Bethesda has built a reputation over the years with franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, but some of its best offerings come from games that the studio published instead of directly developed. Doom, Wolfenstein, and Dishonored all fall under the Bethesda banner when it comes to publishing, but one of the company’s biggest hidden gems is waiting to be brought back from the dead: Brink.
Technically, Brink isn’t even actually dead. The servers are still live. It’s just fizzled out significantly since 2011. At the time of writing this article, there are still 10 devoted players in the game. There are plenty of younger gamers at this point who aren’t even aware of what Brink is. Developed by Splash Damage, this first-person shooter had the potential to be a hit. However, a combination of bad timing and feeling unfinished compared to the surrounding competition snuffed out the game’s fire. Brink‘s failure to meet expectations made it one of the most disappointing games of the 2010s. Despite this, there is still a chance for Bethesda and Splash Damage to breathe new life into the FPS by capitalizing on modern genre trends.
Nearly a Month After Marathon’s Release, How Has It Impacted ARC Raiders?
While Marathon hasn’t had a huge effect on ARC Raiders’ player count, both titles are still navigating the growing extraction shooter genre.
Brink Has the Potential to Come Back From the Brink of Extinction
For those who don’t remember, Brink was promising to be a revolutionary new take on the FPS genre. It actually was in a few ways. One of the most influential features that Brink boasted was its Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain (SMART) system. This was a one-button parkour mechanic that helped players move more fluidly through maps. Parkour or fluid movement like vaulting isn’t exactly new anymore. Games like Titanfall 2, Fortnite, and The Finals all have some kind of twist on movement-focused controls, but Brink was a pioneer in this specific feature.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
Brink’s Other Key Features
- Blending single-player and multiplayer, with the former’s squad being filled with bots.
- Much heavier focus on classes with four different options: Soldiers, Engineers, Medics, and Operatives.
- Three different body types to choose from.
- Emphasis on objectives and teamwork instead of kill count.
Some of the most influential games of the 21st century still get accolades, but Brink is one that unfortunately seems to be forgotten. These listed features can be found in a wide variety of shooters now, but one of Brink‘s standouts was how it dealt with body type in a similar way to Team Fortress 2. Characters could have either Heavy, Medium, or Light bodies, and it would affect gameplay. Heavy characters were slower but could handle every gun type. Light-bodied characters had less health and were limited in the guns they could carry, but this build was much faster and better for parkour. Medium served as a balance of the two. Splash Damage was playing around with some great concepts, but Brink‘s pioneering ways aren’t the only reason that the game is worthy of a comeback.
Brink officially went free-to-play on Steam in 2017.
Brink’s Story and Setting Could Be the Perfect Foundation to Build an Extraction Shooter On
The lore behind Brink‘s world is one of the main aspects that helped make the game so interesting. It wasn’t a deep story, but it has a lot of potential to explore further. The game is set on an artificial island called the Ark that was created as a self-sustainable and environmentally conscious community. However, the worsening of global warming caused the majority of Earth’s continents to be overtaken by the ocean, leaving the Ark as one of the last safe harbors for humanity. Surviving refugees flocked to the Ark, which quickly caused tension between the original inhabitants and the newcomers. The overpopulation took a toll on resources, and the class divide between the refugees and the Ark founders pushed the human-made island into a civil war between two factions, the Resistance and Ark Security. Post-apocalyptic games can struggle to have a unique identity, but Brink‘s take on humanity’s doom had its own voice.
Brink would probably still work well revamped as a battle royale, but that genre’s reign is coming to a close. Even the recent Epic Games layoff claimed that falling Fortnite engagement led to the decision to cut 20% of its workforce. The industry looks like it’s moving more into extraction shooter territory as the next big trend. ARC Raiders was one of last year’s biggest hits, and Marathon finally launched and is raking in decently solid numbers.
There are a few options to choose from beyond ARC Raiders and Marathon, but a lot of gamers are still warming up to extraction shooters. The genre hasn’t become oversaturated yet, which could leave Bethesda and Splash Damage with the perfect opening to get in on the trend early. Of course, this would require some significant gameplay tweaks that would take time. It isn’t impossible, though.
Brink Getting a New Lease on Life is Ultimately a Pipe Dream
The game may have been divisive, but Brink had some great qualities that informed future games. As interesting as it would be to see it return in a new and improved state, it’s an unlikely scenario. Splash Damage is busy working on its secretive Project Astrid at the moment. Not much is known about the game except that it’s an open-world survival title that is being developed in partnership with popular streamers Sacriel and Shroud. Splash Damage has kept tight-lipped ever since its announcement. The studio faced layoffs last year, but it’s unclear if this has affected the game’s development.
There is always the possibility that Project Astrid could be a new take on Brink‘s story, but only time will tell. Splash Damage has teased intense gameplay combined with immersion and storytelling, which is definitely something that extraction shooters like ARC Raiders and Marathon have in spades. This is likely wishful thinking, though. As it stands, Brink will continue to be an FPS that had a lot of great ideas that suffered from not being fully realized. On the bright side, the game is still completely active and free to play as long as you aren’t against playing with bots.
