The Quarry, from Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology developer Supermassive Games, is a masterpiece of horror storytelling where player choice is the name of the game. The Quarry doesn't stray too far from what made a game like Until Dawn so successful among horror fans, namely, with top-notch character development, nuanced choice-based gameplay, and plenty of scary surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Quarry is a deep, extensive, and lore-filled horror adventure, one that thrives off of its off-beat cast of characters. For those unfamiliar, The Quarry stars a group of camp counselors who, after camp ends, finds themselves trapped in a cycle of terror and horror within Hackett's Quarry. Like previous Supermassive games, The Quarry puts players front and center with the game unfolding via choices and character interactions at certain gameplay beats. With all that being said, there are certainly some things that most players find themselves doing in The Quarry that we can all relate to.
5 Agonizing Over Each And Every Decision
The Quarry is brimming with decisions, character choices, and constant tension about who will survive and who won't be so lucky. While any choice-driven game can be agonizing, it's arguably more true in The Quarry since you ultimately decide who lives or dies, oftentimes, with results being completely out of left field. These moments lead to a sign of relief or a pain of sadness depending on what happens with that given character.
Most players will be able to relate to the agony of making a quick decision in this game. Whether you are a fan of the quirky and charming Abigail, or the abrasive yet caring jock, Jacob, there is likely a character or two that you will struggle to make decisions for. Don't worry, we have all been there in The Quarry and you can always replay the game to make different decisions the next time.
4 Immediately Regretting Your Decisions When Outcomes Are Surprising
Okay, do you find yourself almost immediately regretting a decision you made in The Quarry? Well, it's an immediately recognizable thing to experience when playing The Quarry. Decisions come swift and fast in this game, oftentimes leading to a character thriving or dying off. The sense of urgency in this game is palpable as our diverse cast of counselors tries to understand just what the heck is going on in and around Hackett's Quarry.
Without spoiling anything, many decisions you make in this game might at first seem mundane or even safe, however, the game quickly tells you that your path has been chosen or updated, leaving a sick feeling in your stomach, hoping you made the right choice. What makes this even harder is that each character in this game is fleshed out and well-realized, making them almost immediately interesting.
3 Flubbing The Plethora Of Quick-Time Events (QTEs)
Do you enjoy quick-time events? This is certainly a loaded question because QTEs can often be a boon or a source of frustration, depending on the type of player you are. The Quarry is loaded with QTEs, and although they can be toggled off or minimized from the settings menu, they are by and large a major part of the gameplay here.
The QTEs in The Quarry don't come flying at you at all times, typically appearing only when a character is running, hiding, or a combination of the two. While the game does give players a good few seconds to respond with action, failing the QTEs is something we can all relate to. Even if we manage to successfully pass all of them, the question remains; which ones should have been failed for the sake of the story or a certain character?
2 Breathing At The Exact Wrong Time
Tangentially to the game's numerous QTEs is the unique and panic-inducing breathing gameplay mechanic. Much like in Until Dawn where players had to hold the PlayStation 4 controller perfectly still to avoid detection, The Quarry has you hold down a button which leads to the character holding their breath in-game. As you can imagine, these moments are incredibly intense and harrowing, especially as a lurking monster or villain is nearby.
Well, worry not, we can all relate to letting out our breath at exactly the wrong time, with whatever creeping entity attacking immediately. The room for breathing is finite and there is really only one or two mini windows of opportunity to let out your character's breath for them to just have to break into a spring to avoid the danger anyway.
1 Spending Too Much Time Searching For Tarot Cards
The major form of narrative-focused collectibles in this game come in the form of tarot cards. Tarot cards in The Quarry are not easy to find, not even a little bit. At the end of each chapter, you will meet up with a spooky, off-putting, and somewhat ethereal fortune-teller whose actions and presence aren't immediately discernable. Is she there to help or hinder your part in this game's mysterious story?
No matter what her motivations are, she will always ask you for the tarot cards you have found. These tarot cards really only seem to pop up in the frames of certain camera angles, somewhat that isn't immediately known to the player until they manage to stumble across one. The majority of players enjoying The Quarry will absolutely relate to spending considerable chunks of time roaming about Hackett's Quarry in hopes of finding one of these fortune-telling devices.