Quantum Break

Quantum Break is a stylish, often-exhilarating third-person shooter wrapped up in a tautly paced tale of time travel.

Quantum Break looks slick, but bouts of ineffective gameplay and its mixed-media construction make this a hit-and-miss experience.

A slick yet hollow hybrid of television and third-person shooting, Quantum Break sees electric style winning out over a lack of substance.

An average shooter tied to a compelling, confident story, but the TV show is ultimately an expensive, if entertaining, gimmick.

Quantum Break is a surprising success

The elements of a fantastic and creative action game are all present and correct, and at times Quantum Break is indeed both of those things. But unfortunately its various disparate parts tend to get in each other's way, leading to a needlessly complicated presentation that inhibits anything from shining as brightly as it should.

The show leaves a bit to be desired, but the game is full of breakneck firefights and stunning action set pieces

While the boundaries and possibilities of storytelling within the video game medium are being explored, such missteps can be forgiven. This is, nevertheless, a costly mistake that should never be repeated.

An interesting science fiction game let down by its live-action series tie-in

I love that they reached so high, but I really wish they'd thought harder about what it was they were trying to balance on as they did. Ambition wasn't thwarted by technology, but just a lack of common sense. I find myself still wanting to recommend you play it, not least because the action is mostly fine, if very repetitive, and therefore there's nothing that's actively unpleasant about playing it – you can experience the wonders it has to offer, just for the price of grinding through the okay-ness of it all.