Quantum Break preview: It’s about time

It’s been a long time coming since developer Remedy announced Quantum Break with a stunning teaser trailer. Many even decreed that it could be a defining game for this console generation.

However, much has changed since it first made an appearance in 2013. There have been plenty of quality, high production value games in the interim that have pushed the boundaries. The Quantum Break of 2013 would not cut it in 2016.

Thankfully, Remedy, the studio behind the original Max Payne and Alan Wake, is no amateur. It realised that its game needed to evolve with the times and the near-final version, which we played on both PC and Xbox One, is a very different beast to the game we saw those many moons ago.

Quantum Break preview: The cast

For a start, the cast has entirely changed. The lead character went from a fairly bog standard games hero to an avatar representation of X-Men actor Shawn Ashmore. Two The Wire illumni have major roles, in Aiden Gillen and Lance Reddick, with the former also one of Game of Thrones most loved anti-heroes. And even Lost’s Dominic Monaghan pops up.

Remedy

This is vital not only for the cinematic style of Quantum Break, but also it’s cunning and, perhaps controversial, unique selling point. You see, not only are there big action, puzzle and platform sequences you play throughout – in Uncharted or Tomb Raider fashion – but the game is interspersed by live action TV episodes, each running between 20 and 22 minutes in length. And they need to be watched to get the full game experience.

Quantum Break preview: The TV episodes

The thought might alarm some, but the TV show aspects have two redeeming qualities that could mean that they work well in the context of the game. First, the stellar, experienced cast and a direction-style that would grace current programmes on HBO or AMC mean that these aren’t the full motion videos of yore. These are good, interesting stories that, from what we’ve seen so far, are well acted and important to the story arc.

The second reason is that you get to choose what happens in the shows.

The game is split into five distinct acts, with turning point segments after each. The main acts star Ashmore and focus on the hero, Jack Joyce, as he uses his new found time-distortion powers to take on the evil Paul Serene, played by Gillen.

The turning points focus on Serene instead, and each leads to a major decision that will have significant ramifications on the rest of the game going forward. They also determine which TV episode you get to see as the live action elements effectively show the outcome of each of Serene’s decisions.

Remedy

For example, in the one to two hours playthrough of acts one and two we experienced at the Xbox Spring Showcase in San Francisco, we were faced with Serene’s first decision; to choose to let an eye witness live and therefore spread the word about how he and his company Monarch are good guys, or to eradicate all witnesses and have the public turn against them.

We chose the latter of course. And the episode showed the outcome. From then on, one of the lead characters – who was a witness – is dead and no longer appears in the game. The mood of encounters also changes depending on decisions and we can see much potential for repeated plays.

It’s been a huge undertaking for Remedy as although there are only four live-action sequences to encounter, by the last the permutations of how it can play out is vast.

Quantum Break preview: Gameplay

The game is a bit like a Telltale or David Cage title in that respect, with actions having different reactions and the game changing depending on your choices as you go. Where it differs, from our fairly extensive hands-on, is that there is plenty of game in those bones too.

Indeed, it’s no surprise that Remedy was responsible for Max Payne – at least, before Rockstar took over. The duck and cover shooting mechanics are incredibly familiar. We love that you don’t have to press a physical button to duck behind an object though, as in most games of this ilk. Instead, Joyce will instantly duck or use cover the moment you go close to it.

This enables you to concentrate on the aiming, shooting and, most importantly, using your time-based powers.

Remedy

Quantum Break is a time-travel adventure that borrows heavily from films and shows we all know and love. However, the studio has added plenty of twists, as the powers that you get to wield are, quite simply, awesome.

You can halt enemies in their tracks by time-blasting them, then rain bullets at them before time resumes and they are blown to smithereens. You can time leap to move to another location without your foes seeing you. You get a time shield that slows and stops bullets coming toward you. And there are plenty of others to learn and upgrade along the way.

Cleverly, all of these are mapped to buttons and are as instinctive to use as aiming and firing weapons in any game. They can also provide some spectacular set-pieces as rivals fly through the air in a sort-of reverse bullet time.

The ability to manipulate time also comes into play during exploration and platforming segments. If a bridge crumble before you get to cross it, you can use your powers – for example – to reverse time, then lock it into place for a brief moment. Or to prevent a gate shutting too quickly.

There are also more instances later in the game, we are told, and from this outing we cannot wait to find out how it progresses.

First Impressions

It does beg to be seen how the live-action shows are received and whether having to stop to watch 20-22 minutes of non-interactive footage will break up the flow of the game. But as it stands, Quantum Break is jam-packed with potential.

It might have upset some Xbox One die-hards when it was revealed that the game is coming out on Windows 10 too – thus eliminating the exclusive tag. But thanks to cross save abilities – where you can pick up your save games on either machine, Xbox One or PC, we think it expands the game in a positive way.

And from our hands-on play, we feel it’s shaping up to be a game that deserves to be played by as many people as possible.