The long-awaited Xbox One exclusive, Quantum Break, gives fans the opportunity to step into the role of Jack Joyce as he tangos with a fracture in time. While the game has certainly looked promising in gameplay footage leading up to its release, players have been burned by similar footage from the likes of Watch Dogs and Aliens: Colonial Marines where the game failed to live up to its expectations.
So now that critics around the world have offered their opinions to potential buyers, we decided to see how Quantum Break’s Metacritic score stacks up against some of the more recent Xbox One exclusives. Let’s check out the numbers.
Quantum Break – 78
Starting off with the new kid on the block, Quantum Break received a Metascore of 78 among critics. With a total of 63 reviews out of 82 giving it a positive score and only four negative reviews, the game seems to have been received pretty well. There seems to have been a general praise for the game’s combat, however, its ‘TV show’ element has left critics divided on whether it was a worthwhile inclusion.
In our review, we felt that “gameplay can get exciting at times, with the fast-paced gun battles and gorgeous abilities, but it’s clear that wasn’t the primary focus for this experience.” We scored the game a 4/5, stating that the action was somewhat limited and that Joyce’s powers outside of combat just weren’t very interesting.
Sunset Overdrive – 81
Releasing back in October 2014, Sunset Overdrive brought its vibrantly colored open world and wacky weaponry to the Xbox One. With a catastrophic event leaving the city overrun by mutants, it was up to you to put things right.
Based on 89 critic reviews, Sunset Overdrive scored 81 with a general consensus that the vibrant and explosive action of the game was great fun. In fact, 72 critics gave it a positive score, with no negative scores whatsoever. On the other hand, mission structures seemed to be the main sticking point for critics. Too much repetition and too many fetch quests at the beginning of the game seemed to break the otherwise enjoyable flow of the game.
All the same, Sunset Overdrive just beat Quantum Break to the punch.
Halo 5 – 84
The next chapter of Master Chief’s epic tale released in October 2015. It brought with it a whole new massive multiplayer mode, Warzone, which has become a bit of a top choice among players.
Based on 101 critic reviews, Halo 5 scored an 84 on Metacritic. 89 critics scored the game positively with only 12 mixed reviews thrown in. While the campaign was noted among critics to not be the strongest in the series, and definitely didn’t live up to the expectations many fans had, the multiplayer was the roaring success here. Particularly when the servers managed to hold up following launch.
Forza 6 – 87
Up there as one of the highest scoring exclusive games on the Xbox One, Forza Motorsport 6 packed a lot into one package. Bringing more than 450 cars, working cockpits, 26 famous locations, 24-player races, and the return of Forza 5’s Drivatar support, Forza 6 is the definitive racing game on Xbox One.
Sitting pretty with a Metacritic score of 87 from 85 critic reviews, Forza 6 was praised for its huge number of cars, impressive wet weather and consistently excellent racing action. Quantum Break still has a way to go before it catches up with poll position.
Rare Replay – 84
Rare Replay was the game that many retro fans had been waiting for. Assembling the adventures of Rare’s classic characters into one thirty-game package, Rare Replay allows players to bask in the nostalgia, and newcomers to get a taste of what gaming used to be like.
Rare Replay stacks up with a Metascore of 84 from 75 critics. Many believed that this was one of the best retro game collections to-date. Critics felt like Rare Replay was a great way to capture the spirit of the studio and included some of the best games to experience the past 30 years of gaming. Some slow-down and a couple of the older, weaker inclusions were the issues seemingly holding Rare Replay back from even greater heights.
Gears of War Ultimate Edition – 82
Bringing the 2006 third-person cover-based shooter to the modern day, Gears of War Ultimate Edition saw Marcus Phoenix and co. taking on the Locust threat once again.
Remastered in 1080p, new lighting effects, and five campaign chapters not released previously on Xbox, the Ultimate Edition was rated positively by critics with a Metascore of 82. Based on 74 critic reviews, the points of concern seemed to lie with the fact that the campaign may have felt and looked a little more dated than the multiplayer did, regardless of the updates. Regardless, Gears of War Ultimate Edition was still a shinier cog than Quantum Break, according to the Metacritic score.
The Results
While it’s by no means a slouch, it looks like Quantum Break has fared pretty low in comparison to some of the more recent Xbox One exclusives. In fact, digging back even further into the Xbox One’s library of exclusives and only a few games such as Killer Instinct, Ryse, and Project Spark score lower than Remedy’s time-bending shooter.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that Quantum Break is a bad game. In fact, quite the opposite. Scoring a 78 on Metacritic is a sign of a solid, positive reception. While it may seem odd that it hasn’t scored quite as high as some other games on the list, this is actually a testament to the quality of Xbox One exclusive titles. If this high quality of exclusive titles keeps coming to the Xbox One, fans should be excited for the console’s future.
