First Look: Brink

Find out what happens when two tribes go to war in an apocalyptic city of the future.

Two sides exist to every story. Nowhere is this more true than in Brink on PlayStation 3, the immersive shooter that blends character development and multiplayer thrills into one electrifying experience.

Join the ranks of Resistance or Security forces in the battle for Ark, the experimental city designed to be a self-sufficient Utopia. Now a cauldron of deadly tension, its residents have regressed to primal pitched battles: on one side, the city's founders, on the other, refugees.

Paul Wedgwood, game director at developer Splash Damage, explains that Brink is about choosing an identity and fighting for it. "Even though you could be one cog in a vital team effort, you're a distinctive cog. Whether you play the single player campaign or join up with others online, it's an experience unique to every player."

Pick your side and take up arms, customising your character using Brink's vast modification options. Choose from hundreds of outfits, hairstyles and equipment options to make your fighter stand out on the battlefield. And by gaining experience on the frontline, you can unlock extra outfits, equipment and abilities to continually evolve your character.

Declare war on your Ark enemies

Running gun battles in Ark's increasingly dilapidated streets evolve from primitive tasks, such as simply staying alive, to complex campaigns involving co-ordination and careful tactics.  

Bitterly determined Security fighters mean a Resistance push to protect a maintenance bot in the slums of Ark is a suicide mission without a plan. "You can spray and pray out in the open if you want," Wedgwood says, "but I wouldn't advise it. Look for the shortcuts, flank the enemy, and make sure you've got help." Get the drop on the other team, for instance, by using decoy runners to distract them, while a larger team covers an engineer's daring run for the objective.

"People who play in a match online have a brilliant sense of satisfaction at working together to achieve something," explains Wedgwood. "Rewards for players who help their teammates and a mission system that encourages team tactics will draw people online. A group of players may in other shooters be fierce rivals. In Brink they'll contribute to the team effort."

Make sharp decisions under fire with the SMART action system, which adds dynamic free running to rampant firepower. Weigh up your options as objectives evolve and expand depending on your performance under fire. Use other players to drive your Brink experience onwards and return the favour – and before you know it you'll be fighting tooth and nail for your adopted cause, whichever side you pin your colours to.

Push yourself to the Brink on PlayStation 3 when the game launches in May 2011. Until then, keep your ear to the ground with eu.playstation.com and PlayStation.Blog at blog.eu.playstation.com.