Splash Damage - the developer behind both "Enemy Territory" games - has released a series of videos (all below the fold) showcasing their next title, Brink, due in 2010. The new game retains the objective-completion focus of Wolfenstein and Quake Wars, but it appears that Brink places a greater emphasis on the straight FPS combat mechanics than its predecessors did.
And those combat mechanics are looking pretty solid. Borrowing some of the distinctive choreography of Far Cry 2 and Mirror's Edge, players can sprint and slide into a crouch in order to get to cover, traverse under a low-hanging obstacle, or evade enemy fire. Additionally, mantling over and on top of objects in Brink is more visually satisfying, as you can actually see your limbs doing the things they'd realistically have to do. Both sets of animations are something of an evolutionary step for first-person shooters, most of which provide substantially the same visual feedback no matter how you're moving about.
Another welcome departure from Quake Wars is immediately apparent, at least from the map that was presented ("Container City"). Although the maps are supposed to be large, they seem to be more compartmentalized, which should allow for much more close-quarters combat. For my part, the major failing of Quake Wars, Battlefield 2142, Section 8 and similar games is that they constantly force you to engage enemies at 50+ meters. Those situations (especially with limited ammo reserves) end up putting too much emphasis on vehicles, making infantry combat a last resort. Frankly, I'd be happy to hear that there's no vehicle combat in Brink at all.
There's a lot more to be said (Rock, Paper, Shotgun has a decent preview here), but watching is better than reading. So have a look:
i was bored half way through the first vid.
ReplyDeleteThe second one is better, but it probably won't change your mind about the game.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Frisk on this one.
ReplyDelete