It will be back

[Update: Today, April 4, Remedy provided an update confirming that Quantum Break will return to Game Pass. "It is being temporarily removed due to some licenses that expired that were in the process of being removed," reads today's statement. "We will let you know as soon as it is back." Our original story follows.]

Back in 2016 Remedy and Microsoft teamed up for a live action TV show/game hybrid starring Shawn Ashmore called Quantum Break. It was a wild endeavor; and while it had plenty of flaws, even the most ardent detractors had to admit that it was unique. It's also uniquely leaving the Xbox Game Pass service soon, despite being published by Microsoft.

As a reminder, Quantum Break was indeed developed by Remedy Entertainment (the purveyors of Alan Wake, Control, and more), an??d published by Microsoft. For nearly seven years running it's been a console exclusive, only ever appearing on Xbox One and PC. It was also added to Xbox Game Pass in late 2018 (September 1), but it seems that was just temporary. If you look at the "leaving soon" section on your Xbox console, it's listed there alongside of a small sele?ction of other titles.

[caption id="attachment_372188" align="alignnone" width="640"] Photo by Destructoid[/caption]

Why is Quantum Break leaving Xbox Game Pass?

As many have pointed out, Quantum Break seems like a licensing nightmare, even if kept within the "family" of Microsoft. There are multiple production studios involved in this, as well as direct likeness rights. Reminiscent of the time Forza Motorsport 7?? left Xbox Game Pass (and general sale), nothing lasts fore??ver.

We've also reached out to Microsoft for clarification on the issue, and to see if the act o??f removal is possibly a mistake. We'll update the article if we hear back.

Also "leaving soon" in April of 2023 for Xbox Game Pass:

• Rift Breaker
• Moonglow Bay
• Rainbow Six Extraction
• The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos
• Life is Strange: True Colors
• The Long Dark

The post Microsoft-published Quantum B?reak is curiously leaving X??box Game Pass (Update) appeared first on Destructoid.

From $279 bundles to 4K TV bundles

Bundling an Xbox One with a TV seems to be the "in" thing to do these days as retailers offload their Xbox One inventory en masse. Since Microsoft's reveal of the new 1TB Spring Bundle last week, we've been seeing more and more Xbox One bundle deals cropping up. This all cultivated into the myriad of bundle deals available today. Sure, globally the PlayStation 4 may be outselling the Xbox One, but in the promotion side of th?ings we're seeing way more variety in deals for the Xbox One.

eBay

• Seiki 42" 4K UHDTV + Quantum Break Bundle — $489  (list price $700)
  Tax in CA and GA only
• Xbox One 1TB Holiday Bundle — $289  (list price $400)
  New condition, ships from Newegg 
• Xbox One Quantum Break Bundle — $279  (list price $350)
  Plain old deal, free controller is better IMO
• Xbox One with Kinect Bundle + 5 Free Games (Refurbish) — $279  (list price $780)
  Tax in WA, retail box with warranty

Dell

• Vizio 43" 4K UHDTV + Quantum Break Bundle — $599.99  (list price $950)
  Use code: GAMEON
• Xbox One "Name Y?our Game" Bundle + Free Controller — $299.99  (list price $410)
  Use code: FREECONTROLLER

Dude, you're gettin' a Vizio! Dell Home is offering up a bundle offer with a 43-inch Vizio 4K UHDTV with an Xbox One Quantum Break bundle for $599.99 after coupon. Solid deal when you consider this TV with 120Hz refresh rate alone sells for $625 on Amazon currently and reviews decent with a 4.3/5 rating after 1,400+ reviews. The other $29??9.99 bundle with a free controller is also a great pick.

On eBay, Antonline is doing a "me-too" TV deal with an Xbox One. In their case, they're bundling in a Seiki 42" 4K UHDTV at a lower price point. While not as high-end as Dell's Vizio unit, the bundle does come with a bigger price cut at only $489 ($110 cheaper). The Seiki TV sells for around $300 elsewher??e, so you're still saving quite a bit by grabbing this bundle.

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

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Buyers and sellers alike

One of Microsoft's selling points of Quantum Break for platform-agnostic people was that those who pre-ordered the game on Xbox One would get a bonus copy on Windows 10 PC. In an effort to bolster its PC gaming presence, Microsoft even implemented a cross-save sys??tem where progress can be freely picked up between the two plat??forms. It's a fair attempt at breaking Xbox players of the mindset that they can only play on Xbox.

