The Quarry (2022): The Review

Overview

Supermassive Games is back with another cinematic horror ride in The Quarry, and if you played Until Dawn, this one will feel right at home. It’s set in a classic horror setup: a summer camp, some teenage counselors, and of course, they stick around one night too long. Things go downhill fast. The cast is yet again solid, the visuals are great, and it leans hard into those classic horror vibes in a very fun and simple way. It’s suspenseful, but the pacing can drag at times, the controls aren’t always smooth, and some of the writing doesn’t quite land. Still, it’s a good time if you're in the mood for something spooky and cinematic.

Score: 7.5 out of 10

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The Positives ✅

The Quarry looks incredible. The character models, facial animations, all of it: easily some of the best in any horror game. You can tell a ton of work went into the motion capture and lighting, because it makes everything feel super realistic, especially during the close-up, tense moments.

The "butterfly effect" choices continue to shine here, too. It’s not just for show — the stuff you decide really changes how things play out. You’ll get different scenes, different character outcomes, even different endings, which makes it feel worth replaying just to see what else can happen.

The horror vibe hits all the right notes. It’s got that old-school slasher feel, mixed with some creepy supernatural stuff that keeps you on edge. There are jump scares, yeah, but also this constant unease that works really well.

The cast is solid across the board. David Arquette, Brenda Song — they all bring way more to the roles than you'd expect from a game like this. The performances help sell the story, especially when things start getting slow.

And the co-op stuff? Super fun. You can pass the controller around with friends or just kick back and throw it into Movie Mode to watch it like a long horror flick. It makes it feel more like a group experience, which works great for this kind of game.

If you’re into horror, you’ll definitely catch a bunch of nods to classic movies. The devs clearly love the genre, and that shows: from the setting to the scares, it’s got that familiar horror charm, just with way more polish.

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The Negatives ⚠️

The pacing’s a bit slow out of the gate. The first few chapters take their time setting things up, and while the payoff eventually comes, it might test your patience if you’re hoping for some thrills right away.

Controls can feel a little off sometimes. Quick-time events don’t always respond the way you want, and just moving around can feel kind of stiff. It’s not game-breaking, but it’s noticeable.

The writing’s a bit hit or miss. Some scenes feel natural, even funny or emotional, but then you’ll hit a line that feels super forced or just awkwardly campy. It jumps between tones in a way that doesn’t always land.

Gameplay-wise, it’s mostly the usual Supermassive setup: walk around, make choices, hit some QTEs. If you’re into that, cool. But if you’re looking for more hands-on gameplay or variety, it might feel a little shallow.

And yeah, there are some rough edges. Occasional weird animations or NPCs making bizarre faces can kind of snap you out of the moment. Nothing major, but enough to notice.

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The Experience 🎮

I had a good time with The Quarry. It’s a tense, atmospheric horror game that leans hard into choice-driven storytelling, and even though it doesn’t really shake up the formula Until Dawn started, it definitely polishes it. The visuals are top-tier, the summer camp setting is spot-on, and the performances help carry the slower moments.

That said, it’s not without issues: the pacing drags early on, some of the controls feel clunky, and the dialogue isn’t always consistent. But if you’re into cinematic horror and enjoy making split-second decisions that get teens killed (or maybe saved), it’s a fun ride with just enough bite to keep you hooked.