Quantum Break Preview – a Remedy blend of games & live-action

Quantum Break, the new Alan Wake or Max Payne?

Xbox One is already 18 months old and so far is at has not managed to win over as many gamers as the PS4. However, the consoles best days may still be ahead. Halo 5 will release in the fall while Remedy Entertainment announced their hotly anticipated game Quantum Break will be released on April 6th 2016. That is still a long wait but at GamesCom in Cologne the studio also announced there will be a Live-Action TV show released to go with the game. Just like the game the live-action show will be released in an episodic cycle with events from the game having an impact on the show. You may be wondering where you heard this before. Trion Worlds released their MMO Defiance just before Syfy released the TV show as a tie-in. Sadly the game has not been as memorable – though it is free-to-play. Such cross-media franchises are becoming more popular, though it remains doubtful whether gamers can have any real effect on the live-action TV show.

So what is Quantum Break all about? Essentially it is a cover-based third-person action shooter with time manipulation. Add a powerful story from the makers of Max Payne and Alan Wake and most gamers are starting to salivate. In many ways you can see why Remedy choose to make Quantum Break a cross-media franchise. Alan Wake was essentially an interactive novel that also had a distinct cinema feel. Just like Alan Wake Quantum Break is set in the United States, this time on the north-east coast. After a time travel experiment went wrong three people have the ability to manipulate time. Paul Serene, the main antagonist, can predict what move to make in the present to effect an outcome in the future. While the two protagonist, such as Joyce, can stop time. Joyce is being hunted down by Serene’s company, Monarch Solutions. From the story’s premise it seem Remedy has not abandoned their love for bullet time, but instead of slowing it Joyce can stop time completely. However, the game does impose restrictions and consequences on the use of time-travel. Taking everything together you get an explosive mixture that may just turn out to be Remedy’s best game ever.

Below you can view the latest gameplay trailer that was released at GamesCom.

Meanwhile the principal cast for the live-action TV show has also been announced. Game Of Thrones own Littlefinger, Aidan Gillen will play the antagonist Paul Serene. Shawn Ashmore will play Jack Joyce, the principal protagonist. Shawn is the brother of Aaron Ashmore who plays John Jaqobis on Killjoys. The cast also includes Dominic Monaghan who is famous as playing Merry in The Lord Of The Rings and Lance Reddick from Fringe. Each of the four planned episodes will only be 22 minutes long (half a regular episode) and so I am wondering what to expect.

Today Remedy also released an extended cast announcement which you can view below.

For those eager to play Quantum Break may find it tough to wait until April 2016, especially after its first rumored release date was late 2014. Nonetheless, Remedy is dedicated to releasing a polished game and have even consulted an expert at CERN with creating a plot that is adhered to current theoretical physics. That said, there have been skeptics. Some of the gameplay does feel rather familiar, a blend of Max Payne, Alan Wake and Half-Life 2. At the moment I remain hopeful. Half-life 2 seemed like a straightforward shooter as well. It was in the end the best shooter ever made, and that is without even talking about he gravity gun. Sadly, Quantum Break remains an Xbox One exclusive for now. Microsoft is well aware Remedy has many PC fans but somehow I doubt the game will make it way to the PC any time soon.

Below you can view the GamesCom stage demo of Quantum Break

This was my preview of Quantum Break, I hope you enjoyed reading the article.