But, that's not what everyone wants. Some of those who pre-ordered Quantum Break are finding themselves gifted a second copy of the ??game that they have no use for. So, they're turning to the second-hand market.

As of this afternoon, eBay has plenty of listings for Quantum Break on PC. Remedy recently confirmed that the first wave of codes would start hitting inboxes on April 12 (which is exactly whe??n mine showed up). Many people immediately turned to eBay to hedge their expenses for the Xbox One version. And, it's working.

A quick look at the sold listings for Quantum Break on PC shows that codes for the game are going for anywhere between $20 and $40, with a few outliers. But, a good number of them are right around $30 -- exactly half of $60, the full price of Quantum Break at retail.

What's interesting about this is that Microsoft effectively flooded the market by doubling the number of products it's distri??buting, and everyone's better off for it except for possibly Microsoft. Sellers can get half of their investment back by flipping that extra code for $30. Buyers can get a 50 percent discount for buying at $30. Microsoft doesn't see an extra cent because it's all taking place on a market that it doesn't exert any control over.

Obviously, this is something that had to have been taken into account before the introduction of the promotion. It'd be a mighty unforgivable oversight to completely forecast how this could lead to lost revenue. For what it's worth, Remedy indirectly weighed in on this by saying "We get our share of the game from making it, not selling it, so it's completely up to the publisher what to do with it after we've shipped the game." (Although, it should be noted that this quote was about pricing ?in Malaysia, not duplicate copies on PC; however, the sentiment seems as if it still applies.)

There are still benefits for Microsoft, albeit less tangible ones. This strategy introduces more people to the gaming on Windows 10 ecosystem. It also incentivizes some stragglers to upgrade to Windows 10 if they've been actively avoiding it. What's that worth to Microsoft? Apparently the missed opportunity to sell a few more copies of Quantum Break.

It's easier to put your finger on the benefit to everyone else. They just have to be savvy enough to shop around or sell their wares. Those who do will find that it's easy enough to chop the cost of Quantum Break right in half. 

The post People are flipping Quantum Break PC codes on eBay, effectivel?y halving the p?rice for everyone appeared first on Destructoid.

Discounts to perk you up

There are some choice deals available this weekend and the retailer of note is actually Walmart (cue the horror music). If you don't mind braving that place, the big box currently has great deals on two excellent titles: Bayonetta 2 for $20, and $12 off Quantum Break on the Xbox One.

Over on the PC side of things, Dark Souls III has a nifty 25 percent discount over at Games Planet (depending on your region). The Steam key is roughly $45 in the US, or about £32 in the UK. Keys are currently being sent out,as pre-loading started last Friday. Update: Price has now gone up at GamesPlanet so we're listing the deal at GMG instead for standard edition.

Finally, if you're picking up an eighth generation console this weekend, there are a number of Xbox One and PS4 bundle deals. Our top pick would be the Xbox One 1TB The Dvision bundle for only $319.

Top Deals

Games

• Dark Souls III (Steam) — $49.49  (list price $60)
• Dark Souls III Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $68  <- use code DEALZON20
• Quantum Break (Xbox One) — $47.99  (list price $60)
• Mirror's Edge Catalyst — $45  (list price $60)
• Killing Floor 2 (Steam) — $16.08  (list price $30)
• Bayonetta 2 (Wii U) — $20.70  (list price $30)
• Tales of Zestiria (Steam) — $28.24  (list price $50) <- ends 3PM Pacific

Console Bundles

• Xbox One Gears Bundle ??+ Quantum Break + AC Syndicate + SW B?attlefront — $379
• PS4 Ops 3 Bu??ndle + PS Plus 1 Year  + Silver H?eadset — $369  (list $427)
• Xbox One 1TB The Division Bundle — $319  (list $400)
• Wii U Console 32GB Deluxe Set with Mario Kart 8 — $279  (list $300)

Recent Releases

• 04/08: Glitchrunners (Steam) — $8.78  (list price $13)
• 04/07: Resident Evil Deluxe Origins Bundle (Steam) — $24  (list price $40)
• 04/05: Xbox One Quantum Break Bundle + Router?? + Controller Stan??d — $349.99
• 04/05: Europa Universalis IV: Mare Nostrum (Steam) — $12  (list price $15)
• 04/05: Enter the Gungeon (Steam) — $10.80  (list price $15)
• 03/28: Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed (Steam) — $14.40  (list $30)

