Sci-Fi action game Quantum Break comes to Windows 10

NetGuide's James Fraser takes a look at the Windows 10 version of Xbox One game, Quantum Break, now available for download in the Windows Store.

Quantum Break is a shooter with time-manipulation gameplay mechanics and coupled with a web TV series that changes based on the decisions you make in the game. I found this to be a gimmicky, but interesting and entertaining, I definitely enjoyed watching it as it gave a lot more insight into the whole story.

It's a very demanding game, but I believe this was justified, as it is a very beautiful game, and the graphical effects of time fracturing are very well done. However, it isn't without some graphical artifacts and glitches. The edges are sometimes a bit blurry, shadows fuzzy, and it has a few issues with pop-in.

The time-manipulation mechanics I thought were very fun to play around with, but then I'm a huge fan of the time travel/time manipulation genre. I would probably play just about any game with some semblance of time manipulation/travel mechanics in it and enjoy it. Enemies were well spaced out and so the combat wasn't too repetitive and it worked really well with certain powers, like freezing one or more enemies in time while you focused on a more important enemy. Another thing I enjoyed about the gameplay of Quantum Break was that it wasn't all fast-paced combat. There were times when the gameplay calmed down a bit so that you could just spend your time exploring the area and discovering more about the story as well as smaller secrets.

As for the integrated Web TV Series that changed depending on the choices you made in the game, the response appears to be rather mixed. Some people didn't like it, some people did, and others were somewhere in-between. I personally enjoyed it. Was it gimmicky? Yes. Was it entertaining? Also yes. I found that while it was a bit of a gimmick, it was both entertaining and it provided further insight into the story from the perspective of Monarch, the villains of the game. Some of the choices you had to make, however, were very binary, and the overall narrative was largely unaffected, so it can feel a bit unnecessary at times. Essentially, although the show was gimmicky and wasn't connected to the game in any major way, it kept me engaged and wanting to watch the next episode to find out more about the story.

This all being said, the actual quality of the story in Quantum Break is good. It was entertaining, and it kept me engaged, despite being a fairly standard plot. A physics experiment with time travel went horribly wrong, and Jack Joyce, the main character, along with Paul Serene, an old friend, were caught in the explosion and gained superpowers allowing them to manipulate time. However, the explosion also caused a fracture in time that was rapidly growing and would lead to the end of time. Jack Joyce then has to figure out how to stop the fracture. However, Monarch Corporation, led by Paul Serene, has other ideas and tries to hunt Joyce down across the fictional East Cost city of Riverport.

In conclusion, despite the story having a fairly standard plot, the solid cast of talented actors managed to keep it entertaining and engaging, leaving me wanting more. While the integrated TV Series wasn't tied to the game in a major way, it was affected by the rather binary choices in small ways and provided useful insight into the story from the perspective of Monarch. The gameplay was fun and enjoyable, and the special effects were spot on, despite the overall graphical fidelity taking a bit of a hit due to the various artifacts and glitches, coupled with fairly poor optimization. You can pick up Quantum Break on Windows 10 from the Windows Store for about $85, so if you enjoy time travel stories and are looking for some decent entertainment, give it a go. You will need a beefy PC, however, due to the aforementioned performance issues.

• Great Graphics
• Fun time-manipulation gameplay
• Story was OK
• Calmer moments where you can explore and discover more information related to the story
• Combat well-designed
• TV Show a bit of a gimmick, but I think it was kind of neat, and it was certainly entertaining

Verdict: 7/10