The developer is currently working on several games that will be part of The Dark Pictures Anthology, but it has already been clarified that The Quarry is a standalone project like Until Dawn, even considered something of a spiritual sequel. To make The Quarry improve upon Until Dawn, it shouldn’t repeat Until Dawn’s mistakes and tell an entirely different story.

RELATED: The Quarry Cast and Characters List

The Quarry: What We Know So Far

In its announcement trailer, The Quarry looks to be a classic teen-horror flick that takes its cue from several cornerstones of the genre. In the game, players will control nine teenagers and entertainers at a summer camp in the remote forests of northern New York. None of them are aware of the dangers that lurk in the forests until it is too late. This premise is clearly riffing off popular genre staples from the 1980s like Friday the 13th. Younger players might also find similarities with the ninth season of American Horror Story: 1984, or in media like Stranger Things.

As mentioned, the protagonists are played by Hollywood stars and celebrities such as David Arquette (Scream), Ariel Winter (Modern Family), Justice Smith (Jurassic World), Brenda Song (Dollface), Lance Henriksen (Aliens), and Lin Shaye (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Many more are expected to be announced over the coming weeks.

RELATED: House of Ashes Highlights Why The Dark Pictures Anthology Hasn’t Recaptured Until Dawn’s Success

The Quarry’s Similarities With Until Dawn

In addition to Friday the 13th, The Quarry also appears to reference movies like The Hills Have Eyes and Deliverance. The game will not focus much on jump scares, but on tension as with Until Dawn. The similarities are apparent, even in the game’s initial concept: a group of teenagers who find themselves trapped and under duress in an isolated summer camp (rather than a cabin in the mountains).

The Quarry also reuses the solid formula that characterizes every Supermassive Games title. In this case, it is a graphic horror adventure in which players shape the story. In every one of Supermassive’s previous titles, like the latest House of Ashes, it is of crucial importance to choose the path players want to take in order to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. The lives of all the characters that appear in the game are in the hands of the players.

These mechanics allow players to have broad choices on how to progress, and enable the game to have good replay value. Supermassive Games recently revealed five new titles in the Dark Pictures Anthology that all focus on this type of gameplay. The developers also wanted people to play the game together with friends; online with up to seven people in the case of The Quarry, with the players invited to attend and vote on key decisions.

An exciting feature introduced with The Quarry is selecting levels of difficulty, which was not possible in previous games. This will allow all types of players to enjoy the game and appreciate its nuances. In addition, players can watch the entire story with the film mode so that they can enjoy The Quarry as if it were a TV series. Finally, once the adventure is completed for the first time, the ability to play a new game with three lives will be unlocked. The points at which characters can die are many, so three lives aren’t much, but they serve to remedy some mistakes that players make.

RELATED: The Toughest Decisions Players Have To Make In Until Dawn (& What Happens When You Make Them)

How The Quarry Can Improve

While Until Dawn has been widely praised by critics, it’s not a game without flaws. One of the aspects that have caused the most discussion is quick-time events (QTEs). In some sections of the game, players are allowed to make mistakes since they will not have any consequence on the story. By contrast, a small distraction in a QTE phase will likely lead to specific characters dying, turning it into a bad decision. It was a design choice to ensure players pay attention, but this can also be an issue for accessibility.

Another flaw that The Quarry should improve is the management of collectibles. In Until Dawn, finding some collectibles is crucial for certain characters to continue their adventure. This means going straight to the end of the game could be a wrong choice, players are obliged to stop and explore secondary areas. Another thing that should be better managed in The Quarry is the diversification of the secondary areas. In Until Dawn, it is almost impossible to determine whether following one path leads the player to continue the story or explore hidden areas.

Finally, the fear in Until Dawn is mainly unraveled indoors, sometimes with jump scares, not making the most of the mountain setting. The Quarry should improve this mechanic and take advantage of the external environments to create a greater sense of anguish, even when people are outdoors and with different possibilities of escape.

The Quarry will be available from June 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: Best PS4 and Xbox One Horror Games Day 26: Until Dawn