Page 92 - PC Gamer - UK (February 2020)

THE Y ’RE BACK

OLD GAMES REVISITED by Matthew Elliott

Maybe Shawn Ashmore’s face
will save Xbox One! Maybe not.

Press Q to hate these
platforming bits.

People who match slacks and
band shirts: obviously evil.

BROKENDREAMS

Time hasn’t been kind to QUANTUM BREAK

was braced to spend 500 words gently ribbing Quantum Break. It mechanic forces you to stay mobile
feels like low-hanging temporal fruit, thanks to the time-bending NEED TO KNOW and chain your powers, which is
combat and smattering of semi-famous faces. Crowbarring in a WHAT IS IT? exhilarating. One moment you’re
whole TV show just feels desperate, like giving away a chicken HBO Presents: reflecting bullets with a temporal
Ibaguette as a magazine cover mount. But even though you can feel Bernard’s Watch shield, the next you’re blinking
the weight of Microsoft’s crushing expectations when you play, there’s still EXPECT TO PAY behind enemies to outflank them in
something engaging about this confidently-told confection. £30 slow motion. It looks and feels cool,
even if it’s not especially varied or
DEVELOPER
The hucksterism of adding a TV that’s quite obviously bobbins. And Remedy Entertainment imaginative. I also love that it’s
show is clearer with the benefit of Aidan Gillen is at his punchable best enough just to add ‘time’ before each
PUBLISHER
hindsight. I’m quite happy to play a as Paul Serene, a villain whose name, Microsoft Studios of Jack’s powers. If I was Jack Joyce
game about cabbagey everyman with choice of actor and chinos belie how I’d be time-writing right now. I hope
magical powers; but I’m too time- complicated he actually is. But, again, REVIEWED ON you’re enjoying time-reading.
Intel Core i7-7700 CUP
poor to consider watching a show Quantum Break tries too hard to @ 3.60GHz, 16 GB RAM,
about the same thing. show you how NVIDIA GeForce GTX JUMP ASHMORE, JUMP
It’s a cool, ambitious seriously it takes its 1070, Windows 10 One thing that’s wholly unloveable,
idea that’s lavishly AidanGillen is craft. The facial MULTIPLAYER however, is the platforming sections
executed. But the at his animation is incredible, No – they’re unspeakably ponderous.
player’s impact on the punchable but it’s presented at the LINK This is a shame, because the
outcome of the show is cost of immersion. remedygames.com/ environments in Quantum Break are
questionable and each best as Paul The story is good games/quantumbreak detailed enough to deserve further
episode can feel like a Serene enough that the exploration. You can uncover hidden
narrative speedbump desperate presentation ‘content’ in each level, but it’s not
when all you want to doesn’t detract from it, enough of a distraction from the
do it get back in and blam people. but it’s compounded by some shooting and graceless platforming. It
This is a Remedy game, after all. narrative dissonance. Joyce’s leaves the impression of a good game
Thankfully, the in-game justification for gunning down that lacks something essential.
performances more than make up for private military forces like a veteran
my indifference to the show. Shawn Navy SEAL is that he’s ‘used a gun VE R D I C T
Ashmore’s Jack Joyce is essentially a before’, which is like me baking a Shiny presentation
handsome walnut that’s been rolled Gateau St Honoré because ‘I’ve used can’t disguise a
through Gap. His performance is a spoon before’. But Quantum Break perfunctory Remedy 68
honest enough to legitimise does jolt to life when the shooting shooter with some
expositional in-head VO and a plot starts. The lack of a rigid cover Hollywood trimmings.

92 FEBRUARY 2020