Eurogamer takes a look at
Quantum Break, discussing technical problems with
Remedy's just-released PC version of the third-person shooter, saying "to suggest that the results are disappointing would be a massive
understatement." They discuss framerate and image quality issues, and draw
the conclusion that more development time would have been necessary to deliver a
proper experience. They also offer
this video with a
breakdown of how the game plays on NVIDIA and AMD hardware, saying: "John and
Rich assess the train wreck that is the PC version of Quantum Break. We feel
that Remedy can resolve most of these issues, but what's clear is that the game
needed more time in development - while UWP is proving to be a real issue. And
what's up with Nvidia's driver?" Here's more:
In situations like
this, it's hard not to sympathise with the developer to a certain extent - and
it's an especially surprising situation as Remedy is well known for delivering
excellent PC products. But perhaps this port simply needed more time to adapt
into a series of new systems imposed on it - Quantum Break makes use of the
relatively new DirectX 12 API and it has to cope with UWP too. The game's core
design is tailored to squeeze every ounce of performance out of the Xbox One
console. While Microsoft's universal approach to app development is designed
specifically to enable easier cross-platform development, it's clear that
high-end games still require special care.
While we feel for Remedy, the reality is that Microsoft is still asking
customers to fork out £49.99 for a game that just doesn't work as it should.
When a PC equipped with the fastest hardware available falls short of the
consistency offered by a far less capable console, you know there's something
wrong. There's the sense that this game needed more focus, a lot more testing,
and - in Nvidia's case - better drivers. But Microsoft has to bear
responsibility too: several of the issues encountered here are a direct result
of UWP's lack of features and quality, to the point where even downloading and
installing the game is a trial.