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Quantum Break

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Quantum Break
Promotional cover of Quantum Break
Developer(s)Remedy Entertainment
Publisher(s)Microsoft Studios
Director(s)
Producer(s)Miloš Jeřábek
Designer(s)Kyle Rowley
Programmer(s)Otto Kivling
Artist(s)Janne Pulkkinen
Writer(s)
  • Tyler Burton Smith
  • Mikko Rautalahti
Composer(s)
Platform(s)
Genre(s)Action-adventure, third-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Quantum Break is an action-adventure science fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Studios, released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One exclusively worldwide on 5 April 2016. Directed by Sam Lake and Mikael Kasurinen, the game features Jack Joyce, the main protagonist, trying to stop Paul Serene, a close friend and Monarch Solutions CEO, from enforcing the End of Time after a failed time-machine experiment, which gives Jack time manipulation powers.

Quantum Break is mostly a third-person shooter, but with a third-person perspective platformer qualities that occur in less action-oriented segments, and "junction points" that interact with the game's outcome, much like a Choose Your Own Adventure setting, with episodes of an integrated live-action television show, featuring the actual actors of the characters, interacting with the player's choices, displaying the outcome of the choices made.

Upon release, the game received positive reviews; critics praised its dramatic yet thrilling story and campaign, action sequences, characterization, and time manipulation features, but criticized the functionality of the time powers.

Gameplay

Quantum Break is an action-adventure third-person shooter video game where players play as Jack Joyce, the main protagonist with time manipulation powers in a world where time stutters, making everything freeze except Joyce.[1] Players can use a variety of firearms, as well as their time-manipulating powers to defeat enemies in the game. Joyce can stop time temporarily, allowing him to escape from attacks or freeze enemies, unleash a "Time Blast", which is an offensive projectile,[2] and reverse the direction of bullets.[3] He can also interact with the environments, creating environmental effects that would harm hostile characters.[4] He can also utilize his "Time Rush" ability, which allows him to spawn right next to an enemy to perform an immediate melee takedown.[5] Alternatively, he can speed up the time as well and swap between covers to diversify attention from unaware enemies.[6] As for defensive abilities, Joyce can protect himself from attacks by deploying a "Time Shield", which can deflect bullets, performing "Time Dodge", which allows him to dash quickly to evade from attacks[7][8] or simply hiding behind cover.[9]

There are also less action-oriented segments in the game, where players have to solve environmental puzzles while progressing through the game like a 3D platformer.[10] With time stuttering and collapsing, objects may get trapped in a time loop. This causes them to become environmental hazards and enter an unstable state which is constantly shifting,[11] and hence creates dangerous situations for players, such as the objects repeatedly smashing into a platform.[12] These objects become obstacles that block the player's way, and can be overcome by slowing down or stopping time, so that Joyce can escape from these objects and progress without getting hurt. Joyce can also call help by reviving frozen non-playable characters.[13]

The gameplay is split into acts. After playing through an act of the game as Jack Joyce, players take control of Paul Serene for a pivotal concurrent decision that impacts the plot, before an episode of the digital show will play. In the game, the video game portion will tell the story of the protagonists while the show will tell the story of the antagonists. Players can make choices as the antagonist in the beginning of each episode of the TV show, also known as "the junction points". These decisions would influence the state of the game.[5]

Synopsis

Overview

Quantum Break is set at and around Riverport, where, due to miscalculations by Paul Serene, a time travel experiment goes wrong.[14] Doused in chronon radiation, the material that makes time travel possible, protagonist Jack Joyce and antagonist Paul Serene are granted time-based abilities; for example, both can freeze time and move at higher speeds, whilst a higher dose of chronons means Serene can see into the future to decide which choices to make in the present.[15] Additionally, the collapse of the machine damages the structure of time, causing a "fracture" that means it sporadically freezes for all without time-travel abilities or the correct equipment. Joyce and his ally, Beth Wilder are pursued by Monarch Solutions, a corporation founded by Serene.[16]

Additionally, the rules of the arc enforce that time cannot be changed through traveller actions as per Novikov self-consistency principle; Paul Serene gives an example of remembering finding a dead vagrant along with Jack Joyce, and heads to the location of his death, only to startle him and accidentally cause the fall that killed him. Additionally, another enforced rule is that travellers can only move between machines located in different times using the relevant core: as such, it is impossible for the characters to travel back before the first power-up of the core, nor would they be able to travel between different time machines as the cores would be different.

