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We all need to collectively apologize to Remedy Entertainment for not playing Quantum Break back in 2016. I downloaded this game on a whim from Game Pass to play on my handheld PC during a recent trip. I wasn’t expecting much, if I’m honest, because it got middling reviews when it came out, and we were all kinda on the Xbox hate train at the time (one we still haven’t gotten off of, but that’s on Xbox). 

Once the credits started rolling, I couldn’t believe just how good a time I had with this game. Now, is the story somewhat convoluted with its time-travel plot, made worse by the live-action mini-series you’re expected to watch alongside the game? Absolutely. Is some of the dialogue corny and something out of a B-tier CW show? Absolutely. Was I still hooked and watching everything unfold like that meme of SpongeBob eating popcorn? Absolutely. (Also, Lance Reddick gives a fantastic performance in this game. Rest in power, good sir.)

Not to mention, the game itself is stunning to look at and addictive to play. When you get all of your powers and are simultaneously stopping one dude in time while flinging his buddy across the room, then sprinting through time to blast another guy into smithereens, it’s incredibly satisfying and frenetic, all the while looking gorgeous. Seriously, this game still looks amazing nearly a decade later; even better than some games coming out today. 

Quantum Break deserves to be talked about in the same way we talk about Remedy’s other amazing titles. Sure, the combat might be tighter in Control; the storytelling may be far more refined and atmospheric in Alan Wake 2, but there’s something very unique about this game, both in its presentation and gameplay—the likes of which we don’t really see that often.