I now no longer trust reviews....
But after a trip into GAME and a few long minutes staring at the box i though meh i'll buy it.... And i'm damn glad i did!
First off i want to say that the review on this website must have been based on about 10 to 20 minutes of blooming game-play. Admittedly when i fist started the whole SMART system was confusing and i honestly couldn't get it to work really. But then i got the hang of it. There is a reasonably steep learning curve with this game. That said a review possibly based on 20 minutes is not going to show great results.
When i put the disc into my console i also got an update. Possibly this was a fix for the lag problems? As since i have been playing online i have not come across any such problem. Also my connection is of average capability so therefore i would say that the online is fine. In fact the online is damn fun and hectic! The different classes give a mix of good ol' Team Fortress and a slight dash of Bad Company and the other generic shooters. But it is very different. Hard to describe without playing it for yourself.
I must comment on the art style. As for me i think its an amazing touch. The characters although you don't really connect with them which is a shame show great character though their over exaggerated looks. And the huge number of customization options make the rebels seem so much "grittier" and it's just an amazing art style. It meets just in the middle of realism and cartoon. Just right. I again haven't had any of the texture and "smooth" looking texture problems as I've seen in reviews.
The sound as in most reviews has actually been complimented i would like to compliment it again also. Although it is no Battlefield (but what is?) It sure has got some nice sounds. With explosions rocking surround sound systems and each gun sounding different.
I'll round this review off by just saying that Brink is a really fun and refreshing game for those people looking for a step away from the average FPS. It requires teamwork and a bit of dedication to get used to. But behind the learning curve is a massively addictive fun refreshing game of which i'm sure will develop a large fan base! I also would now like to encourage people to think twice about reviews given on games by reviewers on websites.
Thank you for reading my review.