Impressions of Quantum Break on Xbox One
The next game for Remedy is one of the most important and anticipated titles this year, and we really wanted to try it after seeing videos for years and demos showing the original and very realistic gameplay and stunning graphics. Although we now know that the game will also come out on PC, we wanted to know above all how Quantum Break was on Xbox One, to learn more about history, see the graphics console, see how they work the powers of the protagonist and what is the technical quality of the game.
Having passed the first chapter of the game and part of the second and seen the first episode of the television series that is integrated into it, we have drawn to two conclusions: that, indeed, Quantum Break is everything we hoped it had and may being one of the leaders of this generation of consoles, and it is logical that Remedy has not shown too much and the videos have been limited to showing sections exploration platforms or shootings.
In a few games the story is as sensitive as here and so here we will not give any details of it almost more than those who have given so far: an accident causes a time lag and the protagonist, Jack Joyce, receives powers that let you control the time and also the weather starts to fall apart and sometimes occur intermittently in which everything is paralyzed -less Jack and those that appear to be outside the sinking temporarily.
A superhero game or time travel?
But even with these few details we give and we knew you can open a discussion: Is a game of a superhero or time travel in Remedy are supporters of the two options, because it can be both, the one and the other .
What we can say is that the history we have seen is very exciting, typical of a great work whether it be a video game, a movie or a novel. The characters are defined depth and consistency; behind it is a whole life and have much to offer as you progress in the game. You feel the loss of any of them is out of the story.
After finished playing the demo wide fingers burned us wanting to know more, to know what happens to Jack and even more secondary characters. While we recognize that there were some misgivings on the part of live-action series whose chapters are interspersed with the game, that show another part of the action you’re playing helps to give an overview of the events is equally intense. The merger between the game and the real action is carried out with professionalism.
A thrilling start to show a solid game
In Quantum Break all gives the feeling of being well united, without tripping, both the game and the live-action series and intersections; as if it were part of the game until the last stitch makes sense and is made with skill. All elements have a separate quality and form a coherent and credible set, at least in the initial chapters of the game and we have to see if then can maintain a ribbon gotten so high for a fast-paced, great start.
The gameplay is fitting. The game combines have scenes in which no movement but the story unfolds with the shootings and some platforming section. Jack temporary powers are used in the latter two. In the demo we had access to almost all of them: time vision is the most versatile. Provides insight into where the enemies are, destructible objects and other hazards activated with Y and off when you move.
Time stop creates a bubble in which for the time. It is very useful to launch a group of enemies and in those moments when they are imprisoned, empty the clip, so that when it wears off, come to them all suddenly and finish them.
Time dodge is a kind of quick dodges that allows you to give a spurt in the address you specify with the stick. It is activated by LB. The fourth power that was in the demo, time shield, is a good source of emergency when you press B creates a shield in front of Jack that blocks bullets and enemies that are nearby.
The powers not only serve to clashes with the enemy; They are also used when you are exploring an area or solving a puzzle. Sometimes you have to play with time in a particular area of the stage for further progress; for example, a lifting platform that drops when you step, and there your movement you have a chance to cross to jump to the next point. Actually, you’re constantly playing with time.
Having the powers from the beginning gives you a lot more freedom, because you are not limited to having to make a few missions until you get used to them, and soon you are deciding instinctively what you use, and keep track of time cooling of each one. It’s amazing how quickly you get used to use all of them in combination and how to get the fighting remain fairly bright but do not be too skillful a player (there are three difficulty levels to choose from).
At some points you do have to use a certain power, but in the shootings is terribly fun to have so many possibilities. According to the first chapter of the game progresses you’ll feel more comfortable using them and clashes are satisfactory even though more and more enemies.
The enemy also has devices to control the time
The difficulty curve is tight in these initial steps of the game because, when you start thinking it’s going to be too easy and you have the advantage with the powers, you meet a new kind of enemy that carry devices that allow them to also control time. These first more powerful enemies, the strikers are also able to move full speed towards another position to approach Jack or catch him in the back.
