Remedy has taken us behind the proverbial curtain to show us some of the secrets behind the production of Quantum Break.
Remedy has built upon its world editor, which they first used in Max Payne. The world has fullly destructible environments, as they demonstrate with shelves that can be shredded apart with gunfire. The world is so detailed that individual books that can fall off from the shelves.
As the story unfolds, protagonist Jack Joyce learns his abilities, and we learn it with him. Tutorials appear at the right moment to explain how to use his abilities. Here are the abilities demonstrated in the video:
Time Vision- see echoes in time to see what transpired in a certain area before.
Time Dodge – dodge attacks with a quick movement. It can also be used to get close to enemies and attack them yourself.
Time Stutter – freeze time completely. You can unfreeze other people while in this state.
Time Shield – form a sort of time bubble. Anything that comes into the bubble causes Time Stutter.
Time Vision – obscures the world around you so you can focus on targets, who appear as primary colors.
Remedy’s use of real actors is also more clearly explained here. The motion capture was used on professional actors for the real reactions they convey. This includes details such as nuances in facial expressions and body language, which allow you to intuit a scene even if you don’t listen to the dialogue.
Perhaps what Remedy has done differently is work with multiple professional actors. It may have been expensive on their end, but they sought to make cutscenes feel like watching an actual TV program or film. They used camera angles, as if they used real cameras, to enhance this effect.
The audio effects actually play a role in gameplay, as your powers affect what sounds you hear. They don’t just serve to enhance gameplay, but enhance immersion, like watching an IMAX film.
For example, you can actually feel the experience of Time Stutter. The audio wobbles around you every time you use this ability. Subsequently, as sound warps in a certain area, you can see ripples appear. In this way, audio and visuals are tied together to the experience. Remedy has done extensive work to make audio as immersive as possible. Each gun has a different sound when reacting to each of your abilities.
Quantum Break will be releasing on April 5, on both Xbox One and Windows 10. Read more about how Remedy is making the Windows 10 port, or about some of the high profile actors attached to it.
