It's come full circle. Remedy has always had a love affair with the physics of time. They popularised bullet time with Max Payne and when they moved over to Alan Wake it came to light that they also had a good cinematic flair (or is that flare?). So, what happens if you combine the two?

Time-based powers is a blast to use | The graphics..; is this real life? | The humour in the notes and emails | Great use of known actors

Remove the live action movies and CG cutscenes and you have a short gameplay session at hand | Junction decisions don't impact the game THAT much | Streaming video footage..; meh..

Remedy Entertainment's Quantum Break feels like the game the Finnish developer has been working up to ever since the comparatively meager days of the original Max Payne . Once again, they've brought together solid, if mildly unambitious, gameplay and the repurposed storytelling of other media and...

You probably know the story of Icarus. That Greek guy who made a set of wings, stuck them together with wax, but then flew too close to...

The creative; speedy combat is great fun; The story aspires to an interesting; layered narrative

The combat never evolves to a truly satisfying level; Disjointed structure leads to big pacing issues; The TV show is rather underwhelming

Despite these small setbacks, Quantum Break dares to succeed at pushing the boundaries of interactive storytelling. The relationship between games and films and TV is stronger than ever of course (for better or worse), but Quantum Break’s gamble of putting everything in the same box really pays off. It almost always functions as an actual game too, ticking along with the satisfying precision of a Swiss watch. It’s really the characters and the messed up ‘real world’ they inhabit that stand out though, even if it’s frustrating there’s not more of it, or them, to explore in-depth. Just like Max Payne, Quantum Break isn’t perfect, but that’s the price you pay for being ahead of your time. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Stunning and realistic in motion; Combat feels powerful and fun; The ‘Junctures’ and ‘Episodes’ feel unique - and work;

Unavoidably linear; No real replay value; Immersion breaking AAA trappings;

Stunning and realistic in motion; Combat feels powerful and fun; The ‘Junctures’ and ‘Episodes’ feel unique – and work;

Unavoidably linear; No real replay value; Immersion breaking AAA trappings;

Quantum Break is the new benchmark for transmedia video game/television show hybrids with a stellar script, satisfying time-mystery narrative and high-octane third-person action-gunplay.

Quantum Break is an action-packed, time-shifting adventure whose traditional gameplay is outpaced by its ambitious storytelling. It starts off slow with muted, perfunctory opening acts that don't revel in the what-ifs of time travel so much as struggle to wrestle numerous storylines and characters...

Quantum Break blurs the line between gaming and TV by integrating drama and gameplay into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience.

Where does one truly begin to tell a story? When the beginning is not the start and the end merely the commencement of another chapter, how does one flow through the narrative in a way that keeps the viewer engaged and not confused?

Gorgeous visuals; simple and intuitive controls; fluid gameplay results in epic showdowns; the tv episodes are a treat to watch; interesting use of the protagonist and antagonist dynamic

Decisions don't seem to have much impact on narrative; some parts of the plot feel poorly explored; sequel baiting ahoy

Quantum Break is undoubtedly the oddest high-profile game of this generation. Developer Remedy has a history of making games that lean heavily on pop culture, movies and horror fiction, but with Quantum Break, it has leaped across the gap from borrowing to actually creating something new.

Excellent game presentation; TV-style cutscenes; Graphics is top notch

Very short gameplay; Lacks environment variety; Huge HDD space required