BRINK

This game is excellent when you play with humans. In fact I might go as far to say that playing this upon its initial PC release in full servers was some of the most fun I've had in an online PvP game to date. If you have people to play with or you happen to be online when a few public servers show some signs of life in them, you'll likely have a lot of fun. Also for reasons I can't fathom, you can only get 60fps in online free play; so this is where the actual game resides. However, if you plan to play this solo, be prepared for some genuine frustration during your initial levelling up stages. My advice would be to get a few levels in the campaign first, then attempt the challenges to unlock more gear options. Some weapons will feel genuinely awful to use, yet others will feel very satisfying. Health pools seem fair yet weapon damage seems to essentially be random, so it's best to try and play conservatively; utilising cover and even friendly bots to shield you, which is quite possibly their one useful trait.. The over-use of camera shake isn't particularly fun for me and you'll find the bots very much enjoy spamming grenades. But in a game about building control and managing/helping your team it's understandable as to why this was a design choice, since you have to destabilise a team's hold on objectives, so messing with their ability to aim and fire competently is an actual game mechanic. The level design is excellent, with any objective area having multiple paths and sub-objectives to pursue so no one can get too comfortable. The parkour elements may seem a little clunkier than modern day games too, but this was one of the first that ever implemented it as part of the movement ecology, and the level designs capitalise on it very well. Overall and despite its age, it's a game that places emphasis on team cohesion and working together. Perhaps it's not for most, but it's definitely more cerebral than many similar shooters. The solo experience isn't great, or perhaps to be fair, unremarkable. But it was never really intended to be a solo experience. There's a whole story out there on how Bethesda overhyped this game and put Splash Damage (Wolf and Quake Enemy Territory) in a position where an original IP game that was intended for a PC audience had to cut an enormous amount of scope in order to encompass a console release, where it ultimately didn't land that well. Whereas on PC and in the absence of Bots, it was excellent. Interesting that it's now free to play, yet I suppose it remains as a monument to Publishers making bad decisions and letting the developers take the fall for its commercial failings. An all too common story.