Though some are certain to be disappointed it’s not Alan Wake 2, the next game from Remedy Entertainment is looking just as ambitious and stylish as their last endeavor. Quantum Break is far from the first third-person shooter to throw time-travel mechanics into the mix but – once you see the game in action – it’s hard to argue it’s not one of the more ambitious efforts in recent years.
Set at a university where a time-travel experiment has gone horribly – and somewhat predictably – awry, Quantum Break sees players take control of the trio of individuals gifted with powerful time-manipulations powers in the wake of the experiment. It’s the first Remedy title to feature multiple protagonists and, what’s more, it takes the studios love of episodic TV-style storytelling to a new level.
Each section of the game is broken up by a fully-featured TV episode showing events from the perspective of the story’s villains. There are a few reasonably big actors on board here such as Aiden Gillen (Game of Thrones), Dominic Monaghan (The Lord of the Rings, Lost) and Lance Reddick (The Wire, Fringe). There are even different versions of each ‘episode’ to account for the decisions the player makes.
The footage we saw of the game at Remedy’s presentation gave us an interesting insight into both these TV segments and the more traditional third-person levels of the game. The latter is a case of Life is Strange meets Vanquish with all the impressive detail and cinematic presentation you’d expect from Remedy. The game’s time-powers don’t quite have the elegant appeal of Alan Wake’s light and dark mechanics but they do add something special to the combat. The footage we saw also suggested Remedy fully intends make full use of these powers when it comes to the platforming and puzzle elements of the game as well.
Though it lacks some of the personality that made Alan Wake so memorable, Quantum Break is shaping up nicely. Though it seems hard for them to not seem like a gimmick, the TV elements of the game show a lot promise and could allow Remedy’s storytelling skills shine in a whole new light.
Look for the game when it releases for Xbox One on April 5 2016.
