Throughout Quantum Break, players will unlock six different Time powers that will help them on their journey. Each of the abilities are necessary for one thing or another, whether it’s defense, offense, or just a bit of help with solving environmental puzzles.
As players progress, they will start discovering Chronon Sources. These orbs of time are Upgrade Points (UP) that can be collected and used to upgrade Jack Joyce’s, the protagonist, powers. With several options to choose from, it can be difficult to decide what to upgrade first, and what skills to focus on.
If you collect all of the Chronon Sources you’ll be able to fully upgrade everything at the very end of the game, but by then upgrades are useless. The middle of the game houses the biggest challenges with the exception being the final encounter. So there are some Time powers you’ll definitely want to focus on first.
Time Vision (“Y”)
Time Vision serves as your radar in Quantum Break. It’s the first of the skills Jack Joyce gains, and is the one you’ll end up using the most. It’s sole purpose is to reveal enemy placements, collectibles, and interactive elements to the player. There are three upgrades for this power: Active Pulse (2 UP), Increased Threat Detection (4 UP) , and Increased Range (6 UP).
To be completely honest, if you’re limited on Upgrade Points, you probably don’t want to waste them on a glorified radar. But, if you absolutely must for some reason, Active Pulse is your best bet. It will highlight enemies for a couple of seconds after you use either Time Dodge and/or Time Rush. This will save you the time of having to sit still and wait.
Time Stop (RB)
Time Stop does exactly what you’d expect, only it doesn’t affect the whole area you’re playing in. Jack Joyce will fire a bubble of time at an area and everything caught in its blast will be frozen. What makes this one of his best skills, though, is the fact that bullets fired into this bubble receive a huge damage buff. You can easily take down armored enemies or destroy vehicles using this ability.
Time Stop has three available upgrades: Increased Strength (2 UP) , Increased Size (4 UP), and Extra Activation (6 UP). You’re going to want all three. Since Time Stop is one of the most useful skills for dealing out large quantities of damage, you’ll want it to be the very best it can be. Go all out on this one to lock down squads, cause major destruction, and to hold things in place so you can do some thinking.
Time Dodge (LB)
Time Dodge is your dodge ability. It is used to move in any direction over a set distance really quickly – perfect for getting out of a situation or in an enemy’s face. Time Dodge is also part of your Focus Time skill. By aiming immediately after a Time Dodge, you’ll enter a sort of Bullet Time. This is absolutely necessary against certain enemies later on in Quantum Break.
There are three upgrades available for Time Dodge: Increased Focus (2 UP), Maximum Focus (4 UP), and Extra Activation (6 UP). Like with Time Stop, you’ll want all three. The Extra Activation will give you an extra dodge, meaning you can activate it three times before needing to completely recharge the skill. Being able to slow down time three times in a row to take care of a pesky enemy is always worth it.
Time Shield (“B”)
Time Shield creates a temporary bubble around the player that will protect Jack Joyce from harm. Its added advantages are the ability to knock back weaker opponents, and the ability to slow down time in the player’s immediate vicinity. Later on, when the player is tasked with dealing with larger groups of more powerful enemies, this ability will prove to be one of Jack Joyce’s most invaluable skills.
There are three upgrades available for this ability: Recovery (2 UP), Slow Time (4 UP), and Increased Power (6 UP). The one that players should definitely focus on is Recovery. While Slow Time and Increased Power can be useful, players will want to be on the move, meaning they’ll never stay in the bubble for long anyway. Recovery allows for a quick heal in the middle of a heated battle before you dash away.
Time Blast (Hold RB)
Time Blast is the most powerful of your skills, but it isn’t necessarily the most useful. By holding down RB you will charge a powerful grenade made up of time itself. It can easily take out large groups of enemies and weaken more powerful foes, although it does leave you completely open while charging since you can’t move (you can cancel it, however).
There are only two upgrades for this skill: Increased Blast Radius (2 UP) and Reduced Cooldown (4 UP). Time Blast takes a long time to charge even with the Reduced Cooldown upgrade, yet it’s still the most useful of the two options. I wouldn’t suggest wasting points on this skill if you have upgrades left on Time Dodge and Time Stop though. Rarely is it necessary to deliver a big blast, you’ll fare pretty well in the entire game without ever using it.
Time Rush (Hold LB)
Time Rush is the last of the skills granted to Jack Joyce in Quantum Break (during Act 3). It is essentially a speed run that slows everything around you to a crawl as you move. It’s useful for getting to a sniper before they take you out, getting past turrets, and for moving through some of the trickier sections of the game. Adding to the usefulness is the fact that you can take down an enemy instantly during your run by hitting “B.” It doesn’t work against the large Juggernauts, but it’s still very handy against everyone else. You can also trigger Focus Time at the end of a run by hitting LT, just like with Time Dodge.
There are two upgrades available for this skill: Increased Focus (2 UP) and Multi-Takedown (4 UP). Go for both. These will help later on, and the added control afforded to Time Rush over Time Dodge will make positioning during certain fights much easier.
These are all of the skills and the upgrades you should focus on during your Quantum Break experience. Only you can save time.
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