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Quantum Break Review Thread

winstano

Member
Arriving on the docks under the bridge, you have to reach a boat silently. When you have Jack as a 'terrorist' a civilian on the bridge will notice you down there and call: "hey, isn't that jack joyce!". Cover blown, the action can start. If you have Monarch as bad guys there is a protest on the bridge (in stead of a Monarch checkpoint). One of the protesters will notice you down there and call "hey buddy, wacht out! Monach's all over!". Cover blown, action begins. That's it for branching the story, really

So yeah, what QB set out to do, it fails at in my opinion. The game itself is okay (especially the action, I didn't like the platforming at all). So it gets mediocre reactions because of that, not because it tries something new or has a narrative focus. (I again feel you imply reviewers shouldn't give so much attention to mechanics, as long as the story is good)
.)

See, this is where I thought the game did well. The very fact that they have a similar outcome slots into the game's discussion about how time works and predeterminism. The more you go through it, the more you realise that
there's very little you can do to change the outcome of the events that have taken place
and it works really well in doing so. I guess I bought into that way of thinking which is why I enjoyed it so much...
 

kpaadet

Member
This suggests no filler to me and that's a good thing. Hopefully experimenting with the time powers adds some replay value.
What do you consider filler? I've played several short games with plenty of filler and I would consider long FMV in a video game to be filler, but I know that's not the same for everyone.
 

Floody

Member
I'm kinda surprised metascore is sub 80, after all the pre-views being good, was expecting a mid 80s at least.
Well anyways, wasn't planning on picking it up until I was done with Dark Souls 3, so that's still the plan (unless R&C is amazing, then I'll pick it up after I'm done with that).
 

GnawtyDog

Banned
Probably better than Rise of the Tomb Raider....game scored about the same as the reboot by basically checking boxes. So I'll still try it out when heavily discounted on the Windows store...no trade-in value with digital.

Nonetheless, kinda seems there are some legitimate reasons why the game isn't scoring as what was expected, say 82-87 meta average. Short story length without filler will hurt you without multiplayer - then add any personal quips by reviewers.

Kinda interesting that 2/5 translates to 40 on meta for a 0-100 scale when it would indicate, on an adjusted scale, probably a 60-75 score.
 

ViciousDS

Banned
I'm excited to step into a story heavy game......all these open world games can burn me out once in awhile and it feels good to just drive down a corridor enjoying a game for what it is. I liked The Order 1886 and will definitely love this.


Now if CDkeys would hurry up and get there damn stock and send me my digital code!
(I only spent $35 thanks to promos and discounts lol)
 

QaaQer

Member
A year ago I would have disagreed with you but now having a full time job and university on the side as well as a girlfriend I am so happy that this game is short and sweet. I hardly have time to play (went from hours per day to two to three hours per week if I find the time). Real life just gets in the way of my gaming life lately...

Get a long term game so when you have time to game you don't have to spend it learning a bunch of new systems. I finally get why people like playing the same thing for hundreds/thousands of hours.
 

Theorry

Member
I'm excited to step into a story heavy game......all these open world games can burn me out once in awhile and it feels good to just drive down a corridor enjoying a game for what it is. I liked The Order 1886 and will definitely love this.


Now if CDkeys would hurry up and get there damn stock and send me my digital code!
(I only spent $35 thanks to promos and discounts lol)

Jup same here haha. I want to preload that thing.
 
Kinda interesting that 2/5 translates to 40 on meta for a 0-100 scale when it would indicate, on an adjusted scale, probably a 60-75 score.

What the actual piss? 2,5/5 would be 50/100, like in 50% of the full 100%. Where do they teach this kind of math to people these days? 60-75 would be ~4/5.
 

ViciousDS

Banned
Jup same here haha. I want to preload that thing.

himymbarneymarshallfistbump.gif




also the only guy who I listen to now for reviews is our very own ACG and thats because he is very excited to play every single game and truly goes all out playing a game. I love his reviews, plus it doesn't use a stupid score setup. I think the whole score thing needs to go.
 

GnawtyDog

Banned
What the actual piss? 2,5/5 would be 50/100, like in 50% of the full 100%. Where do they teach this kind of math to people these days?

2/5 = 0.4 aka 40 on a 0-100 scale. In reality, reviewers using the 0-100 scale would go as low as say 60, and as high as say 75 for what a 2/5 review would be on a 0-5 scale. That's what I meant. Based on observations of mine.

Our website Gamer.nl (Dutch, but we're also on Metacritic), gave the game a 6,5 out of 10.

Not gonna translate the whole text, but the conclusion is:

"Beneath the beautiful graphics and impressive style, Quantum Break is nothing more but an average cover shooter with superpowers. Some fights are fun and intense, especially when using your powers. These moments however are over in a heartbeat and enemies are very stupid. The 'television series' is terribly written and is only worth it for the fantastic actors."

Pros: looks, fun shoot-outs
Cons: weapons are uninteresting, story is weak, badly written

Example here.
---------------

Doesn't really matter much other than skewing meta averages. No fault of reviewers btw.
 