Plot

See also: List of Quantum Break episodes

Act One

Agreeing to help his best-friend Paul Serene with a demonstration, Jack Joyce learns Paul has been expanding on the physics work of his estranged brother, William Joyce. Paul has built a time machine that works using "chronon particles" discovered by Will. Paul activates the machine, only for it to jam shut and break as William Joyce appears. Will demands Jack and Paul stop as "time will break" due to their actions. Despite Will's efforts to shut the machine down, it becomes unstable and douses Jack and Paul in chronon radiation that give them time-based powers. Monarch Solutions soldiers appear and open fire; Jack and Will flee while Paul escapes by travelling forward in time. After Monarch steals the time machine's core, Jack and Will are attacked by Monarch's leader at the university library, revealed to be an older Paul Serene with similar powers to Jack. Claiming to have seen the end of time, Paul shrugs off Will's suggestions of fixing the fracture, claiming time cannot be changed. Paul has the building detonated, causing Will to seemingly be killed by falling debris. Jack is knocked unconscious and captured by Monarch. Serene is informed by his second-in-command Martin Hatch that student protesters witnessed their actions, and asks for his input. A "Hardline" approach means they kill the protesters, citing the library detonation as a freak accident, but a "PR" approach means they threaten a lead protester, Amy Ferraro, into framing Jack as a terrorist.

Act Two

Escaping Monarch during a stutter, Jack rescues either Nick (Hardline) or Amy (PR), who agrees to help Jack. Working off a clue with Beth Wilder, a friend of Will's working for Monarch, Jack heads to the abandoned Bradbury Swimming Pool only to discover Will created his own time machine before Paul in 1999. Learning his brother also created a counter-measure, called the Chronon Field Regulator (CFR), Jack plans to locate it and use it to fix the fracture. Unable to repair Will's machine, Beth suggests they kidnap Dr. Sofia Amaral, Paul's head of chronon research. Learning she'll be at the Monarch gala that night, Jack surrenders to Monarch.

Meeting Jack prior to his gala, Paul can either choose "Personal", where he explains himself to Jack, or "Business" where he gives his speech and has Hatch to interrogate Jack. Regardless, a flashback reveals that when escaping in the first act, Paul accidentally went to the end of time, only escaping by travelling in Will's machine back to its first activation in 1999.

Act Three

Depending on Serene's actions, the speech either goes flawlessly (Business), or ends with Hatch being shot at by an unseen gunman (Personal). Escaping through the Monarch labs, Jack learns of "disrupter" devices created to fight "shifters", hostile entities that live in four-dimensional space and stutters; Jack also learns they populate the end of time. Reaching the gala during a stutter, Jack unfreezes Beth and equips her with a backpack that allows her to keep moving in frozen time. The duo scarcely pulls Amaral out of the path of a drone, escaping before time resumes and it detonates. With Amaral secure in a boat, Beth escapes by sea while Jack steals Serene's car.

Serene, revealed to be dying from "chronon syndrome",[17] lashes out at Hatch as Amaral was the only one capable of administering his treatment. Now paranoid, Serene places all of his trust in either Amaral (when he sees though Hatch's plotting), or trusts Hatch (by believing Hatch's claim that Amaral left with Jack willingly). Regardless, security tapes showing Beth is the traitor reveal Serene recognizes her face; a flashback to the end of time shows Beth was also there and attempted to kill Serene.

Act Four

Taking Amaral to the Bradbury Pool, Jack and Beth force her to help repair the time machine. Exploring the hall, Beth confides her future self gave her a notebook predicting key events that would pass, and that the mysterious graffiti all over town bears her nickname. Plotting to head back to 2010 to steal the CFR countermeasure from Will, Beth steps into the machine as Amaral sabotages the computer and alerts Monarch. Leaving Amaral with Nick/Amy, Jack heads to 2010 and finds Beth, much older and disturbed. Beth explains Amaral sent her to the end of time, where she met the younger Serene. Failing to kill him when he repaired Will's time machine, she followed Paul to the first activation in 1999 and stopped him from murdering Will.

Leading Will to create the CFR, Beth waited eleven years for Jack to arrive in 2010. Despite Jack's attempts to comfort her, Beth lashes out, agreeing with Paul's claims that, since they have seen the end of time, it is an unchangeable event. Heading to Will's workshop for the CFR, Serene appears and shoots Beth, making her drop the CFR and activating it; the resulting chronon outburst throws Jack back to 2016, and the exposure causes Serene's chronon syndrome. Beth shuts off the CFR, but is executed by Serene while Jack can only watch through time.

