Things Uncharted 4 Already Does Better Than Quantum Break

5. No Distracting Gimmicks

I think TV show in Quantum Break is the best part about the game; it has the most genuine performances from the actors, tells a quite cheesy conspiracy story, and has a climax where one character dispatch a number of enemies in stylish way. It is not objectively dazzling, but for what Quantum Break is trying to be, its TV show is the best accomplishment of that.

However, introducing a TV show component means that you’ve to watch 20 minutes of an episode, which detach you from character you are playing. When the Act 5 comes and both stories assemble, narrative rewards are abandoned as you take down one of the TV show’s great wannabe heroes like they’re nothing.

What this TV show adds in terms of world-building, is essentially side content that does not augment the experience. It would make a fun Netflix show, but as a tool to intensify your enjoyment of Quantum Break, it really feels bolted on.

4. Choices That Mean Something

This will be controversial, as Quantum Break articulates a lot of its narrative on various choices you make at the end of each act. However, they do not really make any sense on a basic level.

See, you have just played as a hero, Jack Joyce. and you know what must be done, you know your enemies and you mostly know how to do it. Then, you switch to Paul Serene (villain) for the big branching options that dictates this story. It is really weird!

Do you attempt to be the biggest villain you can be just for the sake of story, or do you try to make things easier for Joyce? It does not hold together as it really feel unnatural, and in first play-through of the game, you have no clue that if this character-swap really means anything.

Whilst Uncharted 4; A Thief’s End’s choices so far have been limited to its dialogue, they are still more important, particularly because of the narrative conclusions. Letting the player choose which tale they are going to tell Sam first, is a way of paying tribute to which original trilogy they enjoyed the most. The writers have said that the story is not going to branch densely, so you can pick any option confidently, without fear you are denying yourself a proper narrative.

3. Incredible Acting Performances Across The Board

We are getting to a cool period in the gaming history, where guys like Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, Nolan North etc. are starting to become recognizable acting talents, yet have cut their teeth on transforming digital characters to life. It is unprecedented, but you just need to watch any of the cut-scenes in The Last of Us or Uncharted trilogy to get a good feel for how outstanding all is.

For Quantum Break, for whatever reason the Hollywood talent just did not perform naturally on-set, or in the game’s world. Aidan Gillen captures more scenery than Kirby, and Dominic Monaghan’s ‘dusty’ American accent is so confusingly bad that it will put you off  for almost everything with any level of seriousness.

The fact is Naughty Dog do not produce bad performances. The trailers alone for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End show Sully as a far older man, discussing intently with Sam as to whether Nate should be adventuring again or not, whilst Drake as performed by Nolan North is one layered with contradiction as he juggles his returning brother Sam with Elena, his wife.

I’m 100% sure that Uncharted 4 is going to knock this out the park again, whereas Quantum Break is stuck in B-movie/’science-fiction flick’ territory (perhaps intentionally).

2. Be A System-Seller

System-Seller is not something that happens because press told the world that a given game would be. It did not work for The Order: 1886, it did not work for Halo 5 and when press outlets are accurately doing article posts about Buy Xbox One for Quantum Break, you know that this message has not already hit home.

In comparison, people bought PlayStation 4 just for shinier versions of Uncharted games, never mind the upcoming one. Nathan Drake is a well known character, up there in the iconic shelf with Mario, Lara Croft and Master Chief. He pulls audiences in like a true A-list actor; one that has presence onscreen and an appeal routed in us that we want to see where he’ll go for his next adventure.

A day before release, highest voted comments on almost every trailer for Quantum Break were about just how little people knew about the game before going in, and not in a good way. Microsoft were still publicizing it as one of their premiere release, despite not backing the release with captivating PR that set it up to make a great impact.

System-sellers are fabricated over time through unique demos, innovative hooks that show audiences what they are in for, or just as a sequel to something that is already done. It is a delicate balancing act not giving away particular spoilers, but Uncharted 4 has already laid the foundation for what’s to come, whereas average person could not tell you what Quantum Break ‘is’, even after its launch.

1. A Satisfying Ending

I don’t know if Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is going to end satisfyingly? but I can tell you one thing that it will be better structured than the Quantum Break.

I am not going to inquire into spoilers, as Quantum Break has just released, but sufficed to say that its 5th act goes off the deep-end when it comes to covering up character arcs and presenting on its narrative of ‘saving time’.

At the end, after everything you do and different pieces of time puzzle you put in place, Quantum Break’s climax play out as a awfully over-the-top boss fight with a character that unexpectedly transform into Super Saiyan and displays a ridiculous amount of power. After that it ends on a forced “Is that it!?” cliffhanger that screams ‘potential sequel if this sells well’, as you are introduced to credits faster than you can bite your nails in confusion.

Naughty Dog might completely mess up the supposed finale to Drake’s story; they could easily drag some emotional beats, have Nate behave in a certain way that we think betrays his former ambitions; hell, he could even die in Sam’s hands or killed by Sam. But it’ll have more purpose and a dexterity in its execution than the way Remedy’s marvelous mess awkwardly comes to an end.

Have you played the Quantum Break? Were you planning on buying an Xbox One to do so? Let us know in comments below if you think it will be recalled years later as Microsoft’s answer to Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.