Probably in my Top 3 favorite games of all-time. I remember I played the original (1998) at my cousin's house after we rented it from Blockbuster for a sleepover. It scared me so bad that I didn't stop thinking about it for months. I remember taking $20 I got for mowing my grandparents' lawn, walking to the comic book/dirty shithole shop downtown on Main St, and feeling so happy to finally buy it for myself.

So, when this came out a few years ago, I felt immediately transported back to that time in my childhood that felt so special to me. I honestly can't choose between the two. I've beaten the remake probably a dozen times and it still scared the piss out of me this time. Multiple times! WHAT A THRILL. They nailed everything about the original that I loved. The setting was so meticulously constructed and every detail lovingly pored over. The animations are absolutely top-notch. This is the best example of the best genre. It really is survival horror at its absolute finest. I wish I could shake the developers' hands and tell them how much I appreciate this profound impact on my life. I've been in it for two decades with them and I imagine I still will be in the next two.

What an absolute nightmare of a game. The only saving grace was that I got to stream it alongside an audience who was as baffled by it as I was. Maybe it's better after the patches but I don't think it's too unreasonable to judge a game by its quality at launch (and still after paying $60.) I actually really liked Until Dawn, but The Quarry straight up wasn't finished-- it should be releasing like right now (Oct. 2022) for an added spooky bonus. God knows it needed a few more months in the oven. I'm not even sure how much it could even be saved by patches. So many instances of just the most jarring camera cuts I've ever seen in one of these cinematic-type games-- characters saying something, finishing a thought, and then the camera cutting to them beginning a new thought from a different angle, as if they were having a conversation with themselves. Asinine mechanical flaws like needing to interact with notes twice to actually get everything out of them. Graphical glitches galore. Dialogue that made Until Dawn Emily's social-media-speak seem Shakespearian. Characters acting completely obtuse with other characters for in-game weeks just so it serves the plot. Maybe the problem is that I played it on PS4, because the game just completely shits itself every time there's a moment of impact-- I mean literally, whenever someone gets hit, or shot, or stabbed or whatever, the game decides that it must make a save that very second, which in turn tanks the performance during pivotal moments. I'm really not somebody who dislikes games, I tend to get more good than bad out of it. Again, had I played this alone after spending 60 dollars on it, I'd say that I got absolutely nothing out of The Quarry besides moderate heartburn.

Some of the characters were fun at least, and the mystery elements were nice. One star for that, and the other half for my "so bad it's kinda good" experience with it.

[GBA Version] No matter how close Vicarious Visions get to making a good game, they absolutely fumble it before the end zone every time because they just SUCK at making fun enemies. Every single enemy they make always gets the drop on you, always gets the first hit, always knocks you down, for half your health bar, no matter if you try to dodge, or if you sneak up on them. The game feels good, but if every single level you have to deal with their terrible annoying enemies, it's gonna get frustrating after a while. No matter the quality of the rest.

Fun but frustrating. Bosses are very hard and you can't skip the dialogue.

The 2bit style is pretty and well made but it's sometimes hard to tell scenery from enemies.
Cat mechanics are clever.

It's fairly short, which is a plus, I got about halfway through but the Boss encounters are not fun for me. I cheesed the 2nd boss and gave up against the 3rd.

Metroidvania fans will probably enjoy this more.