“Time will get us all.” These are the worrying and opening words from the primary hero in Remedy Studios new game, Quantum Break. While the game has been a long time coming, it is finally ready to hit shelves come April 5th. Sitting in one of the press events, Thomas Puha, a member of the Remedy team, reiterated the same thing over and over, "Just play it. There is only so much I can say about it." In fact, I had the opportunity to play the entire first act and part of the second, but at the end of it all I didn’t feel like I had been killing time. The polish and finish on Quantum Break makes the real life passing of time a pleasure and something I was willing to give up. It has everything I would expect from a modern shooter - intuitive controls, fast paced gameplay, and an engaging story line.
The game has undergone many changes as do all games in the development process. Perhaps some of the biggest changes came in the main characters, and Quantum Break features a respectful lineup. Jack Joyce is played by Shawn Ashmore, who you may recognize as Iceman from X-Men, and the villain, played by Aidan Gillen, best know for his role as Lord Baelish in Game of Thrones. This all star cast comes in handy when you consider there is also a mini series focusing on the villian"s perspective that accompanies the game"s main story line. An important note about the story line is the ability to take certain branches and shape the outcome of the game.
At the end, you and your friend might not have the same people still alive. So on that note I won"t divulge any spoilers, largely due to my inability to predict what branches you take, but I will give a brief overview of the game. Essentially, time breaks in an experiment gone wrong and your brother"s colleague turns villain when he understands the potential that such a power holds. Your job as Jack Joyce is to restore balance to time with a host of powers that you also gained from the same accident.
While it might sound a bit cliche, overall the story line, quality of animation, and live action mini-episodes make for an incredibly cinematic experience worthy of being a movie all on its own. Quantum Break will also be coming to Windows 10 in addition to the Xbox One (in fact preordering can net you a free copy for Windows 10).