Arriving on the docks under the bridge, you have to reach a boat silently. When you have Jack as a 'terrorist' a civilian on the bridge will notice you down there and call: "hey, isn't that jack joyce!". Cover blown, the action can start. If you have Monarch as bad guys there is a protest on the bridge (in stead of a Monarch checkpoint). One of the protesters will notice you down there and call "hey buddy, wacht out! Monach's all over!". Cover blown, action begins. That's it for branching the story, really
So yeah, what QB set out to do, it fails at in my opinion. The game itself is okay (especially the action, I didn't like the platforming at all). So it gets mediocre reactions because of that, not because it tries something new or has a narrative focus. (I again feel you imply reviewers shouldn't give so much attention to mechanics, as long as the story is good)
.)
See, this is where I thought the game did well. The very fact that they have a similar outcome slots into the game's discussion about how time works and predeterminism. The more you go through it, the more you realise that
there's very little you can do to change the outcome of the events that have taken place