Quantum Break

Quantum Break has some interesting ideas, but it is also dragged down by multiple issues. For one, the acting is mixed. Some of the actors are really good, while others honestly suck. The game’s portrayed awareness of time is very reminiscent of how it is perceived by the Kwisatz Haderach in Dune, which I found intriguing. The story and characters are much messier. Towards the end the story begins to fall apart and it seems that some characters are incredibly stupid or insanely selfish. Fiona is a good example of this, Liam also seems completely clueless, and Charlie is just the stereotype dick. The plot pieces aren't anything to write home about either, as they're lackluster at times. The biggest one being the "lifeboat", which is an integral part of the story and especially stupid, even feeling like the most idiotic part of the whole plot. It seems that Paul’s plan is pointless and no one ever really addresses how stupid it is. Most of them believe it's the only way to escape the end of time, but they aren't even aware of the other method, because the characters never actually say what they mean to each other or properly try to explain themselves, which makes a lot of the conflict feel frustrating and pointless. Another issue is the TV show gimmick, which is intriguing, but also fails in a way. After some time, you get used to either playing the game or watching the show, and when the switches happen, you do not really want to switch anymore. It is a double edged sword: cool on one side, but also its own worst enemy. Then there's the gameplay. Most of it is pretty repetitive and introduced to quickly. In addition, the boss fights, if you can even call them that, were shit (in reality it was a heavy enemy or waves of regular enemies). And finally, the stories conclusion felt really baity for a second part, which didn't halp it's lackluster approach to many things. Overall, Quantum Break has some good ideas, a few strong performances, and an intriguing TV show gimmick, but it is held back by inconsistent acting, stupid character decisions, a frustrating plot, weak boss fights, and an ending that feels too clearly like sequel bait, which results in me thinking, that it could've used a little more time for polishing. 6.5/10