Upcoming Releases

• 04/12: Dark Souls III Day One Edition +? $10 Xbox Gift Card (XOne) — $59.99
• 04/19: The Black Death (Steam) — $15  (list price $20)
• 05/17: Homefront: The Revolution Freedom Fighter (Steam) — $60  (list $80)
• 05/17: Homefront: The Revolution (Steam) — $45  (list price $60)
• 05/24: Total War: Warhammer (Steam) — $45  (list price $60)
• 10/11: Gears of Wa?r 4 + $10 Gift Card + Release Day Del??ivery (XOne) — $59.99

PC Game Deals

• Hitman - The Full Experience (Steam) — $39.99  (list price $60)
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Steam) — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Star Wars: Battlefront (Origin) — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Street Fighter V - 2016 Season Pass (Steam) — $24  (list price $30)
• Resident Evil Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $18  (list price $30)
• SimCity: Complete Edition (Origin) — $14.99  (list price $30)
• Europa Universalis IV - DLC Collection (Steam) — $13  (list price $65)
• Resident Evil Zero HD Remaster (Steam) — $12.80  (list price $20)
• Broken Age (Steam) — $12.50  (list price $25)
• Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown (Steam) — $10  (list price $20)
• Battlefield: Hardline (Origin) — $9.99  (list price $20)
• Europa Universalis 4 (Steam) — $8  (list price $40)

Console Game Deals

• Far Cry: Primal (Xbox One, PS4) — $44.99  (list price $60)
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege (Xbox One, PS4) — $29.99  (list price $60)
• Star Wars: Battlefront - Pre-owned (Xbox One, PS4) — $19.99  (list price $60)

PS4

• Tales of Zestiria Collector's Edition (PS4) — $69.97  (list price $100)
• Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth (PS4) — $35.18  (list price $60)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops III (PS4) — $27.61  (list price $60)
• Guilty Gear Xrd Sign Limited Edition (PS3) — $19.47  (list price $70)
• Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack (PS4) — $19  (list price $63)
• Star Wars Classics + Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 (PS4 Voucher) — FREE  (list $40)

Xbox One

• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Xbox One) — $39.99  (list price $60)
• Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack (Xbox One) — $21.37  (list price $63)
• Sunset Overdrive (Xbox One) — $10.99  (list price $40)

Laptop Deals

• 17.3" HP Envy Touch?? i7-6700HQ, 16GB, 950M, 2TB ?+ 2TB — $1,089.99  (list $1,800)
• 17.3" HP Envy 17t Touch i7-6700HQ, ??8GB, GeForce 950M — $889.99  (list $1,150)
• 15.6" HP Envy 15t Slim i7-6700HQ, 16GB, GTX 950M — $699.99  (list $1,100)

HDTV Deals

• 65" Sony 1080p 3D Smart LED HDTV — $899.99  (list price $1,500)
• 50" Samsung 4K Smart LED Ultra HDTV — $579  (list price $1,100)
• 48" Samsung UN48JU6400 4K Smart LED Ultra HDTV — $499.99  (list price $900)
• 48" Insignia NS-48D420NA16 1080p LED HDTV — $299.99  (list price $380)

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

The post Cheap deals on Bayonetta 2, Quantum Break, and Dark Souls I??II appeared first on Destructoid.

Add to cart to see the 20 percent discount

Don't have an Amazon Prime or Best Buy's Gamers Club Unlocked membership? No problemo, says Walmart. If you're planning to pick up Xbox One's latest exclusive title Quantum Break, the game is already discounted by 20 perfect over at the retailer for $47.99.

Did Walmart buy one too many copies? Did the game not sell as well as expected? We're not privy to the details but we do know? that discounts on AAA console games within a week after release?????????????????????????? are very rare, particularly at 20 percent off.

Generally, we'll see a modest discount of $10, and it'll take about a good month or two for it to move up to a $12 discount. But here we are, three days after release. You'll have to add Quantum Break to your cart to see the price, and free shipping isn't ava?ilable so you'll need t??o pick up your order from the nearest Walmart.

