Quantum Break has gone through some extensive changes since it was first debuted at the Xbox One reveal in 2013. However, this year Microsoft finally showed off its latest iteration, complete with big name actors and some high-octane third person shooting mechanics, mixed in with some sweet looking time-stopping mechanics. GameInformer has an entire month planned of exclusive coverage on the game, as well as a 12 page cover story. Here are some details from it.
One of the bigger tie-ins to the game was supposed to be a TV show, in the same vein of Defiance. The show and game would work off of each other. However, that idea was scaled back and Remedy made that change that the game and TV show would in fact be a single product, and that all that content would come together on a single disc. This way, the game would have players alternating between playing for a few hours, and then stopping to watch a roughly 20 minute episode. Furthermore, player's choices in the game would then reflect in the TV show.
These big choices are refered to as Junction Moments, and players will see these right before each episode. While the game contains only four live episodes, the team filmed enough alternate scenes to the episode then plays out depending on player choice. While the story of the game is fixed with a single ending, the last episode is said to have over 40 variations.
Jack, the protagonist of the game that's played by Shawn Ashmore, has a lot of time manipulating abilities that he's still getting used to. He can perfrom a "Time Stop bubble that creates a localized sphere of frozen time. A Time Shield power creates a protective circle around Jack that slows and deflects bullets. Time Rush lets Jack run up to enemies and perform a devastating melee attack in the blink of an eye." And lastly, "Time Dodge functions like a quick dash, allowing Jack to quickly move out of a hot zone." These powers can be upgraded using chronon sources that can be found throughout the game.
Mikael Karusinen, Quantum Break's director stated
"One of our key goals with this game was making sure it wasn't a normal cover shooter – that players weren't just hiding behind crates shooting at stuff and throwing spells. We didn't want the game to become that. We wanted the player to feel empowered by these abilities. We try to describe what's happening with some pseudoscience, btu at the end of the day, it's all for the purpose of having the best possible gameplay."
As far as the enemies in the game go, they can also manipulate time, but nowhere near as efficiently as Jack. In this way, Jack is much more capable in battle than previous Remedy characters like Max Payne and Alan Wake.
Currently, Quantum Break is scheduled to release in April 2016, which is really not that far off anymore. For more in-depth coverage on Quantum Break, check out the online version of GameInformer or check out the magazine when it hits print in a few weeks.
