The Quarry
Common Sense Media Review
By Dwayne Jenkins
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
An interactive horror masterpiece in a class of its own.
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The Quarry
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 8 parent reviews
What’s It About?
In THE QUARRY, nine camp counselors meet at Hackett's Quarry, the site of a summer camp filled with laughs, fun, games, and, most importantly, dark, terrible secrets. Once the kids go home for the summer, the camp counselors pack up to leave ... only they quickly find that their vehicle is missing a crucial piece and they're stranded at the camp for one more night. Their camp leader, Chris Hackett (David Arquette), tells them to stay in the lodge where they're safest and wait until he comes back with help in the morning. Of course, Chris should've known better than to trust teenagers to do what they're told, and they quickly make plans to enjoy one more night of debauchery and mayhem. But someone's rustling around in the surrounding trees and bushes -- waiting and watching. A night of fun quickly devolves into a night of indescribable terror, and it's up to our fearless counselors to uncover the secrets and mysteries of Hackett's Quarry -- or die trying.
Is It Any Good?
Not only does this technical and visual showcase rival some TV shows and movies, but the story and characters make the experience a whole, complete masterpiece. The Quarry manages to blur the line between fact and fiction to get players invested from start to finish, gripping their controllers helplessly as they do whatever they can to keep things from spiraling out of their control, with danger and a foreboding sense that actual lives are at stake. While the "teenagers" here still display the sex-crazed angst audiences might expect, there's an authenticity and heart to these characters that will endear players as they spend more time with them and get to know who they are. The characters sound, look, and (mostly) move like real people. When characters have a conversation, they aren't just stiff mannequins waiting to respond to planned lines of dialogue; their facial expressions and body language constantly change to whatever's appropriate in that moment. On top of that, players will watch these characters grow, evolve, and open up to one another -- assuming players can keep them alive throughout this harrowing journey.
Instead of delivering a horror experience meant to constantly startle you through easy jump scares, The Quarry wants players to feel genuine terror. All the horrors and menaces within the game are built up, making sure players never receive an easy way out and putting them directly within these slower, scarier scenarios where they'll have to spend every moment hoping they don't get discovered or can run fast enough to successfully escape an intense predicament. Additionally, the choices you have to make aren't so simple that you'll be able to see the consequences of your decisions immediately after making them. Some might follow that trend here and there, but others may not have a direct effect until much later, when it's far too late to save a beloved character. The Quarry is a horror title that perfectly melds video game and cinema into one compact, worthwhile experience that will find new ways to mesmerize and terrify even the most seasoned horror veteran.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the horror genre as a potential tool to navigate complex emotions such as empathy and compassion. Is it possible for anything with a focus on horror to have the ability to speak to people -- especially teenagers -- about the benefits and nuances of empathy? Or is the horror genre one that's meant to be enjoyed superficially -- only worth the price of admission for its scares? Can you think of some horror experiences where you found yourself feeling something other than fear? If so, why? What made those particular experiences stand out among other horror stories?
As games get closer to providing the visual and vocal spectacle of a feature-length movie, has the video game medium as a whole finally "proven" itself as an art form? What can the medium do -- if anything -- to "legitimize" itself among movies, TV shows, and books? If games aren't quite there yet, what keeps them from breaking through? Or have video games always been a form of art since their inception?
Game Details
- Platforms: Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , PlayStation 5 , PlayStation 4 , Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid ($59.99)
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: 2K Games
- Release date: June 10, 2022
- Genre: Survival Horror
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Friendship , High School , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: M for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Mild Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Last updated: June 8, 2022
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