Not sure about the title? Check out our review.

The post Walmart is selling Quantum Break for $48 appeared first on Destructoid.

Errr, on-the-eye

If pirates are going to act the part, they may as well look the part too. That's apparently a mantra over at Remedy Entertainment. People who are running an unlicensed copy of Quantum Break are finding themselves with a brand new a??ccessory -- one that reminds them of their misdeed.

As reported by Eurogamer, Remedy has given Quantum Break protagonist Jack Joyce an eye patch on all illegal versions of the game. However, it may pop up for some people with legi??timate copies in the event that they aren't logged into their Microsoft account before loading the game. In that case, just reboot the game -- unless you like the eye patch enough to keep it around, of course.

This isn't the first time Remedy has saddled pirates with an eye patch. Alan Wake did the exact same thing. Sounds like that's standard operating procedure for the developer. As far as piracy punishments go, there's a lot worse.

Quantum Break makes pirates wear an eye-patch [Eurogamer]

The post Remedy has an on-the-nose punishm?ent for Quantum Break pirates appeared first on Destructoid.

Fractured

Quantum Break is a video game that is not comfortable being only a video game. Born from Microsoft's now-abandoned cross-media initiative, Quantum Break is many things, only a fraction of them being a video g?ame. It's advertised as part t?elevision show, but it's also part novel, part film, and part radio broadcast.

In a way, this is a shame because it is an absolute pleasure to play. It's a game that excels at being a game, yet implores the player to spend a majority of the time either watching, reading, or listening. Maybe that's okay, though, because all the other components are executed with similarly stunning proficiency. Still, it's hard to not feel as if Quantum Break's individual parts outweigh the sum at times.

Quantum Break (PC, Xbox One [reviewed])
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Release: April 5, 2016
MSRP: $59.99 

This obvious cross-medium fracture is extra obvious because, well, a fracture is Quantum Break's main plot device. Protagonist Jack Joyce and soon-to-b?e antagonist Paul Serene cause a fracture in time during the opening minutes, and the rest of the game is spent trying to remedy it. As a result of?? this fracture, the world will experience random stutters where time ceases to move forward and everything's frozen in place. The main conflict arises from the fact that both parties have very different ideologies about how to resolve it.

Serene is in charge of a mega-corporation called Monarch, a company that somehow specializes and profits off of time-travel technolo??gy. Monarch has a vested interest in getting its way. It's classic "corporatio??ns are always bad, the little guy is always good" material.

Except, that's not quite true. Quantum Break features pr??ominent story junctions -- opportunities when the player takes control of Serene, and makes a choice that strongly influences how the plot will play out. These always come directly before episodes of the television show (there are four in total), an?d they offer an unsettling look at how the other half lives.

These decisions have an unexpected heft about ?them. They begin somewhat light, but by the end, their collective weight accumulates. For instance, in my second playthrough, a supporting character playe?d a suddenly-large role in working toward the game's conclusion; in the first playthrough, that character saw hardly any screen time. However, these are different means to the same end. Different choices alter the details, but it all eventually funnels to the same closure.

Quantum Break, on paper, is not a game that should dabble in nuance. It's a story about ?constant stakes-raising and heavy-handed action. From start to finish, rarely is there a moment of downtime when a critical plot development isn't happening. It's full speed ahead, right from the get-go.

That's why it's so impressive that Quantum Break is absolutely able to dabble in nuance. Most of this comes from the Monarch side of things, particularly in the television show. Developer Remedy did a fine job of writing these characters in a way that causes them all to be sympathetic to some degree. These nefarious no-good-doe?rs have reasons for their actions, and maybe, just maybe, they aren't all so nefarious after all.

Perhaps the greatest accolade to heap upon the story is that it made me want to consume all this extra media. Stumbling across collectibles in the game's linear world, I wanted to read several paragraphs to take in more backstory. Having just reached a crescendo at the end o?f an act, I wanted to set the controller down and watch the TV show. Although I wish the narrative were more closely interwoven with the gameplay, I was intrigued enough by the always-moving story to constantly press on.

However, the gameplay shouldn't be relegated to an afterthought. It's the glue that holds Quantum Break together, and is very likely its single best quality. Remedy made a third-person shooter in which you will fail if you play i??t like every other third-person shooter. It's built on movement instead of hesitation, and creativity instead of accuracy.

