Until Dawn is an experience unlike any other for several reasons; primarily, because it is every good—and bad—horror story, gloriously merged into a single, original and innovative narrative. It contains a little bit of everything and in my eyes, is the definitive teen horror story in video gaming. Until Dawn was originally planned to release as a PlayStation 3 exclusive with a heavy emphasis on the PlayStation Move component a few years ago, but was rebuilt from the ground up as a PlayStation 4 exclusive title; I've been following the game's development since its original rumor and it's an unfortunate understatement when I say that it was well worth the wait.
Until Dawn tells the story of eight friends who return to the Blackwood Pines lodge on Mount Washington on the one year anniversary of the disappearance of two of their friends, and quickly learn that something sinister had been waiting for their arrival. With a cast of brilliant actors—some well known, some not so much—portraying the roles of the eight playable characters, it weaves together a story of intrigue, tension, suspense and of course, the supernatural. It explores a small handful of different themes, not only within the narrative, but within the characters themselves and manages to sink its teeth into players from the moment the experience begins and well after it's over.
One unfortunate struggle that horror games always seem to face is the concept of pacing; in some experiences, everything begins to unfold terribly early and leaves the rest of the story stale and exorbitant. In other cases, it's far too long of a build up and players often lose interest before the story has reached a turning point. Until Dawn manages to secure the concept quite well, to the point where enough strange and eyebrow-raising occurrences present themselves early enough to keep players interested, but the game doesn't show its hand within the first hour, either. The plot unfolds at a steady pace, but there is a handful of information and situations that will not be witnessed on the first play through and that is because of Supermassive Games' implementation of the refreshing and innovative Butterfly Effect system.
I think it's safe to say that everyone's heard of the butterfly effect or chaos theory at some point in their lives, whether it be in passing or because one has read A Sound of Thunder or watched the unforgivably disappointing film. The butterfly effect is a phenomenon in which a small event in the initial condition of a system results in significant changes in later conditions. Most people associate it with weather; for example, a butterfly flapping its wings in say, California, may result in a tropical storm on the east coast. The butterfly effect is ever so present in Until Dawn and is the primary drive in the narrative; the game is centered on player choice, and choices made in the game have enough of an effect to determine who will live and who will die. With that being said, it is entirely possible to complete the game with all eight characters alive at the end, or with all eight of them dead, or anything in between.
True, every decision made in Until Dawn has a consequence, but like in real life, there are some situations where a choice is presented that will have the same ultimate consequence no matter what, but may vary in how people perceive, react towards or treat you. Some people may feel cheated in this regard, because the game does have a heavy emphasis on decision making and kind of takes that away from the player during key moments for the sake of the plot. It's understandable, but one has to recognize that sometimes, situations are only disguised as choices. That's why I respect the decision system in Until Dawn so much: it embodies real world elements and there is no "right" or "wrong" decision.
Initially, Until Dawn reads like your classic teen horror film; a group of young people isolated in a remote location and are sharing company with a deranged psychopath. However, later in the narrative, it takes a surprising turn towards the supernatural in a smart and interesting twist. It embodies a true-to-life mythology of the Algonquian culture and it reminds me a little of the final chapters of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, but with the overall setting and tone of Until Dawn, the situation is much darker and significantly more insidious. I personally found it a little disappointing, because I wanted the 'stalked by a psychopath' theme to be explored more than it was, but the narrative was an overall solid presentation regardless.
Until Dawn boasts some of the most impressive and stunning visuals I have ever seen in a video game. It has an almost obsessive-compulsive attention to detail, even with the most insignificant of aspects, which shows a tremendous amount of effort towards creating a truly cinematic and immersive experience. The environments truly present the same kind of vibes I would expect if I were personally in the same situation as the characters in the game; the snowy landscape of the mountain feels isolated, threatening and inspires paranoia, while the labyrinth of the lodge feels grand, intimidating and claustrophobic in some instances. With proper lighting effects and shadows, the experience depicts itself as realistic as possible, and with original and disturbing camera angles, you'll always feel as though you're being watched. With a beautifully orchestrated score by veteran composer, Jason Graves, the setting and tones of Until Dawn are solidified by the eerily fitting music that truly sets the stage for a palm-sweating, hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck situation and it is absolutely brilliant.
Like any story—no matter how good or bad—there will always be the occasional plot-hole or last-minute twist that could have been better thought out, and Until Dawn isn't innocent of that. There are a couple of instances where the game pulls a cheap retcon, but upon closer inspection of the original fact, the dramatic plot shift feels almost like an after thought and doesn't prove to be consistent. It is a little frustrating given that the rest of the narrative is on the proper track, but this little instance may be enough to derail the impact for some players, even if it is only in a minor sense.
