A Hollywood horror film that you can both watch and play – that is the gist of “The Quarry,” where you guide the decisions of a group of teens at summer camp where something is lurking in the nearby woods.
The player acts as the director of this horror adventure story since the plot changes with every decision you make. Survival and pairings are in your hands.
In true horror tradition, the story centers around nine teenage counselors at Hackett’s Quarry holiday camp.
At the end of the summer, once everyone has left camp, the counselors are keen to spend one last night partying around the campfire. But instead, the group experiences a living nightmare and is soon forced to make life-or-death decisions.
Between the many rich cutscenes with several familiar actors' faces, there is plenty to discover in the world of Hackett’s Quarry. The game lets you explore the spooky camp’s surroundings, including the forest and a small island nearby.
Tarot cards and handwritten notes provide tips for the next steps in the game's missions.
Alongside these guides, there are action sequences where you need to press button combinations as fast as you can. Key them in too late and you may end up watching your characters die a quick but bloody on-screen death.
Players slip into different character roles in the course of the game. Some are animated or played by real actors, and some you may know from popular horror films or series.
Lin Shaye, familiar from the films "Insidious" and "Ouija," plays Constance Hackett. Ariel Winter plays Abigail, known to many from the comedy series Modern Family. Ryan is played by Justice Smith, who we know from his lead role in Detective Pikachu.
”The Quarry” is not only a solid stand-alone game to play on your own but also works for a film night with friends. You can opt for the film mode to view the game like any film at the cinema. This mode means you watch the storyline unfold without intervening.
It is fun both to watch and play. Although its approach is sometimes somewhat predictable, it delivers hard-hitting horror with fast-paced cuts.