Because of Joyce's proximity to the incident causing the fracture in time, he has been exposed to chronons; it's an affliction that gives hi??m time-bending powers, even in instances where time itself isn't bending. This is how Joyce is able to trap enemies in time bubbles, shoot bullets at the bubble, and then wait for the bubble to collapse causing all the bullets to fire directly into the enemy. Or, it's how he's able to dash from point to point, each stoppage slowing time to a crawl (a Remedy earmark, after all) allowing for easy and efficient headshots.

Any single instance of correctly using these powers is a gratifying one, but chaining them together is supremely rewarding. Combat sequences can be quick and powerful displays of aptitude for those well-versed in Quantum Break's systems. Those who hide behind cover will just find themselves flanked by the aggressive enemies and likely soon dead. That Remedy was able to so enjoyably subvert the third-person cover shooter model should ?be this game's lastin??g legacy. It's an impressive feat.

But, as mentioned above, this is only a fraction of Quantum Break. The gameplay is excellent, the cutscenes are interesting, even the live-action stuff is surprisingly engaging. Everything ab??out it works great individually, but everyone will absolutely notice that they're just that: individual parts. The overarching story connecting it all isn't enough to keep it from feeling disjointed.

It's a disappointing realization, but not a damning one. Far from it, actually. Remedy's keen understanding of how to make an action title shines through, and it's every bit a game that has been lovingly crafted for years. Quantum Break won't at all times feel like a game, as the player spends a fair chunk of time relegated to spectator. But, no matter which side Quantum Break is showing, it's always going to be a spe?ctacular one.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Quantum Break appeared first on Destructoid.

Hope you likes glitchy-ass orchestras!

Microsoft has released the Quantum Break soundtrack for free on Soundcloud, and it’s surprisingly great.

Big budget games have a habit of thinking big games should have big scores with lots of instruments, but then fail to give them the direction needed to have a decent soundtrack. Or worse, they opt for Battlefield-style noise clipping just to make things obnoxiously loud and? ‘epic.’ 

Petri Alanko’s Quantum Break soundtrack does fall into that trap sometimes, but there’re still some great tracks too, such as "Dodging Bullets" and "A Whisper." The glitchiness reminds me a lot of my favourite composer Olivier Derivière’s soundtrack for Remember Me, which was an okay game with fantastic music.

We’ll see how Quantum Break puts its scor?e to use when it launches on April 5 for Xbox One and PC.

The post Pin back your lugholes, here’s the Quantum Break soundtrack appeared first on Destructoid.

But some special effects seem to make up for it

Quantum Break seems to sport a 720p resolution, according Digi??tal Foundry. 

The tech experts put the Xbox One version through its paces at a recent press event, where they concluded the upcoming title features a native resolution of jus??t 720p,

Digital Foundry surmises developer Remedy Entertainment might be replicating what it previously did with Alan Wake, mitigating a less-than-cutting-edge visual output with technical wizardry to give the game a more impressive outward than the resolution might suggest in and? of its?elf.

Though Digital Foundry maintains Quantum Break is "stunning in many areas," the group su?spects Remedy might be using film grain and motion blur along with stellar anti-aliasing to create something that blends previously rendered frames with current ones.

As for the frame rate, the title reportedly runs at a solid 30 frames-per-second for the most part??, apart from open areas, where some minor performance issues seemed to be present.

Remedy has yet to comment on the matter, but it's definitely something we'll keep an eye on as we beg??in to near the Xbox One and PC action game's April 5 release date.

Digital Foundry: Hands-on with Quantum Break [Eurogamer]

The post Report: Quantum Break appears to run at 720p appeared first on Destructoid.

Lengthy hands-on with a finished Quantum Break

I last previewed Quantum Break at E3 2013, a lifetime ago, and had my reservations around the interlaced t??elevision show aspect that must have come from Microsoft's then "sports, sports, television" strategy that saw the studio trying to create a host of original programming (the same era bore Kinect-shackled Xbox Ones at too high a price).

Now here we are, four years after work on Quantum Break started at Remedy (Max Payne, Alan Wake). And I still have my reservations about the live-action television program, which I've seen one episode of (it's fine, but kind of boilerplate network gun-thriller stuff). There are four i?n total (22 minutes each) that separa??te the games five acts.

