Brink

16 cert, Xbox 360, (also PS3, PC) ***

There are so many identikit games being churned out these days, it’s refreshing when one tries to do things a little differently. You have to give them brownie points for effort, even if it’s not always a massive success.

Instead of saving all the best stuff for the multiplayer modes, Brinktries for a "best of both" approach. It allows you to bring your character out of the campaign at any point and play co-op or multiplayer online. So if you don't have access to Xbox Live – or PSN, now that it's back up and running – don't even bother with this game. You'll miss out on the best part of it.

Brinkis set on the Ark, a man-made floating city that is the subject of a fierce battle for control of the habitat. You can play on the side of the resistance, or toe the party line and play as security. One side is trying to save the Ark – security – while the other is trying to escape.

The level of customisation means you can create an individual and unique character. And the further you progress in the game, the more options you have to customise.

Controls have been altered a little. While the regular shooter controls are there, developers have also brought in the Smart (smooth movement across random terrain) button, which promises to make “intelligent decisions” for you, but in effect allows you to free run at the touch of a button. It’s an interesting addition, and actually works quite well. It’s a bit of a life-saver at times, allowing you to perform some moves that, without it, would have been tricky at best and damn near impossible at worst.

All in all, Brink is not as good as it could be. The story is a bit weak, although that’s an affliction many games have suffered from and survived. Given the level of hype and the delay in release, expectations for Brink were high. It deserves a chance, though.