But everything is balanced and designed to have the feeling of progression needed to not get bored during the game, because Jack’s powers are improved based on a resource called chronon finding resources that you – and you detect the time vision – so that the powers of the area last longer or extend the area, or you can launch more bubbles as you recover time or temporary shield protects improving those with whom you feel most comfortable, or all at once. This personalization of power is something unexpected and nice.
Graphically it is impressive. When blockbusters have reached the technical level we currently with the capture of facial and body movement that had its turning point in LA Noire, improvements of each new title are minimal. But here too Quantum Break marks distances with a strong commitment to technology, from motion capture to the sound are the result of painstaking work.
Motion capture was carried out with 26 days of shooting in different studies, one of which has 24 cameras-which is at the headquarters of the study, and scanning (including facial, with nine cameras in front of the face) each main actor took about five hours. In Alan Wake Remedy animator used a camera, but Quantum Break has chosen a virtual camera moving in a real way in the study for a virtual environment to achieve more spectacular levels.
The distinguishing detail: teeth and eyes
But the highlight and where Remedy really makes a difference is in two key details: scanning the teeth of the main actors (or, more accurately, molds of your teeth) and a specific camera to the character’s eyes. The first is really evident in the case of Aidan Gillen, who plays Paul Serene and has a characteristic teeth, while the camera eye helps to minimize the feeling lifeless eyes away from the player character as movement eye blink until they are dynamic.
Apart from the modeling of the characters, the scenes are also impressive. The whole game has a slightly washed tone but with a wide palette of colors. In college lab it has a futuristic look while the courtyard and library recall is an institution with history, near the harbor gulls listen as Jack escapes and demo jumps to take you to an alley filled with old mattresses piled, walls and fences paint is worn and no broken bottles in some corners.
To detail is worked: after finishing the demo we could try again one chapter and the opening moments of the game where Jack crosses a courtyard with various more or less everyday scenes of the university. A closer look revealed that the scene is full of details that have some importance after the game and characters that appear later, and on the board of one of the classes there are references to Alan Wake. Not to mention all the text with additional information that you encounter along the way.
The Northlight as a key engine of technological innovation
In the technical part the protagonist is the game engine, Northlight. It wasn’t easy to build, and indeed at GDC Remedy Entertainment will give a technical talk in which it explained the problems of performance and efficiency that were presented during the Northlight development.
Although the live-action series and the game have differences, there is good consistency in the atmosphere. To achieve this, the head of the series team soaked the game when it was in its initial stages to film and then elements Northlight allowed to play in the video game with elements such as depth of field, to enhance binding between the two parts of the experience.
Music and especially sound, have great weight to achieve the effect that altering the time has on the player. The soundtrack we’ve heard is excellent with some inspiration from Nine Inch Nails.
Each power of time has its own music but Richard Lapington, head Sound Remedy, said that the complication was that really is as if it were two games, as the sounds, including weapons, have two variations: normal and it sounds when one occurs intermittently over time, with different variations of the layers of sound. The truth is that they bear much of the atmosphere of those times.
A study deserved reputation for quality
The fame of quality games is not undeserved Remedy nor coincidental. Since its first game Death Rally draw the attention of 3D Realms, they have taken a series of games that have marked its time, either by time bullet Max Payne, interest in telling a story through the gameplay and playing with light and shadows of Alan Wake , or play with time now.
Quantum Break was a game that was born under the interest of Microsoft to present on your console television content, and is an attempt in which today the Finnish study progresses without anyone -for the moment- follow suit but with determination. And it appears that, once again, the characters stand out and its technical quality and playable proposal set the trend.
Quantum Break will be released for PC (Windows 10) and Xbox One on April 5. Xbox One will include as downloadable version backwards Alan Wake DLC with The Signal and The Writters, while you’ll get if you book also Alan Wake’s American Nightmare .
These impressions were written after a trip in Finland in which visited Remedy for all the process of creating the game, talk to their primary responsibility and play Quantum Break Xbox One for more than two hours.
