When The Quarry came out, I binge-played all 10 hours of the game with very few breaks or pauses. I did this because I wanted to get my review out (which you can read here) as soon as possible and also because once I started playing, I found myself almost powerless to stop.
However, it didn’t take me long to realise that I experienced the most enjoyment when I sat back, shovelled popcorn into my mouth and shouted at my partner about which choice they should make. So when we finished the game, I knew it was only a matter of time before I would jump back in to experience the game in a perfect format for me and my ’80s slasher/popcorn addition: Movie mode.
Now, for those who didn’t read my review of the game (which you should), here is a quick recap. The Quarry is, at its core, a choose your own adventure game with a teen slasher theme. You play as an entire group of summer camp counsellors who decide to throw caution to the wind and ignore the only two rules they were given with catastrophic consequences.
Now with a game like The Quarry, where you have a playable cast of nine characters, all of which can live, all of which can die, and any number of which can live or die, it’s impossible to experience everything the game has to offer in only one playthrough. It’s also improbable you’ll even get to experience the game the way you wanted on just a single playthrough; I mean, I managed to keep everyone alive, living their best, most traumatising life and then in hour ten, I lost my favourite two…
Thankfully the developers behind The Quarry took all of this into account when creating their game and included a special Movie Mode for those who want the joy of experiencing the story without any of the self-loathing that comes with missing QuickTime events.
Movie Mode offers players three (or four) different ways to watch the game. There are:
Everyone Lives. As the name implies, this is a version of the game where all nine characters survive the night. They all come out on the other side, slightly scared, desperately needing therapy, but very much alive.
Everyone Dies. Being the horror freak I am, this was the first way I chose to experience movie mode, watching each and every character die, one by one.
Director’s Chair. This is one of the best and most customisable versions of Movie Mode. Director’s Chair allows you to set the individual parameters and character traits for each of the nine playable characters. How will they behave under pressure, how do they approach conversations, and are they clumsy? This is a way for you to watch the game being played the way you would want to play it in an ideal world.
Gorefest. This is, objectively, the single best way to watch The Quarry. Gorefest is only available if you have the Deluxe Edition of the game, but it lets you watch the worst, most horrific and goriest deaths for each of the nine characters. Allowing the game to embrace its slasher roots fully.
Playing The Quarry was a lot of fun and an experience I wouldn’t trade, even if I regret giving my partner the controller and watching them kill two of my favourites. However, there is just something about lying back, getting cosy and watching a 10-hour slasher movie where I get to choose how everything pans out, that is incredibly satisfying and keeps drawing me back in.
