Ranking Every Quantic Dream Game From Worst To Best

Quantic has felt like a studio consistently improving and refining itself with every game - asides from this effort which was a stumble backwards after Heavy Rain.

Not technically though, as the performance capture and graphics are jaw-dropping. In fact, it is incredible to think this is only a PS3 game and not current-gen.

Also, Cage remedied Rain’s amateur cast by getting an A-list ensemble here; Ellen Page is strong as the troubled lead, and its fun to see the petit indie darling take on an action-heroine type role. The support is great with Willem Dafoe the natural stand-out; even when the plot shifts his character in an unwarranted manner, he's able to still fascinate with his dramatic range.

The plot itself is a mess though - highly disjointed and episodic, with an experience that jumps all over the place. Even if it holds some strong chapters (e.g. Homeless), most episodes feel like lengthy and weird DLC (e.g. Navajo) that constantly sways the focus away from the main story drive.

The gameplay itself shifts from boring to frustrating - out of all of Quantic's game's, the interactive mechanics feel superfluous and implemented just to qualify as a ‘game’, instead of an obvious on-rails experience.

More importantly, the major story choices and interactions are blatantly inconsequential due to the sole protagonist and the jumbled timeline. You have to admire the game's ambition and passion, but it all boils down to just a technically impressive if highly flawed experience.