I'm guessing that most of the poor scores come from two groups:
Critics that appraised merely the technical aspects of Quantum Theory, and overly hyped shooter fanboys who expected Socom: Gothic Edition.
I'm going to make it clear: The point of this game is not shooting people. The combat mechanics are very mediocre, despite permeating the gameplay. I think that disappointed a lot ofI'm guessing that most of the poor scores come from two groups:
Critics that appraised merely the technical aspects of Quantum Theory, and overly hyped shooter fanboys who expected Socom: Gothic Edition.
I'm going to make it clear: The point of this game is not shooting people. The combat mechanics are very mediocre, despite permeating the gameplay. I think that disappointed a lot of people who wanted a revolutionary cover-shooter. Really, you can blame the advertising for most of that since the game tries really hard to sell itself as a bad*** shooter. In reality, the gameplay is meh. Nothing special. Yes, there are genuinely cool guns to use, and there's a solid dynamic cover system in place. However, the controls are a bit sluggish and the answer to almost everything is shoot it or smack it.
I still give this a 10, because the shooting mechanics are not the point of the game. Yes, combat is pervasive. You spend roughly 80% of Quantum Theory fighting. However, the real point of the game is mixed. It's about deciphering the highly original story, following the relationship between Syd and Filena, and surviving the murderous tower itself. Everything makes life difficult for you. Even the tower itself wants to kill you, and it accomplishes this by retracting the cover I tried to camp behind, and by rearranging the floor and paths to push the player into lethal situations. Between the very floor trying to kill you, and enemies popping out of every gap in the walls, there's a very real sense that you're in a hostile environment. Syd and Filena bond surviving this twisted place together, and the player ends up getting immersed in the struggle. I'm not sure how to explain this, but it's as if you bond with the game itself, as you survive everything that the tower, the gillskin, and the nosferatu throw at you.
The story is one of the most original I've played, although I'm not going to spoil it here. Furthermore, the boss fights are actually good for once. In most games the boss fights (imo) are nothing but tedium and repetition. In Quantum Theory, they're over relatively quickly, and they're given a sense of urgency as most bosses nearly require teamwork to beat. They're also relatively dynamic, as the tower will often spawn cover for enemies at the same time it removes it for you. It's a harsh environment that can only be survived with Filena's help. Thankfully, her AI is quite good and she never needs babysitting.
So, essentially, Quantum Theory is an unpolished but very original game, with an interesting story, interesting characters, and innovative methods of altering levels to increase replayability and force you to think on your feet. There's really no other game like it on the market, and although it could be better, you're in for a very underrated, misunderstood, but epic experience… Expand