STACK #212 June 2022

GAMING FEATURE

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“We've been really lucky in that the cast we have is the cast we wanted all along,” Byles says enthusiastically. “We knew with this game that we wanted to get a great mix of young talent and well-established horror legends. We've also benefited from the fact that this isn't our first game – following the success of games like Until Dawn , we have actors who actually reach out to us!” With COVID-19 greatly affecting the development of games over the past couple of years, Supermassive still managed to get some of their cast members interacting in the same space. “It was a good mix,” Byles tells us. “Not everybody was in the room at the same time, but several actors were together when they filmed their parts. For example, Siobhan Williams and Skyler Gisondo shot their prologue scenes together.” The Quarry sees the line between game and film truly blurred, especially when players engage ‘Movie Mode’. “Movie Mode is one of our favourite features, and it’s exactly what it sounds like – you can sit back, relax and watch the game play out,” says Byles. “We offer different cuts of the game – there's one where everyone lives, one where everyone dies, and my favourite, Gorefest, which results in choices that are quite bloody. There's even a Director's Chair option, where you can ‘direct’ each of the counsellors on how they respond and react to situations, resulting in a unique experience each time.” As well as delivering a cool new interactive horror experience for fans of the genre, Byles also hopes that The Quarry sparks interaction between fans. “I can't wait for players to play and share their unique game experiences with each other, he enthuses. “There are a ton of decisions to make in the game, and I imagine many players will want to try and figure out what choices led to which outcomes. As you're faced with unimaginable choices, what will you do? Who will you save? You may be surprised at who you become in The Quarry …”

Horror game maestros Supermassive Games return this month with a new terrifying tale, The Quarry .We had a chat with the game’s director, Will Byles, to find out more of what’s in store. Words Amy Flower

A brand new teen-horror narrative game, The Quarry comes from the same team that created Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology . As with those experiences, every decision shapes your unique story from a web of possibilities – anyone can be the star of the show, or die before daylight comes. The story this time has an instantly classic feel. “The teenage camp counsellors of Hackett's Quarry summer camp find themselves stuck for one more night,” Byles tells us. “Rather than heed caution and stay inside, they decide to throw one last bonfire party and, in classic horror fashion, things start to go deadly wrong as they're hunted by blood-drenched locals and something far more sinister.” Many horror experiences draw on tropes from classic movies, and The Quarry is no exception. “We're inspired by many of our luminaries in the horror genre,” admits Byles, “including films like I KnowWhat You Did Last Summer , The Cabin in the Woods , Friday the 13th , Deliverance , Sleepaway Camp , the original Evil Dead and more.” The game’s predecessors also play a part. “With The Quarry , we're taking all of our learnings from our previous games and applying them here,” Byles says. “It's been several years since Until Dawn , and so much has changed – especially the technology. Working with our

• The Quarry is out on June 10

Lin Shaye

partners at Digital Domain, we're now able to capture actor performances at an incredible level of fidelity and can ingest that data into our game very quickly. The fact that we can do this allows us to bring our creative vision to the game much easier and smoother than before.” Speaking of actors, The Quarry brings together a great mix of young and established acting talent, including the likes of David Arquette, Lin Shaye, Lance Henriksen and Ariel Winter.

The Quarry delivers two options for those after a multiplayer experience, in a local co-op mode and a new online mode. Byles tells us more… “For local co-op, up to eight players are assigned counsellors and you take turns passing the controller around when it's that player’s turn. Online mode functions differently – one player is designated the host to control the game, and can invite up to seven other friends to vote on decisions, resulting in a story created by the whole group.”

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JUNE 2022

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