Supermassive Games has always been at the forefront of producing interactive storytelling games from the 2015 PlayStation 4 hit Until Dawn to the 2019 Dark Pictures Anthology, the studio has never failed to deliver an immersive and spine-chilling experience. Furthermore, the brilliant mix of cinematic presentation, decision-based mechanics, and quick-time events has become one of the studios’ trademarks when it comes to horror games. On June 10, 2022, the studio launched The Quarry, which is the latest addition to their library of interactive horror.
With that said, today we’re going to do an overview of the game’s critical consensus and find out if the game is worth playing. So keep on reading to know more.
What is The Quarry?
The Quarry follows the exploits of Hackett’s Quarry Camp counselors as they fight their way to survive a night of horror. It’s inspired by classic horror films like The Thing and Friday the 13th. In addition, the game also boasts a powerful cast made up of David Arquette, Ted Raimi, Ariel Winter, and Justice Smith. Originally planned as a Stadia exclusive game, The Quarry was eventually unveiled as a game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S by 2K games on March 18, 2022, due to Google’s cancellation of all their first-party games.
The Quarry features a retro design reminiscent of the 80s, getting its inspiration from teen slasher and monster flicks popular during that time. Like most of Supermassive’s horror games, The Quarry features multiple scenario outcomes dependent on the player’s decisions throughout the game. With that out of the way, our overview will focus on the PC version since it has the most reviews. Not to worry since we will also show the average rating of the game on other platforms.
The Quarry Review Consensus for the PC Version
The Quarry for PC was reviewed by 77 critics of which 62 gave a positive. Meanwhile, the other 15 gave a mixed overall impression of the game boasting an average of 80/100 Metascore.
Presentation
The Quarry, for the most part, has gotten favorable reviews from critics citing its overall presentation as its strongest attribute. Despite the new elements and features the developers claim to have integrated into the game, most critics agree that the game does not shy away from its sister game Until Dawn. So GameSpot gave the game a 9/10 rating citing the game’s lack of evolution in terms of mechanics which, according to the critic is fine.
In addition, the critic also mentioned the game’s choice and consequence mechanics. According to him, it’s an effective element in building suspense in the game. Moreover, the critic also praised the game’s well-written narrative and a great cast of characters. On the downside, The Quarry suffers from pacing and exploration due to the characters walking speed.
Wccftech also gave the game a 9/10 and just like GameSpot, the critic praised the game’s story and characters. Additionally, the critic cited the stunning visuals, the life system, and puzzles as some of the game’s biggest assets. In contrast with that, they called out the character’s facial animation which, according to him is a bit off. In addition, he also called out the sluggish movement of the character.
Gameplay
In terms of gameplay, interactive dramas/horrors and decision-based games come with little to no action. To cope with that handicap, Supermassive is building the tension of their horror game on the decision-making process. It means that each decision will have an immediate effect on a specific scenario. GameInformer gave The Quarry a rating of 8.5/10. Like most critics, the game was praised for its stunning visual and brilliantly designed environments.
One thing that could have been better is if the game came with more action sequences that the player can partake in. Although the decision-making part of the game is perfectly executed, additional action sequences would have made the experience even more terrifying. Destructoid is another publication that gave the game an 8.5/10 score. In contrast with the other critics, the review person of Destructoid praises the game’s overall gameplay mechanics. The photorealistic rendition of scenes was also mentioned as some of the game’s strongest assets.
The Quarry has managed to accumulate decent scores on other platforms. For the PlayStation 5, the game has managed to get a 73/100 and 82/100 Metascore for the Xbox Series X|S.
Is The Quarry Worth the Horror Experience?
The Quarry, like most AAA games, is not perfect and comes with its own set of flaws. Nevertheless, those flaws are not enough to keep the player from getting the full experience. Critics agree that the game is a must-have for fans of the game’s genre. To that end, if you are a fan of horror movies and want to have an interactive experience, then, The Quarry is going to be worth every penny.
If you’re a fan of horror games, you can also check out our review for the indie horror game Silt. In the meantime, stay tuned to get more news and updates about horror games here in PlayPC.