Each is focused on the bad guys, the super corporation Monarch headed by an aged, future version of the protagonist's old friend (Carcetti from The Wire and he's in Game of Thrones I guess) and each is preceded by a gameplay section (also starring the bad guys?) wherein you make a major decision that affects the live-action footage you see and beyond. 

Because big bad Paul Serene has more advanced times powers, you can see how these "junction" points will generally go before making your decision. The first involves silencing a witness to the university lab explosion the easy way (murder) or the hard way (an orchestrated PR campaign, having her make falsified s?tatements and ?encouraging her continued loyalty with the threat of murder).

Remedy PR head Thomas Puha calls Quantum Break "the ultimate Remedy game," which doubles down on the studio's love of live-action while fitting the mold of a, "stylized, cinematic action game." The studio might not have made Max Payne 3, but Alan Wake's psychological thriller bent didn't dull Remedy's pure action sensibi??lities.

Quantum Break does indeed feel great, which speaks to Remedy's "feelings over features" mantra wherein they "come up with the story and universe" and build the game out from there. It's probably a different approach than most AAA studios, but most d?on't get to work on one pet? project for years at a time these days, either. But, hey, Finland, where Remedy is based, is "weird," according to Puha. "We drink a lot, it's dark most times of year." He then threw on a behind-the-scenes studio video that featured Sam Lake in a sauna and was legitimately chuckle-worthy.

Seriously, though, goodbye cover-based shooting, a relic of 2008-2014. I'm singing "Return of the Max" in my head right now. Sure there's no dive, but there is a sort of quick teleport that automatically triggers bullet time slow motion. It makes for a lot of good zipping around areas a la Vanquish.

_{[The tray spray on display here is amazing -- love details like these]}

In the few hours I played I still felt th?ere was a skill ceiling high above me, which is rare for shooters, which tend to be mechanically similar. But here the combination of techniques available and dogged AI (after the intro act I took some deaths on normal) means there's a lot more you can do if you put the effort in, even if you could effectively fumble through the game gracelessly playing it like a typical third-person shooter with organic cover options.

Aside from the dash there's a sort of time grenade (with an extra powerful charged version) that lets you briefly freeze folks (or environmental puzzles) to deal with later, or shoot at the time anomaly for extra damage to those trapped within. There's also a short-lasting bubble shield, good for when you've got yourself into a pinch. Time powers even give the kid from X-Men something akin to "detec?tive mode," but, graciously, it can only be triggered while still, so it doesn't encourage you to play through the whole game with a monochrome, ugly filter on. Plus, a later update will automatically trigger this Time Vision whenever you use other time skills, organically highlighting enemies and destructibles without an additional button press (or painting the entire scene gray).

This is all some top shelf action game shit, complex and fluid. Carrying all of my reservations into Quantum Break, the gunplay impressed the hell out of me. And while it's hard to judge a story based on an act or two, the writing and performances were solid so far. The live-action bit, as mentioned, is a bit boilerplate network drama and action, but Puha brought with him a message from a now-vacationing Sam Lake (the game is done, it's just the Windows 10 version being finished), "things that people look at as cliches, Remedy thinks of as classics." So while the Fringe meets [some other dumb TV show people like] thing grates a bit for me compared to Max Payne's knowing-noir or a g?ame with a writer whose name is A. Wake, it might hit a popcorn-y spot for others.

The game is also rife with environmental story-telling, demarcated?? as "narrative objects" (which you can even ??see a collectable list for) that will offer more background for those interested. They're noted with a simple, but readable triangle icon. But more important to me than these canon, world-building details are the other, unappreciated ones.

There is graffiti in a lot of video games. Most of the time, it's stupid. The Last of Us was an easy, recent offender, filled with graffiti written in a clean, readable type and almost always about the specific situation the game is about, rather than some cat drawing art or tagging a name. Quantum Break is filled with realistic graffiti.

You can see the buttons and stitching on protagonist Jack Joyce's shirt. Young, rich, pre-villain Serene walks around in khakis and a metal band shirt like an analog to Christian Bale's The Big Short character. Cardboard boxes -- cardboard fucking boxes -- even have the arcane hieroglyphs only postal workers and truck drivers understand. The level of environmental and texture detai??l is off the charts. It's almost dangerous because I want to read every single bit of text in the game, even if it's a mustard bottle label or cash register display ($1.07,?? by the way).

