After the success of Until Dawn, horror became common in interactive story games. While the Dark Pictures Anthology was available, there was still a need for a longer feature, which led to The Quarry. Being an avid fan of the Supermassive Games projects, I was determined to play this one soon as I could. Now it’s time to put my thoughts into a coherent structure, spoiler-free. 

Plot 

With an abundance of famous names, The Quarry sets up the homage to 80’s horror perfectly – camp counsellors get picked off one by one by an unnatural force. The first few chapters take the opportunity to develop the characters through various dialogue options. Soon enough, action gains speed as monsters show up, leaving the players to try and make sure everyone survives the night (or not, depending on their preference). While not inventing the wheel, the story provides its fair share of thrills. 

Characters 

Horror is known for putting its characters in stereotypical boxes. While it rings true here to some extent, everyone gets a decent amount of development. Though they’re not always the most likeable (I’m sorry Jacob but dooming everyone to a night of torture cause of a girl was not the smartest thought you’ve ever had). While their traits are affected by the player’s choices, each one still feels like their own person. It helps the writing of the dialogue has gotten a massive upgrade. The voice acting is definitely on a good level and you can tell the actors enjoyed being there. Special mentions have to go out to the Laura and Max relationship, as well as Dylan and his dynamics with Ryan and Caitlin. 

Gameplay 

This is where some small flaws with the game show. Being triple-A, it is not exactly ground-breaking in terms of graphics and mechanics (animation of water being a glaring issue). It seems Supermassive adapted what worked from previous games and essentially copy-pasted that formula into The Quarry. While not a bad choice necessarily, it also feels a bit too safe. Amendment of quick-time events does remove some stress for players that are purely there for the story. The path choice VHS tape mechanic looks pretty cool as well.

Final thoughts 

Overall, it needs to be said that the game is not perfect. There aren’t nearly the number of deaths for each character as was advertised and the ending chapter lacks the ‘umph’ factor. Certain characters do get pushed into the forefront for better or worse. Despite all these, it is definitely one of the best of its kind and a great addition to your collection. While a lot of fans have said it is still no Until Dawn, you know what? Sometimes it’s okay to not surpass your predecessor. It doesn’t mean it’s not damn good.

(4.5 / 5)