Video games change over time. As is often the case, a developer will show a product that looks almost too good to be true, only for the game to be scaled back in the following years. When it finally is released, the finished product isn't exactly what fans were shown all those years ago.
It's simply the nature of the business. It has happened with games like The Witcher 3 and Watch Dogs, but Remedy Entertainment's upcoming Xbox One exclusive Quantum Break looks to actually be the opposite. Rather than being scaled back, Quantum Break looks better in 2016 than it does in similar footage for the game shown last year at Gamescom.
This comparison video by Cycu1 will show you everything you need to know. The scene shown in both gameplay videos is the same, but the visuals have changed. Gone are the more yellow tones seen in the 2015 trailer, replaced by blueish tones in the more recent gameplay. It looks like the textures are improved as well.
That being said, more than a few viewers have found other changes as well that they think constitute a downgrade. Perhaps the most significant is the removal of some shadow and lighting effects, likely to increase performance. Those changes can be seen clearly, but most everything else to looks to be the same if not better, as long as you prefer a blue-ish color palette over the yellow hues in last year's version. Oftentimes gameplay footage is shown using a PC that is graphically superior to anything an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 is capable of. Since Quantum Break is also releasing for PC, it's unclear if the footage below running on a console, PC or possibly both.
Quantum Break is set to release on Xbox One and PC on April 5. Those who digitally preorder the game on Xbox One will receive a digital code for the PC version of the game as well.
You can check out our breakdown on how the visuals of one of last year's biggest games, The Witcher 3, changed significantly in the years since its announcement here.