I can't imagine how good the finished product is going to look running in 4K in the Windows 10 release (there are ways to get both for the price of one, plus various free copies of Alan Wake, most of which is pre-order tied), though I only messed with the?? Xbox One version. For the high level of detail, there does seem to be a weird filter over the game that's like one part film grain and translucent that seem??s to have been a stylistic choice -- I don't mind it much.

There we are. I went from side-eyeing it all those years ago to, eventually, completely disinterested, to reasonably excited and hopeful. My hands-on suggests, at the least, a piece of pulp fiction that could be a benchmark shooter in 2016 even if you aren't into some of its set-dressing. We'll find out when Quantum Break launches April 5.

_{[Note: the four, interspersed live-action show episodes are streamed to your Xbox One or PC after you finish each act of gameplay. There is an alternative to that: you can download all the potential episodes all at once (if you have the space) as DLC.]}

The post Quantum Break plays like a dream appeared first on Destructoid.

Just the Windows Store

At GDC last March, Microsoft revealed a new direction -- one focused on combining both Xbox One and Windows 10 gaming into "the Xbox ecosystem." Microsoft's in the unique position of having ca?chet in both the PC and console corners, so l??aunching a Steam-competitor storefront isn't a far-fetched idea. And, there's the added bonus of being able to tell players they can play wherever they want.

One of Xbox's first big games to be cross-buy and cross-play between Xbox One and PC will be Quantum Break, as we learned last week. To clear up any confusion, Microsoft has elaborated that Quantum Break will not be available on Steam or any other PC distribution channels other than the Windows Store. It'?'s probably safe to assume that'll be the case for any Microsoft-published titles in the near future.

The clarification came from Xbox head of marketing Aaron Greenberg on Major Nelson's podcast. When asked point-blank about Steam, Greenberg commented "Quantum Break on Windows 10 is a Windows Store exclusive." It was also mentioned that Fable Legends will get the ?same treatment when it's eventually released.

Greenberg continued "People should know: Xbox is a big priority and a huge commitment. Please d?o not let the fact that we are also launching a game on the same day on Windows 10 change your perspective on the importance of the console business [or] our commitment to innovating on c??onsole."

MNR 563: Quantum Break news and more [Major Nelson via DualShockers]

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Tricked ya!

Show of hands: Who thought when Remedy revealed the PC requirements for Quantum Break yesterday, that those were the real require??men??ts? Fools. All of you. How could you be so gullible?

This is what you'll actually need to run Quantum Break on Windows 10:

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
• DirectX 12
• CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 2.70GHz or AMD FX-6300 processor
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or AMD Radeon R7 260x
• VRAM: 2GB
• RAM: 8GB
• Hard drive: 55GB of available space

Recommended:

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
• DirectX 12
• CPU: Intel Core i5-4690, 3.9GHz or AMD equivalent
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 390
• VRAM: 4GB
• RAM: 16GB
• Hard drive: 55GB of available space

Ultra:

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
• DirectX 12
• CPU: Intel Core i7-4790, 4GHz or AMD equivalent
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForece 980 Ti or AMD Radeon R9 Fury X
• VRAM: 6GB
• RAM: 16GB
• Hard drive: 55GB of available space

Basically what happened here is that Remedy accepted that there's a fair amount of middle ground betw?een simply getting the game to run and running it at its very best. Yesterday's recommended settings are today's ultra settings, and there's a whole new list of more reasonable hardware making up the "recommen??ded" space.

This cla??rification and nuance is quite welcome because those ultra settings require a bleeding-edge PC. Really, that announcement didn't do much besides anger a lot of ??folks and question the port's optimization. Now, more people know that they'll be able to play it just fine on their more modest (yet still perfectly good) rigs.

Quantum Break for Windows 10 [Quantum Break]

The post Just kidding, the??se are the REAL ?Quantum Break PC requirements appeared first on Destructoid.

Time and Tide

It's no secret that Remedy's magnum opus, Alan Wake, left an ocean sized hole in my heart. Now, nearly five years after disappearing into the Dark Place, Sam Lake has teased Alan'??s whereabo?uts with the following tweet.

