Supermassive Games is a studio best known for its forays into horror, specifically the interactive movie kind, where cinematic presentation isn’t so much there to provide a recognisable framework but serve as the foundation on which a branching character and set-piece driven story can unfold. From its breakout hit Until Dawn on the PlayStation 4 through to its recent The Dark Pictures anthology series; which is set to get its fourth entry dubbed ‘The Devil in Me’, later this year.

The Quarry sees the developer teaming up with 2K Games for a “teen-horror narrative” featuring a story about a group of counsellors and friends spending the night at a seemingly abandoned summer camp as the season ends. Well, it’s about them and the horrors of being hunted by a monster in the woods with the added bonus of a potential small-town psycho. From small-town, backwoods vibes, through to sexual and emotional tension, it’s a classic setting for a jump-scare laden and creepy cinematic experience.


For those that haven’t played this style of game before, it’s less a Telltale-like narrative-driven adventure game with puzzles than it is a straight-up interactive movie where the interaction part is pretty much a reaction. It’s a style we’ve seen before, from Supermassive and others, but it’s also a game that really leans into the capabilities of modern hardware, with near uncanny-valley-like digital performances from recognisable actors.

A cast that includes David Arquette (Scream), Ariel Winter (Modern Family), Justice Smith (Jurassic World), Brenda Song (Dollface), Lance Henriksen (Aliens), Lin Shaye (A Nightmare on Elm Street), and more.

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From small-town backwoods vibes through to sexual and emotional tension, it’s a setting perfect for a jump-scare laden and creepy cinematic experience.

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From a visual perspective, The Quarry impresses even more so than Supermassive’s most recent The Dark Pictures entry. From character and facial animation through to the wonderfully cinematic lighting and genuine atmosphere found in each of the locales, it doesn’t take long at all before you’re hooked into the world and characters. Granted, some of it is on the verge of “too realistic so it’s a little off-putting”, but for the most part it’s impressive and above all, immersive.


There’s some great depth-of-field effects in-play at all times too. Like that thing in a AAA game’s photo-mode where everything looks cinematic with your character is slightly out of focus. Except the cinematic effect is on at all times here. Also, the ‘Monster Vision’ stuff is as creepy as seeing its silhouette surrounded and obscured by moonlight thanks to some pitch-perfect cinematography.

The “teen-horror” approach and end-of-summer party also works wonders for both the presentation and characters you get to control. Making binary choices in a fireside game of truth or dare, leaning in for a kiss, or simply holding a button to simulate holding your breath as a mysterious and ravenous creature lurks overheard, the interaction here is well executed and plays into a story that will feature many twists and turns and outcomes dependant on how you approach any given situation.

Being in control over a diverse group of teens also allows for some great quick-thinking decision-making, where often it's brash and emotional versus reserved and quiet. That sizable tonal gap found in a lot of the choices is surprisingly engaging, to the point where you can almost see the otherside playing out in your head, leading to an eventual replay.


As an interactive movie though, a lot of it is quite simple and purely there in service of the story being told. There will be multiple endings and Supermassive has injected some small-scale free-form exploration, secrets to discover, and broken up the story into distinct Chapters. Chapters that include an interlude starring a mysterious figure there to recap and do the foreboding thing, ala The Dark Pictures anthology’s narrator.

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From character and facial animation through to the wonderfully cinematic lighting and genuine atmosphere found in each of the locales, it doesn’t take long at all before you’re hooked into the world and characters.

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There’s also some shooting, but it’s more point and fire within a static scene versus anything resembling an FPS. Even though there are similarities to its previous games, the small section of The Quarry we got to play did hint at this possibly being the studio’s best narrative outing to date. The old school teen-horror vibe is executed well and makes the prospect of robust co-op stuff all the more enticing. From local and online co-op where players take control of specific characters to the cool Movie Mode that lets you go through each playable character’s traits to set-up a version of the story you can watch unfold.


And sure, with Quick-Time Events aplenty, binary choices, collectibles to find, and a somewhat familiar story being told, there’s not a lot about The Quarry that feels wholly original or something we haven’t seen or experienced before. But, as a technically impressive slice of interactive cinema, with an engaging cast, great backdrop, and some cool setpieces (plus some blood soaked scares) there’s a lot to look forward to.

The Quarry is coming soon to an interactive theatre near you. It’s out June 10, 2022 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.