experience. I've had the luxury of buying Brink only recently, after the latest patch has fixed up online lag issues and downloading the newest free (temporarily) DLC Agents of Change, so I honestly couldn't tell you how good the game was back during release. I only know that the game is extremely enjoyable now, and provides a refreshing new online shooter since I'm bored with most of the others on the market. I'll start with the negatives, which leads me to the campaign storyline. To sum it up, it's pretty weak, and it's essentially there so that can Splash Damage can check the "Campaign" box off of the Brink to-do list. It's also very short, containing a mere 8 levels per side (Security or Resistance) which only last about 15 minutes each. Switching sides results in the exact same map layout, with a slightly different objective (I.E. Security=Defend Tower, Resistance=Destroy Tower). The graphics are outdated but won't make you cringe. Brink is host to multiple poor design choices, one of which being that the game does not support any lobby system whatsoever. You simply join a game and invite your friend, hoping that there's an extra slot open (which there usually is). Another bad choice is the lack of any actual statistics that can be viewed in-game. Sure there's leaderboards for points scored on certain maps, but no kill tracking nor any sort of interesting numbers to view. Unless of course you go online, in which case you can only view a handful of things. You can create and save up to 20 different characters, but won't they don't tell you is that there's literally no point to it unless you're bored out of your mind. There's no "Prestige" like in COD, and your rank and level begins at 1 again, but with everything locked. Extremely pointless, and I just can't imagine myself creating another character for no incentive. The online multiplayer is made up of the exact same single player campaign missions down to the last detail. Splash Damage must've become lazy at this time around during development. The maps are pretty solid when they play like they're meant to, but other times they'll wind up becoming a one-sided shooting range. One team will be required to proceed through a bottle-necked killbox while the other sits patiently and mows them down as they desperately try to escort a very slow-moving hostage to a zone. Moving on to the positives. The sound effects on this game are top-notch. Every gun is a real recording of a gunshot and it really gets the adrenaline pumping when you begin unleashing furious carnage on your foes, laying waste with your Gotlung Minigun. The shooting mechanics are excellent, and the new S.M.A.R.T. system is a breeze to use. There aren't as many weapons in your arsenal as one would expect, but they're all extremely balanced (save for a few Assault Rifles). The weapon customization is satisfying, but I wish that you could customize your gun camos. There are a ton of unlockable abilities with each class as well as some universal ones that really help keep each class fresh and exciting. The classes, however, are a little unbalanced in terms of points, with the Medic scoring ridiculously higher on average than all of the other classes. Character customization isn't as deep as I had assumed, but there's still tons of variation to keep everyone looking unique. You will max out your rank and level within a week, which is kind of a downer, but it's still a fun climb. The game awards you with points and experience for literally almost any action you can do, giving that extra incentive for players to forget about kills and focus on teamwork. This is a double-edged sword, however, since one revive (for example) is the equivalent of multiple kills. It may be worth more points, but in this situation, it's certainly not more useful to the team as a whole. Despite this, it still works, and prevents me from feeling worthless when I frantically run from teammate to teammate distributing ammo. I've been playing this with my two friends nonstop for the past few days, and I really just can't put it down. Overall, this game is highly addicting, and I would go so far as to say that it's worth a full price purchase. It's similar to other shooters, but also different. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, so if you're still hesitant, give it a rent and decide for yourself. I'm extremely satisfied and can easily see myself logging in more hours for months down the line.… Expand
  28. dyeguy21
    May 12, 2011
    8
    I think Bethesda has created one of the most polarizing games in recent history. Some people love the game with its medium pace, team-style, class-based system...while others hate the overly helpful aiming, somewhat tedious interactions, and repetitive mission types.

    I am, as from my #, a member of the former but only because I have played the game with human allies. The game is truly    I think Bethesda has created one of the most polarizing games in recent history. Some people love the game with its medium pace, team-style, class-based system...while others hate the overly helpful aiming, somewhat tedious interactions, and repetitive mission types.