Something's washed ashore. We're shooting material for an Easter egg for you to find in #QuantumBreak. #AlanWake pic.twitter.com/lh7708s8dk

— Sam Lake (@SamLakeRMD) December 3, 2015

It's great to see Alan again (even as a possibly washed up corpse), but what's even more exciting is the implication that these two series exist within the same shared universe. Max Payne already kinda-sorta exists in Alan's world, and if you roped him into Quantum Break it would finally explain all of his bullet-time shenanigans (too bad Rockstar owns him now). Only? time will tell if this is just a simple nod to the fandom, or if there will be a deeper connection between Remedy's previous games than that.

The post Sam Lake teases an Alan Wake themed e?aster egg within Quantum B??reak appeared first on Destructoid.

And, Sam Lake with his fist in his mouth

Sam Lake, head of Remedy, would rather it be his fist in his mouth than his foot in his mouth. Remedy's next title can't afford that kind of blunder. "Quantum Break needs to be awesome," he says in this video produced by Game Informer. "We want to live up to the heritage of Max Payne and Alan Wake."

We won't learn exactly how good Quantum Break is until April of next year. We will, however, find out some more about the game in the coming weeks. Game Informer has a month of exclusive coverage schedul?ed for it in November.

It has been two years since I had an in-depth look at Quantum Break. I wasn't sold. Steven saw it more recently, and he was equally wary. Maybe all that time-bending and cover-shooting will come t??ogether in the end. It'd be great if it ?were just the fist in Sam's mouth.

The post Remedy: ‘Quantum Break needs to be awesome’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Time moves slow

Microsoft kicked off its gamescom press conference by bending time and slowly shoving bullets into bad guys. That's Quantum Break&nbs??p;-- part third-person cover action game and part television show. We still don't have a good feel for how it'll turn out, but at least it has the Remedy pedigree in its corner.

Closing the segment, we found out when exactly we'll learn how it ends up. Microsoft and Remedy announced that Quantum Break will launch on April 5, 2016. For those who are counting, that's almost exactly eight months away. In true Quantum Break&nbs??p;fashion, that time? will likely go by very slowly.

Just like last year, we're seeing Quantum Break again at ga??mescom. We'll have? some new impressions to share in the coming days for this Xbox One exclusive.

The post Quantum Break no?w has an April 5, 2016 releas??e date appeared first on Destructoid.

Time extend

Max Payne and Alan Wake maker Remedy has delayed its next major game, Quantum Break. The third-person action title will now bring its slick time manipulation to Xbox One next year.

"We thank our fans for their patience," sa??id writer and creative director Sam Lake, "and want them to know that the team is tak?ing advantage of this opportunity to polish and fine tune the game to create the kind of standout entertainment experience they've come to expect from us."

Lake can be seen on Twitter dressed like Max Payne, which makes me so happy.

The post Quantum Break slips to 2016 appeared first on Destructoid.

New trailer shows gameplay -- finally!

Quantum Break, Remedy Entertainment's latest, is coming to Xbox One in 2015. A new video released this morning shows brand new gameplay. It feels ?like we've been waiting forever for some solid looks at gameplay, so this is great.

What's not as great is that Quantum Break won't be at E3. Instead, it'll be revealed at Gamescom later this year. Destructoid will be there in Cologne,?? Germany ?this August to check it out in person.

Remedy also share??d three brand new? screenshots, which you'll find in our gallery below.

What do you think of this "cinematic action game" mixed with TV series presentation styl?e now that they've shown a small bit? Not enough to judge? It certainly looks neat, b?ut I'll need to see more.

No?te: Don't ever? snap at me when when you tell me to do something.

*snaps* Enjoy.

The post Quantum Break: Coming to Xbox One in 201?5, rev??eal at Gamescom appeared first on Destructoid.

Good times messing with the laws of quantum mechanics

During the Microsoft's press conference, Remedy Entertainment co-founder and Max Payne impersonator Sam Lake introduced the audience to a bit more information on their upcoming Xbox One exclusive, Quantum Break.

The trailer showcases a rather tense moment between three individuals trapped in a state of limbo. The first thing that really caught my was the incredible amount detail in the characters' faces and animations, along with the well done voice work. While clearly this trailer was pre-rendered, Remedy is known for ??detailed character work and fluid, so it wouldn't be that far of a leap.

No word yet on a release date for Quantum Break, but I can't wait to see more.

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