Quantum Break Review: Perfect Timing

Game Reviewed: Quantum Break

Release Date: April 5th, 2016

Developer: Remedy Entertainment

Publisher: Microsoft Studio

Platform: [Reviewed:Xbox One], PC

Genre: Action-Adventure, Third-Person Shooter

Rated: M for Mature

The old saying is that a man with nothing to lose is a man with everything to gain. But what can a man gain when he has the ability to start, pause and slow down time? Remedy Entertainment creators of Alan Wake and Max Payne test the boundaries of what’s real and what’s not as they tie together a story blending gameplay and a television show based on your decisions, your actions.

Kicking off Quantum Break you play as Jack Joyce at Riverport University meeting up with friend Paul Serene and your brother William. Paul and his partner Will have managed to create a time machine that can push you to the future, until something goes wrong that is. Time freezes and Jack is trying to figure out what happened and why William is all of a sudden against the project.

In an effort to evade, Paul all of a sudden turns on you and Will, becoming your foe while you fight through time in hopes to save the world from the end of the humanity.

Thanks to the break in time Jack has picked up new abilities such as time vision (similar to eagle vision is Assassin’s Creed) which allows him to see enemies and hazardous items when standing still, a time bubble that temporarily trap enemies, time dodge for quick evasions, along with the ability to shield everything heading your way and more. All aforementioned abilities can be upgraded by collecting chronos found by utilizing time vision.

Quantum break has a unique cover system that it utilizes for combat. Whenever Jack runs near buildings or vehicles Jack immediately takes cover. However I found it more enticing to perform a time dash and a multi-takedown or throw a bubble at an enemy and shoot as many times as possible for a guaranteed massacre.

As the story progresses enemies become more powerful gaining similar shifting abilities, including wearing heavily armored juggernaut suits.

At the end of each act you take control of villain Paul Serene to determine your next move by performing junction impacts. Junction impacts affect what happens throughout gameplay as its ultimate decisions for both live action and videogame. The game will also let you know how your friends and community sided. With an initial choice of killing all witnesses and becoming the villain or letting Jack take the fall and be framed for everything, I decided to let Paul become the monster that everyone hates, yet fear.

The live action show was absolutely amazing and perfectly coincided with the game. It was like managing to take a break while never leaving your game or progress. The show consistently kept me on edge at times as the actual game. This was easily Remedy Entertainment taking gaming to the next level.

Everything about Quantum Break looks and feels astonishing! The environment is quite detailed and memorable as you control the direction of the story. Remedy did a great job with taking gaming to the next level. There was always one company that toppled them all based on thinking outside of the box, Quantic Dream. Remedy Entertainment just raised the bar in creativity.