    I am, as from my #, a member of the former but only because I have played the game with human allies. The game is truly meant to be played online and currently this mechanic is failing some gamers with the lag issues that are reported across the board. I have been fortunate in that most of my games have been low to no lag, and if bad, upon retrying a connection I return to normalcy. This is the only fun way to play the game, I believe. The story is merely a scaffold to hang several types of missions on. Even though this came as a disappointment with such a great "theoretical" idea, the missions still stand alone in their own fun. The mission wheel, smart system, and point system are all structured to encourage team-based play. Someone interacting with an object in the world is defenseless against would be attackers without support from his team. In addition, the mission cannot progress if no one choses to perform the task. Thus, Brink allots points not only for supporting your fellow team, but also for choosing to attempt to complete the primary objective (more points for both, in fact, than simply killing enemies). This is a great idea, that fell short by the fact that once you max out your player (great abilities and weapons) your only choices to try something new are to create a new character or lose XP in exchange for resetting your abilities. It will also be troublesome to people that a chosen body-type is restricted throughout the course of the game. Thus, a heavy must stay a heavy and a light a light for the duration of the game and can only switch the tools alloted in game. This can create issues if faster players are needed or heavier weapons are needed to complete the mission as players would need to drop out and reset their character body types. (A problem for random drop in/drop out games as the player has no way of returning to the game he was in) These are not major problems to me and really apart from the slightly sluggish play and the lag issues others are experiencing, the rest just seems to be the learning curve that the game is requiring its players. I've played CS, BF2/BC/BC2/Viet, COD MW/2/BO, KZ 2/3, and Halo 2/3/Reach online as much as I could from the early days and those require only so much teamwork to get-by. A lone gunner can sneak his way in, or use powerful weapons masterfully, to infiltrate the other team and complete objectives for the win. Here, however, due to the high vulnerability (i.e. inability to shoot for long periods of time) of the objective-completer the team must be willing to stand guard and allow the "required"-class players to do their job. I usually play a support role in most of my games, thus, this is nothing new to me. For some, however, the "feeling" that they are useless 3/4 of the time may be unbearable. (As an aside, the graphics aren't that bad, I have noticed some screen splitting in opening cut-scene, and to be honest some of the animations are lame (i.e. frags), but the game-play animations aren't bad and the whole cell shading effect makes sense most of the time due to "sun bleaching" out on the high sea)    … Expand
  29. BirdlegLeft
    May 11, 2011
    8
    It is often difficult to talk about music, games, and art in general without referring to other artists or titles. It is an easy place to start for everyone. So, I'm going to throw a few names out just to get it over with: Call of Duty and Team Fortress. That said, Brink is not either of those games, but certainly has many things in common with both. To be fair, you can't really talkIt is often difficult to talk about music, games, and art in general without referring to other artists or titles. It is an easy place to start for everyone. So, I'm going to throw a few names out just to get it over with: Call of Duty and Team Fortress. That said, Brink is not either of those games, but certainly has many things in common with both. To be fair, you can't really talk first-person without Call of Duty. And, for good reason. It is the gold standard and by which all others will be judged. Brink does a very good job as a first-person shooter. Yes, many will complain there is no instant kill headshots or that bodies seem to suck up bullets with little damage. But, that is only to facilitate the team and objective aspects of the game. I'm certain the damage meter has been tweaked and tweaked again to find the right balance. Although I haven't spent much time with all the weapons (and there is a lot of weapons to choose from) they seem responsive and balanced throughout. Unlike CoD, I don't think everyone will have settled on the AK47 as the weapon of choice. Again, I think a lot of energy was spent on balancing weapons so players could spend more time customizing the weapon's look. Customizing obviously being a big attraction for Brink.

    I am not alone to make comparisons to Team Fortress. It is only natural when you have two distinct teams lined up against each other competing for goals. Many players may fire up Brink and go at it just like playing a round of Team Fortress; capture point A and B, shoot enemies, rinse and repeat. But, that would be a real disadvantage in Brink. Get to know the objective wheel. Change classes. If you see the entire team focused on one objective, break off and score points by hitting some class objectives instead. This is what Brink brings to the table. And, if you're not ready to embrace it, chances are you won't enjoy the game nearly as much as someone who will.

    Lastly, it would be criminal not to mention the art style and crazy amount of character/weapon customization found in Brink. To be completely honest, I was hooked on Brink after viewing the art alone. And, I think my kids could have spent an entire evening just creating their characters.    … Expand
  30. General_Anubis
    May 11, 2011
    8
    I agree with Bullseye76's review - If you go into this game thinking you can run and gun mindlessly like every CoDtard out there, you're going to have a very, very un-fun time with this game. The gameplay is an intriguing mix of Mirrors Edge meets Team Fortress 2, and if you play it with that in mind it becomes very fun. Run around a little bit, don't just push the objective, gunsI agree with Bullseye76's review - If you go into this game thinking you can run and gun mindlessly like every CoDtard out there, you're going to have a very, very un-fun time with this game. The gameplay is an intriguing mix of Mirrors Edge meets Team Fortress 2, and if you play it with that in mind it becomes very fun. Run around a little bit, don't just push the objective, guns blazing, thinking you're going to get somewhere. This game encourages strategic thought to achieve your goals, requiring you to think outside the box a little bit and expand your X/Y axis shooter mindset into the Z dimension with the parkour aspect of the game. I'll admit, there are some legitimate gripes about this game, some of them possible to solve with a patch, some of them not. The Z-Axis aspect of the parkour is possibly underrepresented in the game (though I haven't seen EVERY map yet). Places where you can climb up and get a good flank on the enemy seem pre-planned, and may as well have just been a staircase. Maybe exploring the maps a little more in-depth will reveal more opportunity, but so far I haven't seen it. Another problem people have is that the graphics look a little dated. Legitimate complaint, but not worth a negative or even mixed review over. The AI isn't the smartest, but then again most of the time AI players (at least the ones on your team) in just about all games are pretty retarded. I'm giving this game an 8/10 because of the reasons listed, but I think the AI could be patched and maps that make better use of the parkour aspect of the game could easily be released as DLC. The (awesome) character customization, weapon customization, cool and innovative movement scheme, fun team-based, objective-oriented gameplay, and fast-paced action make this game a good one to add to your collection. It might not be the best shooter of all time, but it's pioneering something that hasn't been tried together before, so support it and support innovation in games!
    Also, I get a bit of sadistic satisfaction out of seeing CoD sellouts crying over this game - that fact alone makes this game worth it in my book.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011
21
#21 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 85 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 85
  2. Mixed: 42 out of 85
  3. Negative: 7 out of 85
  1. DailyGame
    Dec 12, 2011
    70
    Brink can be awesome and annoying, euphoric and inexplicable, all in the same breath. Unfortunately, fist pumps are followed by fits of controller throwing all too regularly to make this one score much higher.
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  2. CD-Action
    Jul 1, 2011
    70
    Interesting but unpolished, ambitious but too weak to lift the weight of these ambitions. What bothered me most was that the brilliant idea of bringing other players into your single player mode was not realized properly. [June 2011, p.80]
  3. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Jun 28, 2011
    80
    It offers a new angle on the genre and one that will excite fans. [Issue#73, p.84]
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