A Hollywood horror film that you can both watch and play - that is the gist of "The Quarry", which sees you guiding the decisions of a bunch of teens at summer camp where something is lurking in the nearby woods.
The player acts as the director of this horror adventure story, since the plot changes with every decision you make. Who will survive and which people get paired up - all that is in your hands.
In true horror tradition, the story centres around nine teenage counsellors at Hackett's Quarry holiday camp.
At the end of the summer, once everyone has left camp, the counsellors are keen to spend one last night partying around the campfire. But instead the group experiences a living nightmare and are soon forced to make life-or-death decisions.
In between the many rich cutscenes with several familiar actor faces, there is plenty to discover in the world of Hackett's Quarry, and the game lets you explore the spooky camp's surroundings, including the surrounding forest and a small island.
Tarot cards and hand-written notes give you tips on what to do next steps in the game's various missions.
Alongside these guides, there are action sequences where you need to press button combinations as fast as you can. Key them in too late and you may end up watching your characters die a quick but bloody on-screen death.
Players slip into different character roles in the course of the game. Some are animated, or played by real actors. Some you may know from popular horror films or series.
Lin Shaye, familiar from films "Insidious" and "Ouija," plays Constance Hackett. Ariel Winter plays Abigail, known to many from comedy series "Modern Family." Ryan is played by Justice Smith, who we know from his lead role in "Detective Pikachu."
"The Quarry" is not only a solid stand-alone game to play on your own, but also works for a film night with friends. You can opt for the film mode to view the game like any film at the cinema. This mode means you watch the storyline unfold without intervening.
It's fun both to watch or to play and although its tropey approach is somewhat predictable at times, it delivers hard-hitting horror with fast-pased cuts.
"The Quarry" is available for players aged 18 and over for PC, PlayStation and Xbox at a price of around $60 or €60. Special editions cost extra.