Increasingly paranoid and terminally ill, Serene is informed that, despite his lab being destroyed by Hatch, one damaged treatment has been recovered. Paul either decides to take it and buy time for himself ("Control") or simply succumb to paranoia and illness ("Surrender").

Act Five

As stutters become near constant, Jack fights through the Monarch HQ with the guidance of Fiona Miller (Control) or Charlie Wincott (Surrender). Jack spots a shifter massacring the forces using stutter equipment, who are unable to stop it. Reaching Serene's lab, Jack finds either Liam Burke, who is intent on stopping him (Control), or Charlie Wincott, who intends to assist him (Surrender). Acquiring the CFR, Jack learns Serene was using it to create a "lifeboat", a small bunker where time (and thus research) could resume after it ended. Unable to work the CFR, Jack uses Monarch's time machine (equipped with the stolen university core) to travel back to its first activation: the night of Will's death.

Rushing through the university, Jack arrives at the library as it begins collapsing. Using his powers, Jack narrowly pulls Will back into the library as the debris falls, faking his death before they barely escape the building. Will warns he can't simply repair the fracture, as success would erase key future events and risk a time paradox. Passing a frozen Beth during a stutter, Jack reaches to unfreeze her, but hesitates and leaves. Reaching the Bradbury Pool, Jack and Will travel forwards to when stutters become near constant, only to find Serene and Monarch waiting for them. With Serene intent on either retrieving the CFR (Control) or destroying it (Surrender), Jack fights off his forces.

Facing Serene, Jack sends him flying, splitting his head on the tiled flooring and killing him. Hooking the CFR into his time machine, Will asks Jack to jumpstart it with chronon energy, only for the radiation to revive Serene as a shifter. Before Paul can attack, the CFR activates and blasts the area with chronons, fixing the tear and vaporizing Paul. As Will examines the CFR, burnt out from the blast, Jack has a vision of his future self travelling to the end of time, and begins exhibiting symptoms of chronon syndrome.

In a flash forward, Jack is shown wrapping up an interview with Monarch executive Clarice Ogawa, who asks if Serene was correct believing time cannot be changed; before he answers, Jack is shown approaching the frozen Beth back at the University, whispering he'll come back for her. An epilogue shows Jack leaving his interview and is approached by Hatch,[18] who explains everything was simply blamed on Serene, and offers Jack a place at the renewed Monarch; Jack is shown seeing a split pathway similarly to Paul, ending before he makes a decision.

Cast

The game's cast of actors was revealed at the Gamescom of 2015.[19]

  • Shawn Ashmore as Jack Joyce, the primary protagonist and player character.
  • Dominic Monaghan as William Joyce, Jack's estranged brother and physicist.
  • Courtney Hope as Beth Wilder, a Monarch double agent whom Will trusts and Jack befriends.
  • Aidan Gillen as Paul Serene, Jack's former best-friend, the plot's primary antagonist, and the mastermind behind Monarch Solutions.
  • Lance Reddick as Martin Hatch, Serene's second-in-command who acts as the CEO and face of Monarch.
  • Jacqueline Pinol as Sofia Amaral, one of Serene's advisors who acts as his doctor.
  • Marshall Allman as Charlie Wincott, Monarch's head of surveillance and central character to the episodes.
  • Patrick Heusinger as Liam Burke, one of Monarch's lead security staff, central character to the episodes, and recurring game character.
  • Mimi Michaels as Fiona Miller, a Monarch employee and close friend of Charlie Wincott, and central character to the episodes.
  • Amelia Rose Blaire as Amy Ferrero, the lead protester who, depending on Serene's actions, is either a supporting character or is killed following the first act.
  • Sean Durrie as Nick Marsters, the taxi driver from the introduction. Should Ferraro die due to Serene's choices, Nick fills her supporting role in the story.
  • Brooke Nevin as Emily Burke, Liam Burke's pregnant wife and a recurring show character.
  • Jeannie Bolet as Clarice Ogawa, one of Serene's advisors and part narrator of the plot. Bolet lent her likeness to the character, who was voiced by Jules de Jongh.
  • Matt Orlando as Brenner