PSOreo

Member
I noticed some of the reviewers picked up on this but I just wondered, what happens if a player doesn't have a strong internet connection/data limit/no connection when trying to play through the game and it comes to a cutscene?
 

R3TRODYCE

Member
I didn't see those scores coming. I would cancel my QB console bundle preorder but I want a white XBO so I guess I'm locked in.
 
Our website Gamer.nl (Dutch, but we're also on Metacritic), gave the game a 6,5 out of 10.

Not gonna translate the whole text, but the conclusion is:

"Beneath the beautiful graphics and impressive style, Quantum Break is nothing more but an average cover shooter with superpowers. Some fights are fun and intense, especially when using your powers. These moments however are over in a heartbeat and enemies are very stupid. The 'television series' is terribly written and is only worth it for the fantastic actors."

Pros: looks, fun shoot-outs
Cons: weapons are uninteresting, story is weak, badly written
 

Osahi

Member
See, this is where I thought the game did well. The very fact that they have a similar outcome slots into the game's discussion about how time works and predeterminism. The more you go through it, the more you realise that
there's very little you can do to change the outcome of the events that have taken place
and it works really well in doing so. I guess I bought into that way of thinking which is why I enjoyed it so much...

sure, it fit's the narrative (time is fixed, the outcome stays the same), but this doesn't change the fact your choices don't have any effect at all. I don't mind that the story goes too the same conclusion in the end, but I would have loved to have actually noticed how the public opinion turned against Jack. For instance: you could have the bridge scene with jack without the guy calling when you're not 'a terrorist', and having a different dynamic in the confrontation that follows (Jack having the upperhand/element of suprise.)
 

oti

Banned
A 2 on giantbomb?

Damn, I trust them the most.

Shit that sucks. Looks like it's gonna be sub 80 on metacritic.

I trust GB the most too. But I also know Jeff by now. I know what he likes and I know what I like. Those things don't overlap that often if you know what I mean. I'm not saying that 2/5 is unfair or something stupid like that, but never forget that Jeff is Jeff. (Which is the reason why I love GB and him in particular.)
 
2/5 = 0.4 aka 40 on a 0-100 scale. In reality, reviewers using the 0-100 scale would go as low as say 60, and as high as say 75 for what a 2/5 review would be on a 0-5 scale. That's what I meant. Based on observations of mine.

So you're bending the laws of math just because you observed something? It's not how it works. 2/5 is around 40/100. It is math. You do not bend it.
 

GnawtyDog

Banned
So you're bending the laws of math just because you observed something? It's not how it works. 2/5 is around 40/100. It is math. You do not bend it.

Well thank you for stating the obvious. No one is trying to bend anything...that's a strawman, probably the result of poor reading comprehension.
 

le.phat

Member
Jeff doesn't like linear third person shooters. Likely would have rated last of us similarly as he said he never could get through it.

It's not that simple, Jeff has shown mad love for 3rd person shooters in the past. Jeff however, is not easily swayed by great graphics or AAA polish. Strip QB of its graphics and what are you left with ? An above average shooter in a completely chewed-out genre. I feel i 'get' Jeff more then other reviewers and i trust his judgement more often then not.
 

enemy2k

Member
Still day one for me. Preordered on the Xbox store so at least I'll be getting all of the Alan Wake stuff and the PC version to sweeten the deal.
 

nib95

Banned
It's not that simple, Jeff has shown mad love for 3rd person shooters in the past. Jeff however, is not easily swayed by great graphics or AAA polish. Strip QB of its graphics and what are you left with ? An above average shooter in a completely chewed-out genre. I feel i 'get' Jeff more then other reviewers and i trust his judgement more often then not.

How is the genre chewed out though? How many linear third person story based shooters have we seen this gen so far, and how many have time powers of this nature? I actually feel like there's a lack of these sorts of games this gen.

Personally my opinions are way out of sync with Jeff's, not speaking to QB, but other games in the past.
 

Fat4all

Banned
How is the genre chewed out though? How many linear third person story based shooters have we seen this gen so far, and how many have time powers of this nature? I actually feel like there's a lack of these sorts of games this gen?

I mean, maybe it doesn't matter to him if they were from this gen or not? He's still played a butt load of them across every generation.

edit: crap, double post :/
 

jayu26

Member
Same people who did Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and Wolfenstein: The New Order after a big chunk left Starbreeze.

Fantastic gunplay and style.
I know. I love Starbreeze. The Darkness is one of my favourite games. I just never got around to Syndicate due to shooter burn out last gen.

On topic: MC is about what I expected. I will try it eventually, probably...
 

Alienfan

Member
It's not that simple, Jeff has shown mad love for 3rd person shooters in the past. Jeff however, is not easily swayed by great graphics or AAA polish. Strip QB of its graphics and what are you left with ? An above average shooter in a completely chewed-out genre. I feel i 'get' Jeff more then other reviewers and i trust his judgement more often then not.

Jeff doesn't like Uncharted, Tomb Raider or Last of Us...

