Quantum Break
After smash hits such as Max Payne and Alan Wake, we’re all too aware that developer Remedy Entertainment have pedigree, so when Xbox One exclusive Quantum Break was first announced, the game carried with it a huge expectation to become the console’s definitive new IP. The stunning time bending gameplay mechanic seemed likely to add a fresh spin on third person cover shooting, and Remedy’s track record with story driven action games suggested the narrative would be of a typically high standard.
Quantum Break is definitely not a terrible game, but it’s hardly the console defining new IP that we had hoped it would turn out to be. Undoubtedly, the game’s main appeal was its spin on bullet time; the ability to slow down and manipulate the environment set it apart other third person action titles. Yet, Quantum Break’s gameplay never really felt as though it was much more than filler in between its cutscene heavy 15 hour campaign, and the game’s emphasis on its hybrid video game-TV show does take away from the gameplay that should have been its hallmark feature.
Quantum Break is very much a linear experience, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing in itself, but there’s an overbearing sense that you’re merely clearing area after area to advance the game’s story. In fact, its linearity is so pronounced that it seems totally at odds with the freedom that should be afforded by your time altering powers. Those special abilities really end up feeling like contextual nonsense.
Ultimately, the game fails to reach the heights of Remedy’s previous titles, and for an experience with such an emphasis on story, its hybrid video game-TV show concept really does little to add to proceedings. Quantum Break feels more like an experiment than an actual attempt at creating a truly outstanding gameplay experience.
For more on what we thought, be sure to check out our full review.
