The Ark is a floating city consisting of hundreds of separate islands where a major civil war threatens to break out. The city was originally built as an experimental, self-sufficient and environmentally friendly environment. The rapid rise in ocean levels causes the Ark to become a refuge for humanity. After 25 years of social unrest, the inhabitants reach their breaking point. It is up to the player to determine the future of the Ark and humanity.

Brink is a shooter that combines single-player, multiplayer, and co-op game modes. Players develop their own character who gains experience in every mode. Earned experience points can be used to customize the character's appearance, skills, and abilities. Missions and rewards in Brink are dynamically generated based on context. This context consists of the player's chosen role, their status, location, teammates, and the situation of the battle in all game modes.

The game features dynamic battlefields where people can move fluidly. The game controls like a standard shooter, but this changes when the player presses the so-called SMART button. With this button, the game dynamically evaluates where the player wants to go based on where they are looking. For example, if the player looks at the top of a gate, they will smoothly climb over it. If they look at the floor under the gate, they will slide through it. If they look straight ahead, they will simply run through it. This way, players can move quickly and smoothly through the environments.