VIDEOGAME/TV HYBRID GONE WRONG

Developer: Remedy Interactive
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Platforms: Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Release Date: April 5, 2016

Quantum Break comes from the same studio that created amazing IPs such as Max Payne and Alan Wake. While the same (if not more) amount of ambition can be observed, this game falls quite short of the standards set by Remedy's previous games.

The story starts with Jack Joyce (Shawn Ashmore) who travels to Riverport University to visit his brother William (Dominic Monaghan) and his friend Paul Serene (Aidan Gillen). William and Paul have invented a time machine which the former thinks is too risky to be turned on. Paul is adamant on giving the machine a test drive and with the help of Jack he attempts to travel in time. The subsequent explosion of the device gives both Jack and Paul the power to manipulate time. The version of Paul that walks out of the machine turns out to be evil and the rest of the game deals with Jack going against Paul.

Most AAA titles these days offer spectacular visuals. However, Quantum Break is the one, in my opinion, that has gone the closest to the uncanny valley so far.The voice acting and facial expressions in the game are absolutely fantastic.

Quantum Break is mainly a third-person shooter. Besides ammunition, players can also utilize the "time powers". The powers are fun to use but they can also be very inconsistent. Another massive flaw with the gameplay is the lack of a proper cover mechanic. The absence of melee and hip shooting renders the close-range combat non-existent. The AI programming is also very poor compared to other current-gen games. 

There are five acts in the game. At the end of each act, there is a "Junction Mission" where the player has to make a choice. Immediately after making the choice, the player is shown a 30-minute long live-action TV episode whose plot depends on the choice you made earlier. This TV episode is not on disc rather it is streamed online. Unless you have a speedy connection, streaming 30-minute HD videos can prove to be quite troublesome. These TV episodes also disrupt the immersion of the game and thus, are completely unnecessary.

The worst part of the game is its technical inconsistency. There is a motion trail behind every object and heavy film grain applied on the screen. On the PC version of the game, there are severe frame-rate drops and texture loading issues. Bugs and glitches are fairly frequent as well. To add to the frustration, the developers claim that these issues cannot be fixed.

Quantum Break also contains a huge amount of product placement for Nokia and Nissan. Product placement in video games is not entirely new but, here, the execution is extremely forced and painfully obvious. 

To sum up, Quantum Break is an unnecessary and lazy attempt at merging TV and videogames together. If you are looking to play the game, get it on rent or wait for a price drop.

Nony Khondaker is an introvert with immense passion for tech and music. Feel free to send your constructive feedback at nonykhondaker@live.com or follow him on twitter.com/NonyKhondaker