The mine begins right where Don left off, introducing another group of charming teens you'll try to survive. Or not.
What happens when you take a bunch of juveniles, trap them in the middle of the woods, and leave them with nothing but a foreboding warning begging to be ignored? "Nothing is good," is the answer, but that's exactly why we're here. It's a devilishly appealing setup for The Quarry, Supermassive Games' spiritual successor until Dawn. After dabbling in short stories with The Dark Pictures anthology series, The Quarry sees the studio returning to its roots with a new 10-hour horror game that ties into that well-received formula Who achieved such great success till Don.
After a mysterious and disturbing prologue, The Quarry's first act begins on the last day of summer camp. All the children have been sent home, leaving only the counselor and the camp owner. He is eager for everyone to leave as soon as possible, which immediately throws up some red flags, but when his minivan fails to start, the counselors are forced to spend another night together. Being teenagers, they have a great idea of having one last party before heading home in the morning. No harm, no foul, right? Obviously, things don't go quite according to plan — and not just because alcohol is hard to come by — so you'll spend the evening switching between the controls of all nine advisors as they survive the night against several unforeseen threats. Let's try.
Going into any more details would breach spoiler territory, and part of The Quarry's charm comes from uncovering its enticing secrets. There are some clear hints in the beginning that give you a good idea of what you'll be up against, but things aren't always as they seem, and the revelations keep coming out right up to their final moments.
One thing that is certain is Supermassive's reverence for horror movies. Mine carries its effect up its sleeve, highlighting some of the style's best among its various elements of design. The summer camp setting is clearly inspired by the likes of Friday the 13th and the cult classic Sleepaway Camp—though the less said about the latter, the better. Its self-awareness is reminiscent of the Scream franchise, and also alludes to the likes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes, among others. Even the casting reflects this affection, with supporting roles for many recognizable horror mainstays such as David Arquette, Lin Shay, Lance Henriksen, and Ted Raimi. By unleashing this unmistakable obsession, There's an air of confidence around The Quarry that assures you're in the right hands for a quintessential teen horror experience, and that's certainly the case.
Its cinematography is often stunning, effectively capturing the fog creeping through the forest or the reflection of the moon on the surface of the lake. It also toys with a constant contrast between light and dark, allowing surprise to emerge from the shadows when you least expect it. The camerawork is also vastly improved, creating suspense through oppressive close-ups and moments where the camera will hang back, framing its characters as if an unseen predator is behind the lens.
The cast of playable counselors run the gamut of familiar genre fanatics. Jacob the boisterous jock, Dylan the wisecracking oddball, and Abigail the socially awkward performer, just to name a few. They can at times encroach on caricature territory, but like Till Dawn, The Quarry manages to defy expectations after digging beyond surface level. The ensemble cast is also excellent, with lots of strong performances bringing each counselor to life. Impressive technology plays a key role in this, rendering some of the most realistic looking animated faces in gaming. Fear is evident in a character's eyes, and you'll even notice when they're being flirtatious through subtle changes in expression. It allows actors to express different emotions without saying a word.
When it's talkative, the dialogue is snappy and feels too natural in that fast-paced normal-people-don't-really-talk-like-this Hollywood style of conversation, which is what it takes to play such a cinematic. is applicable. It's also really fun, making sure to fit in moments of fervor even in tough situations and never threaten to take yourself too seriously. It also devotes ample time to developing the bonds between each of its characters and letting you get to know them. The first two hours or so is light on fear, as you're given a chance to see how these characters act around each other before hitting the fan. Not everyone will appreciate this slow approach, and it runs into some other pacing issues later, with scenes dragging their feet to the point where it looks like some of the fat could have been trimmed. But in a game where anyone can die, it's important that you care about what happens to those on a knife's edge.
Of course, if you're not hooking up with a character, you can always enjoy making sure of their eventual demise. Mine is built on choices and consequences. Throughout the game you're forced to make decisions that affect what happens to each character, whether you're choosing between two dialogue options, which path to choose, or how to pull the trigger of the shotgun. are thinking. Play your cards right and you may see everyone survive the night, or fail so catastrophically that no one is left alive, sunrise has arrived. Sometimes these choices can seem irrelevant a few hours down the line — like the option to pick up or drop some fireworks — while at other times they can just seal the character's fate.
Quick-time events punctuate moments of action to keep you engaged, but they feel more like extra options than just a test of your reflexes. All you need to do to be successful is flick the left analog stick in the right direction, the face button being reserved for the occasional button mash and moments where you need to hold your breath. As long as there's less stress than don't, because it's unlikely you'll ever fail one of these QTEs, but it puts a huge burden on your decisions as opposed to your reactions.
Even death is not final in The Quarry. If a character dies, you have the option of spending one of three lives turning time upside down and hopefully changing their fate. By placing a limit on the number of times you can do it, it doesn't eliminate the risk of death; You just have to make another decision. Do you spend a life now potentially saving this character, or pocket it for later in case someone you like more gets a bloody end? The only downside to this mechanic is that the sometimes-fatal option would have happened 20 minutes earlier, meaning a longer portion of the game would have to be replayed.
When you're not making instant decisions and escaping death via QTE, you're given the chance to explore some wonderfully felt realms as you explore the game's mysteries through numerous collectibles. Mine sometimes adopts the fixed camera angles that were prevalent during these moments until Dawn, but for the most part you are given full camera control as it is positioned over a character's shoulder. This makes the search for various clues and evidence a little easier, but the camera sits tight still, which, when combined with the cinematic letterboxing, creates an inherent sense of claustrophobia. Exploring each area gives you the opportunity to unveil various tarot cards that offer a brief glimpse into the future. This has been a feature in Supermassive's other games, but they're still too vague and confusing to feel particularly useful or informative. You're also locked into a slow walking pace during these sections, so it can be frustrating to go off the beaten path only to find nothing.
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