BRINK REVIEW BY XWOLF

Brink is a very complex game that's simple to play. There are so many features that are overlooked when playing, there will be many people that probably won't give it the credit it deserves. I'll start off with the customization. There have been a number of games in the past that allowed you to customize your characters and your weapons to match your playstyle. Games such as Army of Two come to mind. This is probably one of the best combinations of Character and Weapons customizing I've seen to date. The problem with many of these games is that they fall short in areas; whether it be a bad story, lacking graphics, or weak gameplay. Brink manages to perform fantastically in -almost- every way.
Brink's SMART control system is one of those things that make this game so in-depth and complex, though still simple to play. By simply holding one button you have the ability (depending on your body type) to traverse every different type of obstacle the game throws at you. Brink's SMART system almost trains you to look at the game differently. Being able to run; slide; jump; lunge; hurdle and climb onto or over just about everything in your way. This unique and specialized systems gives you far more control than any other FPS available in the market.
Now I know what you're thinking; you're asking where are the game's shortcomings at? Every game has one right? Sadly yes. The game's A.I. system falls quite a bit short in the, well I. department. While some people might not care too much or even notice it generally, it's blatantly obvious during certain objectives and challenges just how stupid some of your AI helpers are. Game designers frequently make your team's AI a bit lower in the gene pool to compensate for your ability to play. While that's a great idea, there's simply too much to crave here. Sometimes your AI team mates will huddle around an objective in a room, causing a single grenade (which gets thrown rather frequently) to make even the best field medic a bit dizzy with things to do.
On the other half of this coin sometimes you'll be knee deep in it and stuck at an objective (the challenges come in mind here) and your team-mates are scattered around offering no real form of cover. While for most people this won't effect your gameplay, it's rather annoying when you're dying over and over to a single objective because your team can't seem to offer enough cover. While no-one has mastered AI, it is meant to replace a human player. This game is just another example of how bad some players must be to be getting this result from AI.
In both situations it's very clear that the AI could be tuned up a bit to offer a bit more team support. I have to give Splash Damage the credit they deserve and say that the AI seems fully aware of the terrain and does make very good use of the same SMART system that has vaulting over everything. Even if it is into an area swarming with enemies of which you have no support.
While the AI leaves a lot to be desired, the typical FPS player will be exceeding happy with this game. The customization options make the need for multiple characters almost staggering since you won't want to stop fiddling around with your looks and weapons. Especially since it can come in handy having multiple body types ready for different challenges.
The game's graphics are outstanding. Something I hope people appreciate as the genre's fast paced nature sometimes makes you forget how beautiful the game is you're playing.
All in all this game has everything you would want in a great game, FPS or otherwise: Great variety of customization & options; wonderful range of weapon sounds and scores of music; fantastic graphics and a finely tuned gameplay system that offers you flawless control over it. The challenge system is a great component if you want good Not to mention the quick Co-op & multiplayer system will be a friend to all FPS gamers.
Again, all in all, Brink is a wonderful game that I hope gets all the attention it deserves. Splash Damage has surely made their mark in this genre and Bethesda brings us just another game we'll spend hours and hours playing. Brink has all the necessary components for a fun, fast paced shooter; and even with it's annoying AI flaws is more than worth snagging a copy and playing with your buddies until 3am.
~XWolf from CheatHappens.com and I give Brink a 9/10.