Hands-on: Quantum Theory (PS3)
Aping a popular franchise's mechanics and style may be seen as a safe business proposition, but in terms of critical evaluation, the copy-cat game is likely to face stricter judgment. After all, if you're going to copy the good stuff, you've got to get it right.
Tecmo's PlayStation 3 exclusive, Quantum Theory (just Quantum outside of Japan), certainly succeeds in evoking memories of Gears of War -- at least, if you remember Epic's shooter being a technically unsound and completely unappealing disaster. If the Tokyo Game Show build is any indication, Quantum needs to undergo crucial work before its early 2010 release.
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Set in the halls of a massive, shape-shifting tower (an intriguing concept on paper), Quantum has all the elements of a solid third-person shooter: the solid protagonist; the cover system and a selection of assault rifles and shotgun equivalents. The game's unique addition to the genre comes in the form of a female, AI-controlled partner who can be tossed toward enemies -- if she's in range -- to temporarily stun them. Though an on-screen indicator reveals when this ability is available following a brief cool-down time, there's no way of telling where your acrobatic aide is in relation to your position. In the middle of a hectic shootout, it can be really difficult to locate her, which is especially problematic if she's been incapacitated by enemy fire.
She's also able to join you in melee combo attack, but the timing required is difficult to discern from what little visual indicators you're given. The whole process is rendered even more difficult by a framerate that can never seem to pull itself out of a slow, stuttering state. Worsened further by blurry, insipid visuals and sluggish controls, the technology powering Quantum clearly isn't ready for a public showing.
While it should (theoretically) see improvement by next year, the uneven graphics engine doesn't appear to be the only source of concern. A boss fight later in the demo only served to frustrate, with a gigantic enemy knocking our burly protagonist to the floor and killing him before his recovery animation could complete. One can hope that Quantum's final release date affords it enough time to get up.
