The Quarry: Get ready to enter a night of terror in this fun & thrilling interactive horror as you control the fates of nine counsellors.
We all love a good story, but we love a story that we can dictate. The idea that players have to make decisions that hugely impact the outcomes of characters when it comes to life and death is the main reason we love playing them. Let’s go back to 2010; if you remember the legendary Heavy Rain, you must make many tough decisions to save a loved one. That game paved the way for this genre, and more decision-making games are coming through.
Interactive story games have progressed over the years. Nowadays, you are given many more choices that also affect the little things that may or may not be so important later in the game. Another thing is that in this genre, the characters are usually portrayed by some of your favourite actors and actresses. Also, there are now interactive horror story games in the modern gaming era. And, who doesn’t love a good horror? This is where The Quarry comes in.
The Quarry is another project by Supermassive Games, whose main line of work is interactive story games, and over the years, they’ve produced stellar work such as Until Dawn. Therefore, you’d figure The Quarry would be either better or at least just as good. To set the record straight, this is not the latest installment in The Dark Pictures Anthology franchise. An entirely new game is scheduled to release sometime this year.
The Quarry’s story is phenomenal. Probably the best plot I’ve played in this genre, mainly due to the many shocking twists throughout the game. This is a tale of counsellors who have a party in which they enter into a night of terror, and it’s the player’s job to help them all survive through the night. You control everyone’s fates.
The story was a total whirlwind. You go through many different emotions throughout the game—happiness, sadness, nervousness, calmness, sorrow, and so on. You would want this from any game, and in this horror, you were getting this. Some of the choices you make can impact relationships in the group or trigger certain reactions or emotions from a character. It’s not just surviving that you have to worry about.
The Quarry’s gameplay has improved from previous titles by Supermassive Games. You still only click on a few buttons, but there are more actions you can execute. Throughout the game, I was experiencing anxiety because I was worried that the choices I picked might lead to a character’s death, but also relieved because I had realized that the decisions I had made were the right ones, thus leading to each character surviving. Not only that, but I was responsible for the lives of nine characters. That’s a heavy burden and a lot of pressure, but also very challenging.
I liked how there were introduction videos for things that would help you in the game. Clues, evidence, making better choices, plus more. These videos were not only helpful but were delivered in probably the best way possible. Cartoon-styled videos were both funny and beneficial, and you needed to take them seriously. The narrator was also a great touch. Here’s a tip: finding cards throughout the story is important as they increase your chances of making decisions that lead to every character’s survival.
Depending on where the symbol signals you to go, directing either analog sticks tests your reaction timing. This also tells you that not paying attention can ultimately lead to your character’s demise. There are times when not reacting to things is better. Just because you can press the X button to perform a behaviour doesn’t mean you always have to act on it.
Not only can you make decisions, but you can also shoot. That’s right, a good feature that has been implemented. You can shoot items and other figures with your weapon. Shooting is also important in The Quarry because it can protect you from death. Therefore, learning to shoot and doing it efficiently is crucial.
Although the gameplay has improved, the mechanics still do not look very realistic. When you can move your characters to interact with items, clues, and evidence, they move robotically and pretty stiffly, too. You can make them move quicker, but only by a little. There’s no sprinting. This is particularly annoying when you want to reach your destination faster. It would have been easier if your character had more mobility.
The Quarry’s graphics are stunning. As you are playing on a new generation console, you expect the graphics to be photorealistic. The Quarry meets that criterion perfectly. I feel one of the biggest reasons for this game’s success is due to the characters being portrayed by some of our favourite actors and actresses. Especially the legendary actor from the Scream franchise, David Arquette. Their faces were rendered to look virtually identical to the real-life figures. Truly amazing.
The animations are equally as good. The motion capture has progressed. The character’s facial expressions, mouth, and body movements when speaking and behaving are some of the most realistic I’ve seen in a game. You can feel their emotions as they show them, and these elements give the sensation that you’re playing a real-life movie. Let’s not forget about the vibrant look of the camp and the vast surroundings as you try to get through the night alive.
The Quarry’s audio deserves its roses. It’s great that not only do the famous actors and actresses supply their faces, but also their voices. This is not an exaggeration, but I believe they all deserve Grammy awards for portraying their characters to a tee. You can easily identify their personalities and how they perfectly displayed their relationships with one another. And there are times when dramas are present, creating more friction in the story.
As you are about to start the game, you are given two options. Either to play with licensed music or with non-licensed music. Take my advice, play the story with licensed music, because it will provide the best experience. If you don’t believe me, the game will even tell you itself, as it also recommends it. The great tracks give the story more life. The non-licensed music is ok, but nowhere near as good.
The Quarry is, without a doubt, a phenomenal game. This game epitomizes what a horror game should look like, and they’ve gone even further to add more features to make it a much more enjoyable story. The idea that I controlled the fates of some of my favourite actors and actresses was exhilarating, and of course, experiencing and getting through many terrifying moments and jump scares, plus saving everyone from their demise, felt like an accomplishment. However, the price is hefty. Although this game is great, I think interactive story games shouldn’t be sold at a total retail price.
The Quarry is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Microsoft Windows. Follow our website for the latest gaming reviews.
