You may have seen me wax lyrical about sure-fire sandbox hit All Points Bulletin (APB), which is due out sometime next year...well, here's another tasty morsel to whet your appetite.

Brink is yet another first person shooter for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC...but this one is looking a little bit special.

Brought to us by Bethesda and Splash Damage, Brink looks set to blend on- and offline play and add some welcome changes to the genre. Apparently, you can start a game (which, by the way, looks amazing judging by these early screenshots), and your mates can jump in at any time to join you in the actual story without any waiting screens or delays.

The plot is a typical run of the mill sci-fi affair: a futuristic city (dubbed the Ark) built as a home for 5,000 is bulging at the seams as the population has grown to 50,000. Inevitably, problems ensue with resources stretched and tensions fraught. Sure enough, it all kicks off - taking the city to the "Brink" of war... Here's the trailer.

Like Team Fortress 2, players can decide on their role, whether it's a hard nut with a massive gun or a medic running about patching up those caught in the crossfire. Players will be able to personalize their characters too!

Bethesda has a great record in the world of gaming - Fallout 3 being a case in point - and loves its downloadable content add-ons too...watch this space, Brink could be massive!

Check out this clip from Machinima.