Booting Up

Booting Up

When you slot the game you are presented with a sterile start screen that, if you allow it to sit idle for a few moments, changes to the sort of demo mode that you expect to see on the TV's at your local  game store -- rapid-fire action, angry faces, and the promise that this game is something different.

Hitting Start signs you into the Brink Servers and triggers the background CS that tells the story of The Ark while on screen a claymation city is built before your eyes.  Things are grim though -- there is a much larger population of refugees than were planned for.  The choice is a simple one, the old woman prompts:  Will you save the Ark?  Or escape it?

At this point the screen fades to black and you have a choice to make...  Selecting Save the Ark puts you squarely on the side of Security -- selecting Escape the Ark makes you part of the Resistance.  What is it going to be?

(Coin Flipped -- Comes up Heads) OK, let's start with the Resistance shall we?

-- The Resistance --

The slums of The Ark are not a nice place -- you meet Brother Chen, the leader of the Resistance Forces (doesn't he sound like Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles??) and then, after an all too brief address, you are shunted into the character select / character create menu!

If you are slotting the game for the first time -- as I am -- you need to decide on the Archetype for your character.  There are a lot of choices but, save for body type, they are mostly superficial!  Just remember, the more muscular and stocky body type is going to be better able to handle heavy weapons, while the thinner and more lithe body can do Parkour moves better.

After you pick the body, you select your voice, and then save the changes or selections that you made!

You are then popped into the Character Select Screen, where your new character awaits!  Picking them takes you to a prompt that tells you that there is 1,000 free XP in it for you if you are willing to sit through a brief Introduction video...  Hey, free XP?  Heck yeah!

The Intro and Making a Character

-- The Orientation Video --

As you watch you receive a very brief overview of the different settings and play styles, learn about XP and Rank, outfits and weapons, and then she tells you about objectives and the need to change classes before telling you about the classes.

The Command Post allows you to change classes, and you learn you can earn extra points by capturing those that belong to the enemy.  She tells you about the objective wheel and how to use it -- and then explains special abilities and the supply meter. 

The screen display is explained, then she covers being incapped and the wonderful services of the Medic -- and finally she gives you some closing advice on how to play well and stay alive. 

"Follow these guidelines and you can win the war!"

The video ends and you find yourself back in the Character Screen, only now you can select a mission and go!  Before we do that though, there are a few things we need to look at...

-- Online Stats --

Near the bottom of the menu is the heading "Online Stats" that, when you select it, provides you with a code to use and the URL to the website to register your character with the Stats Server.  The URL is www.brinkthegame.com -- so why not go ahead and load your browser and register now?

When you load the site you need to pick your country -- then you are sent to the main page.  Select the Stat Server Link and follow the instructions, entering the game code on your screen to complete linking your console to the game server!

-- Character & Weapons --

With that done, select the flashing Character & Weapons Button to load that screen.

Here you can adjust your Appearance and your Abilities -- so first check Appearace and you can customize some of how you look.

This is all superficial stuff -- the important item is Body Type, but right now you can only select Medium as you have not Ranked up and unlocked anything else!

Under Abilities you have 1 point to spend -- choose wisely!

Once you have made your selections for these two areas, the button stops flashing when you return to the main menu.  Cool!

-- Moving On --

At this point you have a choice to make -- you can either go straight to Campaign or you can do what I did and get yourself properly set up for the Campaign by boosting your levels to Rank 5 (Level 20) in Freeplay.  Having your character at Rank 5 for the Campaign mission really does make sense, because you really do need access to the abilities that Rank 5 gives you!

If you decide to do the level boosting you need to skip ahead to  -- Sneaky Strategies now...

Well mates, good luck!  It is time to dive head-first into the game!