Third person cinematic shooters have never really been his thing
 
Honestly expected much better reviews. Not that it's bad overall (I consider 78 games on Metacritic very solid if not essential), but this was to be the game to finally convince me to get an Xbox One. I expected an 85 metacritic in this thread:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1182869&page=5

If you look at what others predicted as well, this is undoubtedly getting a disappointing critical reception. Oh well, I'll wait for Gears of war 3, Scalebound or Recore to finally give me enough reasons to get an Xbox One.
 

le.phat

Member
How is the genre chewed out though? How many linear third person story based shooters have we seen this gen so far, and how many have time powers of this nature? I actually feel like there's a lack of these sorts of games this gen.

Personally my opinions are way out of sync with Jeff's, not speaking to QB, but other games in the past.


There's been a number this gen, but the genre originated last gen and still hasn't moved past it;

The third person shooter ( and more specific, the cinematic 3rd person shooter ) came to fruition last gen courtesy to Gears, Uncharted, TLOU and much more. We are now 10 years ahead of time, and guess what ? We still see the same structure ( 'quippy' talk section , arena, walk/'light puzzle' section, arena )

Yes QB has some unique mechanics, they all do. But compare the QB to the metric ton of similiar experiences and i understand how one can find the whole experience stale. This is even mentioned in a number of reviews (" QB doesn't do anything new BUT").
There's people who can't get enough of it, and there's people who are ready to fucking bury this style of game.
 

le.phat

Member
Jeff doesn't like Uncharted, Tomb Raider or Last of Us...

Third person cinematic shooters have never really been his thing


oh really ? You mean to tell me the thing i just typed ?

"Jeff however, is not easily swayed by great graphics or AAA polish"

That said, he looks for, and appreciates other qualities in 3rd person shooters. So he's not going easy on these types of games. But he still enjoys the once that aren't fucking by the book. It's a sentiment that i can get behind.
 

kromeo

Member
There's been a number this gen, but the genre originated last gen and still hasn't moved past it;

The third person shooter ( and more specific, the cinematic 3rd person shooter ) came to fuition last gen courtesy to Gears, Uncharted, TLOU and much more. We are now 10 years ahead of time, and guess what ? We still see the same structure ( 'quippy' talk section , arena, walk/'light puzzle' section, arena )

Yes QB has some unique mechanics, they all do. But Compare the QB to the metric ton of similiar experiences and i understand how one can find the whole experience stale. This is even mentioned in a number of reviews (" QB doesn't do anything new BUT").
There's people who can't get enough of it, and there's people who are ready to fucking bury this style of game.

Uncharted 4 and TLOU2 will both likely get rave reviews despite being rehashes of last gen games, people obviously haven't got bored of that formula yet
 

Montresor

Member
I think it's a mistake to pass on a game because of low review scores. This metacritic score is maybe disappointing in the sense that the game is not garnering universal praise. Is that really a problem that matters to you as a consumer?

Looking at my own personal tastes, my Game Of The Year last year was Life Is Strange, and my GOTY so far this year is Unravel. I can't check the metacritics for those right now but I wouldn't be surprised to see them at low 80s, but they're 10/10 games for me. I loved Gears Remastered for example and I believe that got a 2/5 from Jeff from Giant Bomb. It doesn't mean his opinion doesn't matter. It just means you need to take the score with a grain of salt and focus on the review content.

Anyone passing on this game because of the low reviews should take a step back and consider the following:

1) Do you like Remedy games?

2) Do you like linear third person shooters?

3) Do you like slow motion game play?

4) Do you like the science fiction and storytelling elements advertised about this game?

Then take that into consideration as you read the reviews. If a review lists the game being linear as a negative, why not think critically and ask yourself "Dont I like/love linear games?"

Jupiter Ascending to me is a 10/10 movie... terrible rottentomatoes score and it bombed. I'd kick myself if I passed on the movie for that reason. I totally loved the big space opera feel of the movie, with Mila Kunis going and meeting each of the siblings of the story's main family one by one.
 

Carn82

Member
//childish Sony-fanboy driveby comment:
So its metacritic score is closer to The Order 1886 than to The Last Of Us, huh. And it's below Infamous:SS
//

OT: I hope it becomes an 80+ down the line; I'm a big fan of Remedy's games :) Still have doubts if the whole TV thing was necessary; I'dd rather have more game to play.
 

nib95

Banned
There's been a number this gen, but the genre originated last gen and still hasn't moved past it;

The third person shooter ( and more specific, the cinematic 3rd person shooter ) came to fuition last gen courtesy to Gears, Uncharted, TLOU and much more. We are now 10 years ahead of time, and guess what ? We still see the same structure ( 'quippy' talk section , arena, walk/'light puzzle' section, arena )

Yes QB has some unique mechanics, they all do. But Compare the QB to the metric ton of similiar experiences and i understand how one can find the whole experience stale. This is even mentioned in a number of reviews (" QB doesn't do anything new BUT").
There's people who can't get enough of it, and there's people who are ready to fucking bury this style of game.

Right, but you could apply that argument to every genre and game. I vehemently disagree that innovation is a requirement to quality or fun factor. It is my belief that a game doesn't have to be revolutionary to be fun, it just has to do what's been done before, but really well, in a more polished, refined, better designed and delivered way. Not saying QB does that, I haven't played it yet, but just responding to the point of your broader critique.
 
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