Development

Quantum Break was revealed with a teaser trailer during the Xbox One reveal event on 21 May 2013.[20] While developing the game, developers Remedy Entertainment consulted a scientist lecturer who had worked at CERN who taught them how to write the plot in such a way that it adhered to current theoretical physics.[15] The game was initially scheduled for release in 2014[21] but was subsequently delayed until 2015. It was further delayed to 2016 so as to make the final product more "polished" while not clashing with other Microsoft exclusives scheduled to be released in late 2015.[22] Remedy has created a brand new engine to power Quantum Break called the "Northlight Engine".[23] The game is set to be released on 5 April 2016.[24]

In February 2016, it was announced that Quantum Break would be released on PC exclusively for Windows 10 via Windows Store and would require DirectX 12.[25][26]

On 21 February 2016, Remedy confirmed that the game had been declared gold, indicating it was being prepared for duplication and release.[27]

Soundtrack

Petri Alanko returned to compose the soundtrack, using artificial instruments such as Roland synthesizers.[28] Similarly, the game saw an official release of its soundtrack, as well as the appearance of some licensed tracks at the end of levels. John Kaefer composed the live-action segments of the game.

Quantum Break - Original Game Soundtrack
No.TitleLength
1."Meeting an Old Friend"2:35
2."Campus"2:26
3."Suite for Time and Machines"6:23
4."Don't Stand In My Way"1:43
5."Remote Warning"2:56
6."Disappearance"4:37
7."Dodging Bullets"3:29
8."Still Waters (Run Cold and Deep)"3:14
9."You See Me in My Dreams"2:48
10."Beth"3:30
11."I Kept Waiting"2:42
12."Goodbye... Again"2:45
13."Damaged, Together"2:55
14."Doubt, Despair, Hope"2:33
15."A Whisper"4:36

Digital series

A Quantum Break live-action series that is included in the game was produced by Lifeboat Productions and Microsoft. The pitch is that "The game is about the heroes and the show is about the villains". Remedy has stated that "how you play the game impacts the show, and the show informs how you play the game."[29] At the end of each game episode the players are presented with a choice, that affects the events in both the game and the show. The cast for the TV series includes Shawn Ashmore, Aidan Gillen and Courtney Hope who will play the three main characters Jack Joyce, Paul Serene and Beth Wilder respectively. The series consists of four episodes, that are about 22 minutes each. In order for players to get the whole story of the game, players are encouraged to watch the series.[30]

Reception

Quantum Break received mostly positive reviews. It received an aggregated score of 77/100 based on 85 reviews on Metacritic.[31] The Xbox One version was released to mostly positive reviews, praising its gameplay and artistic direction; the Windows version, however, was poorly received due to numerous performance and stability issues most especially on Nvidia GPUs,[43] along with restrictions imposed by the Universal Windows Platform keeping users from resorting to third-party workarounds.[44]

Tristan Oglivie of IGN says "Quantum Break is an artistically distinct shooter, with a compelling and malleable plot and excellent performances from its main players in both their digital and live-action forms. While I wish more thought had gone into maintaining the thrill of discovering its time-twisting powers from start to finish, it ultimately didn’t prevent me from thoroughly enjoying Quantum Break’s 10-hour campaign, two times over."[39]

Quantum Break was the best-selling retail game in its first week of release in the UK, outselling competitor Dirt Rally by 139 sales. It was also the best-selling original property released by Microsoft since the release of Xbox One, outselling games like Sunset Overdrive, Ori and the Blind Forest and Ryse: Son of Rome.[45]

