Platform(s): Xbox Series (version reviewed), Xbox One, PC, PS5, PS4
Genre: Interactive horror movie from the same guys who did Until Dawn

2K Games’ and Supermassive Games The Quarry proves that it’s hard to try new things when the latter’s reputation precedes you. And that’s OK if you’re really good at it. Look at Blizzard and RTSs and MMOs before it all came to heck in 2019.

Supermassive Games is really, really good at making interactive games based on their love of horror movies and classic scary movie tropes; after all it was their PlayStation exclusive horror game hit Until Dawn that put them on the map back in 2015. The Quarry is basically the team’s love for slasher flicks and horror films in the 80s culminating into one brand new story involving a bunch of teenagers, a camp called Hackett’s Quarry, and said teens’ last night there. Whether the stalkers and killers in the game are actual people or something supernatural like the last few games the company made in 2015 and in their stint with Bandai Namco (the Dark Pictures Anthology), it’s up to you to guess and decide if these teens are worth saving via simple button prompts and thumbstick flicks.

Yes, there’s a bunch of quick time events that determine the course of the story, whether you want that one guy played by Justice Smith to get ahead and go with his heart, or probably have his heart ripped out by things unknown. From a story and writing standpoint, there’s no one I hate here that warrants a swift death. Everyone’s either likeable to a fault or so goshdarn stupid that you also end up adoring them for their attempts at being charismatic. The dialogue is also pretty snappy and can be funny at times especially when it tries most of time. It’s like taking a shine to that one spastic kid in the special needs school who is can memorize dictionary entries to heart but has a speech impediment.

Sleepaway Camp

A game like this lives and dies with its presentation, not so much its gameplay. And the former bit definitely shows; outside of a few awkward faces which can’t be helped, the animation, facial expressions, and voice work here are top-notch. The game’s creepy atmosphere and drip-feed plot is done well, even with sometimes you wished the characters moved a little faster and less clunky during the exploration bits. And for the mass audience who don’t game much, there are a number of options like Movie Mode and QTE prompt-tweaking tools to make the experience more watchable and less interactable.

Supermassive’s latest game is clearly an interactive movie with minimal gaming involved, with even a few options to make it a smooth-sailing viewing experience. But in that field, it’s the developer’s best production yet. It’s arguably better than its last major effort Until Dawn, definitely because of the game’s production values being upgraded, a few tweaks to the formula here and there, and there’s a lot more story and likeable cast members to root for here. The build-up to the horror show twist is also paced well here, at least from my first playthrough-and-a-half here. The fact that the game’s star power helps too: you have Modern Family’s Ariel Winter, Detective Pikachu’s Justice Smith, Scream series’ David Arquette, Ethan Suplee, and Lance “Bishop” Henriksen glamming up the whole game with their voice work and likeness.

The Quarry is not a huge game-changer in the genre, but it’s a well-made one and is a big step up. It’s definitely worth a purchase as long as you know what you’re going into.

Final Score: 80/100