A unique, refreshing take on the class-based shooter, Brink is one of those games that never really get everything right
Effectively, Brink is a mongrel;
An unappealing single-play narrative that foists itself upon the framework of the Multiplayer;
Sketchy parkour platforming that, in concert with some bad choices in level design, will have you running straight into walls you were certain you could climb;
RPG elements that aren't balanced by a matchmaking system (at least on PC), which would likely, and often does, result in a significant disparity between players.
Brink tries to be everything, and doesn't really succeed, instead becoming a mish-mash of elements from other games, though with a good bit of its own personality.
First of all, single-players, beware: There is nothing for you here. Not playing online will force you to cope with the game's shameful AI structure, which tries to emulate real live players by making your allies all ignorant newbies and your adversaries a tight band of brothers, no matter your chosen difficulty level or which "side" you pick.
Ah, the "sides". Upon character creation, you are compelled to choose a side in an insurrection upon the perceived last bastion of humanity, The Ark. There is, however, no discernible difference between the two sides (Security and Resistance), and since the game makes nary an attempt to make the plot matter, neither does this choice.
Luckily, whatever you choose, you can always play either side; You needn't create a character for each side, thus expending double the time losing due to lacking the necessary upgrades.
But for all its faults, Brink succeeds in creating a unique experience. It is by no means engrossing or truly captivating, but there is more than enough fun to be had, even for the less than talented players.
Though often sketchy and ambiguous, the S.M.A.R.T parkour-like movement system is invigorating. Anyone who played Mirror's Edge to frustration at its obtuse control scheme will find Brink's control far more intuitive and enjoyable, though in equal amounts more limited. You cannot run up walls and jump backwards to grab a ledge Prince of Persia-style, but the movement system is versatile enough that the lack of variety never actually hiders play.
There isn't much to be said for originality on the rest of Brink, though; seemingly, Splash Damage saw Team Fortress 2, and thought they could do better. They said, let's take away a few classes, modify the remaining four, and add a "body type" attribute into the mix. All the above are handled well enough, with the classes being precisely and clearly realized, for the most part, and the Body Types having actual tangible effects on the gameplay.
As for the rest of the gameplay, each game is made up of a series of defend/defeat/obtain/demolish objectives, but without a full human team speaking and planning over voice chat, there isn't a great chance to win. As stated, Brink's AI is rather horrendous, and the in-game objective wheel does little to assist in coordination, so if your team isn't organized and completely human, you WILL, most likely, LOSE.
When push comes to shove, Brink remains a game with a lot of potential, a lot of ambition, and a lot of distance between them and its actuality. There is a lot to look forward to from Splash Damage, even in regards to this release, but their next entry should be the one to look forward to.
Finally, the game looks and sounds very good. Except for the times where the sound cuts out, either partially or completely, for the whole game. Or the time when I could only see the enemy factions' corpses, leaving me a blind sitting duck.
In summary: Brink isn't a terrific game. There is a lot that could be done better and should have been done better in Brink, but it is an admirable effort. I just can't recommend a purchase solely on the games potential, when it hasn't lived up to it.