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Quantum Theory Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Quantum Theory Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Humanity’s second-to-last beacon of hope

The counterfeit market has always been hot on consumer goods. Anything from clothing, shoes, purses, jewelry, and even electronics. Successful franchises have a way of bringing the imposters out of the woodwork, and the videogame industry is apparently no exception. Call of Duty, Diablo, Grand Theft Auto, and other big gaming franchises have all had their share of knockoffs. However, never before has a game taken such blatant “inspiration” from another that it borderlines copyright infringement.

Quantum Theory screenshot

Quantum Theory has all the makings of a great experience, yet somehow managed poorly on its execution. You play the role of Syd, a hulking and mysterious warrior on a mission to save what’s left of humanity. While his motives are unclear, only death will stop him from his mission to destroy the rampant evil that plagues mankind. An exotic black material, called Erosion, has spread throughout the world and left a mass of living towers in its wake. These towers are the breeding ground for the Diablosis, creatures that are transforming humans into the Infected, and are the forefront in the ongoing battle for survival.

After infiltrating one of the towers with a small militia group called Cocoon, Syd discovers he’s not the only one bent on annihilating the Diablosis. He meets up with the mysterious Filena, a woman determined to ascend the tower, who is searching for answers about her father.

The last hope of humanity plot outline has been done a thousand times over, but the fact that it’s unoriginal isn’t what makes it bad. It’s the script writing in conjunction with the voice acting. The one-liners run rampant throughout the game, during headshots and ammo pickups, and feel like they were copied directly from a Marcus Fenix voice-over session. The action sequences aren’t any better. Filena sounds like she’s a teenager forced to audition for a high school play. The story has potential, but it won’t keep your attention long enough to make you suffer through the gameplay.

Quantum Theory screenshot

The combat and cover system in Quantum Theory are essentially cookie-cutter versions of their Gears of War counterparts. When comparing the two, it’s not so much like apples and oranges. It’s more like Fuji vs. Granny Smith or Blood vs. Naval. You know exactly what you’re in for, except the flavor might not be as appealing. The only real difference is that you can do a few meaningless attack combos with your AI partner, Filena. Once she teams up with you, you can toss her at enemies to let loose a powerful strike with her sword or perform melee combos when they are close by.

For a third-person shooter, the gunplay isn’t as refined as it could be. Targeting reticules for every gun are shaped in an awkward manner that serves no real purpose. It makes the aiming very imprecise, especially while the sensitivity is already clumsily tuned. The cover system doesn’t work, as bullets will tear into you despite being hidden, and it’s not really needed anyway since the AI is dumb as dirt. They make the hardest difficulty feel like a cakewalk. At least, it would be if the game didn’t constantly kill you for any apparent reason.

Quantum Theory screenshot

This game is riddled with superficial set piece moments that inevitably turn into cheap deaths. Prompts that should give you ample warning in these situations are just plain broken. Even if they did work, the developers made it near impossible to accomplish tasks without random experimentation. For example, there is a section in the game when you “roadie-run” across a crumbling bridge. Unbeknownst to you, you’re supposed to dive towards the end of the run to trigger a prompt to dive once more. There’s no possibility that you would make it otherwise. It’s things like this that make the game very near unplayable.

Quantum Theory screenshot

The online multiplayer might be a welcome piece to the puzzle if there were anyone who actually wanted to play it. There are only a few modes to choose from, which are your standard deathmatch, team deathmatch, and team leader. The online community for Quantum Theory is a bit lackluster to say the least, considering it was a sinking ship before it got off the dock. It seems obvious that there would have been a co-op aspect since you have an accomplice throughout the entirety of the game. But again, it falls short.

The visual style so closely resembles the Gears of War franchise that the only distinctness is its poor quality textures. The backgrounds tend to be very monotonous and make each level design feel very unimaginative. It’s like you’re walking into the same room over and over, but with varying forms of cover. The soundtrack even sounds like it was pulled from the Bleszinski epic. An opus of darkly ominous horns and moody percussion makes you feel like you’re joining Delta Squad all over again.

The length of the campaign can last anywhere from eight to ten hours and contains a lifeless multiplayer. There really isn’t much reason to revisit once you’ve beaten the single-player component. Honestly, there isn’t much reason to visit in the first place. Quantum Theory is just a bland effort in the third-person shooter genre, and has nothing to offer in terms of originality or serviceable gameplay.

The used market in the videogame industry is certainly a viable one. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this game hit the bargain bins in the very near future. Nonetheless, if you ever see a guy in a trench coat selling Gears of War 3 next to your local Gamestop, just keep on moving.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 2.5 Graphics
With a visual style that’s very unoriginal, uninspired, and borderline plagiarizing, the quality itself isn’t terrible. However, it certainly isn’t great either. 2.5 Control
Other than quirky and inaccurate aiming, everything else works like it should. 1.9 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Except for the high school students they hired as voice actors, some audio files may have been stolen. We’re looking into it. 1.2 Play Value
Even if you got this game as a gift, you should return it immediately. There are far too many moments that make it unplayable. Go play Gears of War instead. 2.0 Overall Rating – Poor
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Navigate through a dark fantasy world where intense battlegrounds change form in real-time.
  • Strategically perform actions with your AI-controlled partner. Fight as a pair in order to overcome hurdles by executing powerful combos, and launch attacks against colossal enemies.
  • Use Syd’s massive firearms to decimate enemies from afar, then move in close to use his powerful gauntlet. Filena obliterates her enemies using the legendary weapon “Lumiere,” which transforms from a sword to an explosive long-range gun.
  • A mixture of organic and otherworldly technologies combine to form a surreal landscape, filled with menacing architecture and locales.
  • Continue the adventure with your friends in numerous online modes, including Team Battle and Battle Royal modes.

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