References

  1. ^ Phillips, Tom (8 December 2013). "Gameplay footage of Xbox One exclusive Quantum Break". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  2. ^ Hansen, Steven (5 August 2015). "Sam Lake explains Quantum Break's television show tie-in". Destructoid. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  3. ^ Whittaker, Matt (12 August 2014). "Gamescom 2014: Quantum Break Shown in Action". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  4. ^ Houghton, David (12 August 2014). "Quantum Break - first gameplay brings slow-mo death, nightmares". GamesRadar. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  5. ^ a b Reynolds, Matthew (15 August 2015). "Quantum Break is part game, part live-action TV show, part choose your own adventure". Digital Spy. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  6. ^ Makedonski, Brett (21 August 2015). "Quantum Break piqued my curiosity, but it still has a lot to prove". Destructoid. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  7. ^ Boccher, Mike (5 August 2015). "Here's how your time powers will work in Quantum Break". GameZone. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Quantum Break preview: The Weakest Link". Metro. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  9. ^ Cowan, Nick (21 August 2014). "Quantum Break – more than just bullet time and television?". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  10. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (20 August 2014). "Is there more to Quantum Break than run-of-the-mill third-person shooting?". Eurogamer. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  11. ^ Donaldson, Alex (11 August 2015). "Quantum Break's action looks familiar, but its FMV twist is fresh". VG 247. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  12. ^ Robertson, John (15 August 2014). "Quantum Break: Gaming's Hollywood action-thriller – Gamescom 2014". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  13. ^ Oglivie, Tristan (13 August 2014). "Gamescom 2014: Quantum Break Looks Fun To Play, But Will It Be Fun To Watch?". IGN. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  14. ^ Plante, Chris (13 June 2013). "Quantum Break Brings Binge Viewing To Video Games". Polygon. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  15. ^ a b Amini, Tina (12 June 2013). "If You're Wondering What The Hell Quantum Break Is, Here You Go". Kotaku. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  16. ^ "Quantum Break E3 trailer". Remedy Games. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  17. ^ Caused from overexposure to chronon radiation, the illness is detrimental to his health and incurable, and requires medical chronon exposure similarly to real life radiotherapy. The illness is implied to be what allows him to see possible futures unlike Jack.
  18. ^ Despite Hatch's death being shown in Episode 4, additional collectables and a flashback imply that Hatch is a shifter capable of self-control and living in spaces with time.
  19. ^ "gamescom 2015: Quantum Break Announces an All-star Cast". Xbox Wire. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  20. ^ Gilbert, Ben (21 May 2013). "Max Payne creator Remedy Games crafting Quantum Break for Xbox One". Engadget. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  21. ^ Karmali, Luke (29 May 2014). "Quantum Break coming to Xbox One in 2015". IGN. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  22. ^ Makuch, Eddie (2 April 2015). "Xbox One's Quantum Break Delayed". GameSpot. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  23. ^ Turi, Tim (21 June 2013). "Remedy's Sam Lake Talks Quantum Break And Alan Wake 2". Game Informer. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  24. ^ Makuch, Eddie (4 August 2015). "Xbox One's Quantum Break Release Date Announced". GameSpot. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  25. ^ Makuch, Eddie (13 February 2016). "Microsoft Exec Explains Quantum Break PC Release, Confirms No Steam Version". GameSpot. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  26. ^ Walton, Mark (29 February 2016). "Microsoft needs to stop forcing console-like restrictions on Windows Store PC games". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  27. ^ Potter, Matt (19 February 2016). "Quantum Break Has Gone Gold". IGN. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  28. ^ Petri Alanko on composing for Quantum Break with Roland AIRA System-1M on YouTube, promotional video taken from Roland official YouTube channel, accessed 9 April 2016.
  29. ^ Souppouris, Aaron (21 May 2013). "Xbox One-exclusive 'Quantum Break' aims to blend TV with gaming for a 'revolutionary entertainment experience'". The Verge. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  30. ^ Tach, David (6 August 2015). "How you'll play and watch Quantum Break (and why you shouldn't skip the cutscenes)". Polygon. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  31. ^ a b "Quantum Break Critic Reviews for Xbox One". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  32. ^ Makedonski, Brett (1 April 2016). "Review: Quantum Break". Destructoid. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  33. ^ Buchholtz, Matt (1 April 2016). "Quantum Break review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  34. ^ Reeves, Ben (1 April 2016). "Show Time - Quantum Break - Xbox One". Game Informer. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  35. ^ Paras, Peter (1 April 2016). "Quantum Break Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  36. ^ Brown, Peter (1 April 2016). "Quantum Break Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  37. ^ Houghton, David (1 April 2016). "Quantum Break review". GamesRadar. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  38. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (1 April 2016). "Quantum Break Review". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  39. ^ a b Ogilvie, Tristan (1 April 2016). "Quantum Break Review". IGN. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  40. ^ Kelly, Andy (7 April 2016). "Quantum Break review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  41. ^ Gies, Arthur (1 April 2016). "Quantum Break review". Polygon. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  42. ^ Orry, Tom (1 April 2016). "Quantum Break Review". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  43. ^ Hamilton, Kirk (8 April 2016). "Quantum Break on PC Can't Run at 60 FPS, Doesn't Have Quit Button". GameSpot. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  44. ^ Linneman, John (8 April 2016). "What went wrong with Quantum Break on PC?". Eurogamer. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  45. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (11 April 2016). "Quantum Break UK's best-selling boxed game". Eurogamer. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
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