Quantum Break is an action-adventure video game played from a third-person perspective. Players play as Jack Joyce, who has time manipulation powers in a world where time stutters, making everything freeze except Joyce.[1] Players face a variety of enemies, including Monarch security guards; Strikers, who are equipped with specially-designed suits which allow them to manipulate time;[2] and Juggernauts, heavily armored enemies equipped with very strong firearms.[3] Different enemies have different behaviors, and the game requires players to deploy different tactics and strategies in order to defeat them.[4]
To defeat enemies, players can make use of various offensive and defensive abilities. Jack can find four types of firearms: pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, and carbine rifles.[5] He also possesses several types of time manipulating powers. "Time Stop" freezes time around enemies with a time bubble. If the player shoots an opponent trapped in the bubble, its power amplifies, and the bullets will kill the enemy when the bubble vanishes after a short period of time.[2] "Time Rush" allows Jack to dash next to an enemy and perform an immediate melee takedown.[6] He can also use this power to speed up time and dodge between cover to confuse unaware enemies as to his location.[7] "Time Blast" levitates enemies and freezes them.[4]The defensive ability "Time Shield" deflects all incoming damage, while "Time Dodge" allows players to dash quickly to evade attacks. Most of these time manipulating powers have a short cooldown period after use.[8] In combat, Jack automatically takes cover when he is standing next to environmental objects.[9] However, the artificial intelligence in the game is designed to push the player out of cover by coordinating with each other.[10]
Jack has other time powers that are not used in combat. "Time Vision" reveals points of interest, and highlights interactive objects and enemies.[2] "Time Echoes" allow him to replay past events, providing additional information about the story.[11][12] The game features several types of collectibles known as "narrative objects",[13] including quantum ripples, documents, computers, and media. Players can collect "chronon sources", which can be used as experience points to purchase time power enhancements.[4] There are also less action-oriented segments in the game, where players have to solve environmental puzzles, which usually function as a 3D platformer.[14] With time stuttering and collapsing, objects may get trapped in a time loop and either become platforms for players to proceed into the next section of the game, or create dangerous environmental hazards, which are extremely unstable.[15][16] In the latter case they become obstacles that block the player's path. Jack can overcome them by using his time manipulation powers, such as slowing down or stopping time, so that he can proceed without getting hurt. He can also revive frozen non-playable characters at several specific points of the game.[17]
The gameplay splits into five acts. After playing through an act of the game as Jack Joyce, players take control of the antagonist Paul Serene for a pivotal concurrent decision that impacts the plot, before an episode of the digital show will play. In the game, the video game portion tells the story of the protagonists while the show tells the story of the antagonists. Players can make choices at the beginning of each episode of the TV show, also known as "junction points." These decisions influence the state of the game.[18][19] As Paul Serene has precognitive power, players can view the consequences of each choice before making a decision.[4]
