Supermassive Games' latest horror title,The Quarry, is the spiritual successor ofUntil Dawn. LikeUntil Dawn, it is an interactive horror drama told through the perspective of various teenage characters. While they are alike in many ones,The Quarrydid contain a whole new cast of characters, location, and simpler quick-time event ques, as well as new gameplay modes such as couch co-op.
Couch co-op allows multiple people to playThe Quarryby assigning themselves different characters. It is an odd style of couch co-op in terms of video games, ascouch co-optitles typically involve competition or working together, not role-playing in a narrative drama. However, the couch co-op ofThe Quarrymakes for an outstanding party game that should be replicated.
RELATED:Players Must Be Careful With The Quarry’s Death Rewind Feature
How The Quarry’s Couch Co-op Works
Couch co-op lets up to eight people play on the same system with just one controller. The game pauses when the narrative switches characters and notifies players to pass the controller. Additionally, each player can tailor the accessibility settings individually, which means more, and less experienced gamers can enjoyThe Quarry’scouch co-op without worry about difficulty.
The caveat of this mode is that not every character gets the same amount of playtime. For the best experience, players should know beforehand how much playtime each character has. For example, Laura is gone for half of the game, but then has nearly an entire chapter to herself.Since the game also basically a slasher movie, players also will not be bored while watching.
What Makes The Quarry’s Couch Co-op Special
WhileThe Quarrycan feel unpredictable with a single player, it takes on a whole new sense of chaos with eight players. One player can accidentally - or purposefully - try to kill another player’s character. Friends can betray each other, leave one behind when the going gets rough, or sacrifice everything to try and save one another.
The wayThe Quarryworks, it acts like a half movie-night and half game-night. It takes about 10 hours to beat, so it may take a couple of gatherings for the players to beat the entire game. In that sense, it actually is a lot likeDungeons and Dragons; co-op that encourages getting cozy, bringing snacks, and yelling and laughing at each other’s choices. The story has a new dynamic, one that can make or break friendships just likeMario Party.
Notes That Future Games Should Take From The Quarry
WhileThe Quarry’scouch co-op has set itself apart as a unique party game, it is not perfect. Interactive dramas do not have to stick to horror, as this sort of co-op could spread to games more similar toHeavy Rain,Life is Strange,or Telltale’sThe Wolf Among Us. Some playthroughs already use different characters in these games as a way to take turns. Interactive RPGs with multiple characters setting up these couch co-op modes can bring a new kind of party game into the playing field.
Game developers should also take note of how interactive stories likeThe Quarrycan encourage party gameplay through its narrative.The Quarry,being a horror game, is a perfect experience for Halloween parties. The horror genre could really bank on this type of couch co-op mode. However, other genres like teen drama, dating simulators, superheroes, mystery, and more can really shine through this kind of interactive co-op with multiple characters.
The Quarryis available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
