Uploaded April 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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A commentary, critique, and retrospective of Quantum Break - Remedy's black sheep.

#quantumbreak #remedy #gamecritique

Quantum Break was ambitious, and weird, and fascinating, and very little about it works the way Remedy hoped it would. In hindsight, the combat serves as a tech demo for what Control would later refine. Despite the likability factor of Shawn Ashmore, Jack Joyce is a potato of a protagonist. Despite the game’s visuals being slick and cool, and the machinations of its time travel having eons of potential, the sum of its parts undercut it at almost every turn.

So that’s what we’re going to look at here. Just like a fracture, we’re going to tear Quantum Break apart to see what’s good, what’s bad, and to ask the question – does Remedy’s techno-thriller go beyond its ambitions?

SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: twitter.com/MontyZander
Patreon: patreon.com/MontyZander

TIMESTAMPS
0:00:00 - A quick history lesson
0:07:31 - Act 1: Quantum Jack
0:23:18 - Intermission: Monarch Solutions
0:29:18 - Act 2: Quantum Time
0:49:15 - Intermission: Prisoner
0:56:12 - Act 3: Quantum Punch
1:09:39 - Intermission: Defiance (not that one)
1:16:36 - Act 4: Quantum Wake
1:35:40 - Intermission: Lifeboat Protocol
1:44:19 - Act 5: Quantum Mistake

CRITIQUES REFERENCED

Control Critique - Beyond the Weird
youtube.com/watch?v=e1Lkk0TQIuw&list=PL-xqWDrbpVmS5TUb_HukqE1t1bu9stxuT&index=4

Alan Wake Critique - Beyond Inspiration
youtube.com/watch?v=2bNjkTAhGrc&list=PL-xqWDrbpVmS5TUb_HukqE1t1bu9stxuT&index=6


FOOTAGE/REFERENCES USED

NG16: Making of Quantum Break: The Game Is About the Heroes, The Show Is About the Villains - Nordic Game
youtube.com/watch?v=cyn5URB_2Yg

The Role of Music in Remedy's Games - Remedy Entertainment
youtube.com/watch?v=eW5A49GO_Qw&t=126s

Sam Lake on Alan Wake 2, Quantum Break and Innovation in Narrative - Polygon
youtube.com/watch?v=AHdzuF-9yKM

Alan Wake Let's Play - Materwelonz
youtube.com/watch?v=jtlym50wOck

Quantum Break Let's Play - RadBrad
youtube.com/watch?v=e_dhFM8zLNk&list=PLs1-UdHIwbo72bK5NJfC19zvTaUTSKHpK

Defiance: Angry Joe Interview - AngryJoeShow
youtube.com/watch?v=uule_TmhU7M&t=249s

E3 11: Defiance Interview - GameReactor
youtube.com/watch?v=tN7-C_tV9PQ

- All music used was licenced by Artliist -

#quantumbreak #gamecritique