Why The Quarry Is Good: 10 Reasons Players Love It

Updated:

20 Mar 2023

Following Until Dawn, The Quarry had a lot to live up to. Expectations were high and The Quarry delivered. If you were on the fence about whether or not to give The Quarry a try, these ten reasons players love the game should sway you to give it a go!

10. No One is Off Limits

That's a side of Lin Shaye I never thought I'd see.

The Quarry has a star-studded cast, including David Arquette, Ted Raimi, Lin Shaye, and Lance Henrikson. While some video games will avoid killing off their well-known cast members in order to utilize their stardom factor throughout the game, The Quarry is not afraid to kill off their most famous cast members.

There is something quite satisfying about having the ability to have equal influence over the deaths of lesser known actors with their well-known peers. This makes for a true horror scenario, where no one is off limits, making your choices seem more meaningful.

9. Interesting Story to Unravel

I wonder if the Harum Scarum sideshow has anything to do with the curse plaguing Hackett's Quarry?

With a game that foregoes complex gameplay mechanics for high-end graphics, character development, and storytelling, the plot is make or break for the game. The story is crafted in a way that feeds the player and the characters small bits of information at a time, allowing them to put the pieces together to unravel the interconnected story of Harum Scarum, the Hackett Family, and the Hag of Hackett’s Quarry.

8. Tension Builds Up

What...or who...is being hunted?!

Building on the fascinating story that the characters and players unravel, The Quarry also does a wonderful job of building up the tension in order to keep the player engaged. The game starts off in an increasingly tense situation between Max and Laura, only for us to be pulled back into a seemingly normal and safe situation right when we find ourselves at the climax of Max and Laura’s predicament. From there, the game slowly but steadily picks up the tension for the player and the characters. The use of dramatic irony–such as the player knowing the hunters are prowling the woods, while the characters remain unaware–increases the tension even more. The way in which the tension is developed keeps the character invested and engaged in the game, urging them to keep playing.

7. Creative Scares

Who knows what will happen next?...

Instead of relying solely on jumpscares, The Quarry utilizes environmental design, sound design, progressively increasing tension, and quick decisions that force you to react in a second in order to save characters. This allows for more creative and unexpected scares.

6. Agency in Regards to Who Lives and Who Dies

Live or die, the choice is yours...

Some butterfly-effect games make it seem like your choices do not really have a great impact on the outcome of the game, but not The Quarry. Whether it be your exploration (or lack thereof) of the area, timed decisions on how to act, or QTEs, there are plenty of ways you can impact who lives and who dies, making you feel like you truly have an impact in regards to who lives and who dies.

5. Gruesome Deaths

May want to avoid the open casket with that face...

Being a horror game that boasts dozens of different possibilities of death, you have to have some gruesome fatalities, and The Quarry doesn’t disappoint. Disembowelment, decapitation, shotguns to the face, limbs torn off, The Quarry has it all.

4. Infused with Comedy

Run Forrest Run!

The Quarry plays heavily into the camp of 70s-90s horror movies, from horror tropes, font styles, to dialogue and the Fallout-style tutorial screens. The infusion of comedy can help relieve some tension and makes you feel like you are engaging with a wonderful campy horror film.

3. Interactive Movie

Is this a film or video game? This immersion is crazy.

One of the selling points of this game is how cinematic it is. The motion capture animation, graphics, and set and sound design truly make this game feel like you are watching and participating in a film.

Placing more emphasis on the cinematic design and feel over complex gameplay mechanics also makes the game more accessible to players who do not game frequently or are just looking for some casual gameplay.

2. Character Development

The ultimate character arc.

The Quarry dedicates a lot of time to developing the characters and their relationships. This wins you over, causing you to be more invested in their survival, making the scenes where they are in danger more tense! Especially in a game like this, which focuses on graphics, story, and characters over gameplay mechanics, character development is crucial!

1. Horror Love Letter

Friday the 13th allusion-one of countless references to the horror genre.

You can tell that The Quarry is made by people who truly love horror! Every detail of the game–dialogue, casting, font style, location, cover art–is a reference or homage to classic horror films and the genre at large. The game also boasts horror icons David Arquette, Ted Raimi, Lin Shaye, and Lance Henrikson, making The Quarry perfect for any Horror fan.