They say that if you do something well, do it five or more times. I might be mixing that old saying up a bit, but it’s something that Supermassive Games seem to have taken to heart. While they’ve had some rather mixed ventures outside of horror (Bravo Team being an infamous example), they’ve really nailed down a place for themselves in the industry with their cinematic, choice-laden adventures. The Quarry looks to be their next attempt to scare fans senseless, one QTE at a time.
I recently had the chance to preview The Quarry with a 45-minute vertical slice of gameplay, and I was immediately struck by how much it revels in 80s horror tropes while nailing the look and feel of that era, despite being set in more modern times. Attractive young teenagers throw a shindig at Hackett’s Quarry to celebrate the last day of summer camp, but it’s not long before something in the woods starts stirring. So far, so familiar, but what little I’ve played of The Quarry so far suggests that it won’t be quite that straightforward, with it feeling like the closest game to Until Dawn to date.
Until Dawn remains Supermassive’s best game by a distance, and while House of Ashes marked the high point of The Dark Pictures to date, it still didn’t quite come close to the twists and turns up on Blackwood Mountain. However, The Quarry feels like the closest we will get to a direct sequel to Until Dawn not just in terms of tone, but also in how the game plays. There’s more of a cinematic edge to everything you do in The Quarry when compared to The Dark Pictures, with it also having more player choice and actual gameplay than the other series, which has always come across as more linear than it lets on. Even though I only experienced a tiny slice of The Quarry, I had so many choices that could branch off in so many directions that it almost made my head spin — it wasn’t a surprise to hear about 186 total endings.
General gameplay, though, remains largely the same, albeit with more involvement than usual. You walk around and find items before the next conversation or QTE triggers, though The Quarry also introduces light combat with you having access to a gun at certain points. Not every shot needs to be taken though, so I’m fascinated how this could impact things in the main game, especially if you end up shooting the wrong person — or shadow. I just hope, though, that The Quarry doesn’t pile conversation on top of conversation with the player having little input, as this is what really sunk the likes of Man of Medan and Little Hope in the past.
Here’s hoping Supermassive really dig into The Quarry before it launches on June 10th, 2022.
A Steam key was provided by PR for the purposes of this preview.
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