Until Dawn is an unfortunately short game; I managed to complete it in around eight to nine hours, and the true and unfortunate downside is that the game could have easily been a little longer if the theme of being stalked by a psychopath was explored more. However, maybe that's just me trying to find a legitimate excuse for the game to further explore that theme. In spite of the fact, Until Dawn offers moderately high replay value because due to the butterfly effect system, different choices will present different consequences; the player will miss out on critical information, situations and scenes if they only play through the game once. Either way, Until Dawn is a masterpiece that should be explored, analyzed and appreciated consistently.
As PlayStation celebrates its 30th anniversary, let's explore the best PlayStation games Sony has to offer.
There's too many games to choose from
No Metal geat solid 1,2,3,4?
No Resident evil?
No Silent hill?
No Midnight club 3?
No NfS Underground 2?
No Final Fantasy?
No Burnout 3?
No Dragon quest 8?
No Days gone?
No Ace combat?
No Tekken/Soul calibur?......
just from the top of my head
PS1 era was full of great RPGs, PS2 was racing generation i would pick top 200 and even that would be just a fraction.
30 is way too low over the entire history of Playstation, I just wouldn't be able to narrow it down that much, I would pick 100 at least.
Yeah...really odd list. I get that it is personal preference and I love most of the games listed, but my list would definitely be different. I agree though, it would be incredibly difficult to come up with just 30.
I only picked first-party titles. Otherwise, I agree!
EDIT: Except for Days Gone, I don't get the love for it but you do you!
If you don’t plan on trick-or-treating or going to a Halloween-themed party, the next best thing is to relax with a spooky game, and PlayStation Plus members can get some cool games for free. If you’re a PS+ subscriber, there are a bunch of games perfect for Halloween that you can get completely for free.
Note: Some games require higher PS+ tier levels to enjoy free.
Can we stop with the word "Free" when it comes to these subscription services, please? These games aren't free if people are paying for the service.
Calm down, we all know what it means. You’re not paying for the individual game, it’s included. Stop acting outraged over nothing.
Your response is exactly what's wrong with gaming today.
I've always against subscription based gaming services.
He doesn't need to calm down. He's stating what is factual and what should be common sense, however it's clear some people still don't understand this.
It is not free. You do not receive them if you're not paying the subscription to receive them. No ones getting angry other than yourself. He's just stating the simple common sense that no one is receiving a free game they are receiving a game "included" in their subscription plan - That they pay for!
False and manipulative writing/advertisement is wrong and counts on the less educated letting it go unchallenged.
Exactly. If anyone wants to play any of these games through PS+ one has to pay a monthly subscription fee which means it's not free.
All great games, honestly. Though, I did feel The Devil In Me was the worst game that Supermassive has put out.
I went out and bought Dredge, one of my favourite games i have played this year.
If you haven't played it, you really should give it a chance.
Dredge is great, really enjoyed it. One of my favourites too and something original as well.
No. It's just a really poorly written article. Alan Wake 2 is part of the subscriptions "Trial" section - So it's simply a demo, that's all.
Simple "bait and switch" article trying to get hits using manipulative writing.
Oh, ok. I looked on the app and saw the trial available thought I was missing something.
The original release of Until Dawn is showing as unavailable to purchase in some regions of the PlayStation Store.
Oh sure, get rid of the better one that’s cheaper… thanks Sony. What the hell is going on over there?
This is an unbelievably stupid move on their part. They need to reverse this.
They should but this is not the first game axed on the store even for sony i doubt they will do anything.
I mean what are you going to do with your digital only slim/ps5 pro shop in another digital store? you only got one.
What the hell is going on over there?
America is what's going on sony moved there HQ to California then got new leadership after that this new sony took over.
They want max cash with little to no effort there console has tech that only allows there accessories to work there console is a remake box and there pc hatred is real forced psn accounts with real information to play a single player game just f off. Then you got all those ip's collecting dust and so many great studios shutdown or gutted.
Before i get replies xbox is also way worse than before heck there will no doubt have no console next gen but this is about sony.
Thanks to the ps4 not being a digital support box unlike the pro/slim ps5 you can still get until dawn on disc
https://www.ebay.com/itm/15...
I would recommend getting a disc copy asap they will no doubt become collectors soon.
Braindeadninja, look at Mystics video from last week. Digital says are screwed massively. Most exclusives still sell more on disk. They say digital says are up but that includes all the shovel ware. Digital isn't as dominant as you'd be made to believe.
Nothing is going on Crimson, lol. If you'd look the original game is still available for purchase on the store. They had this newer version made because there is an Until Dawn movie coming out and this is the same cross media move they did like with the last of us.
Sony is a money grubbing, slime bag corporation... Duh. Does anyon really think they're not entirely about increasing profits?
They are pushing gamers away. I've been PS since the start but I have a PS5 that can already play the PS4 game if I want to revisit it. We finally get backwards compatibility and they decide to remaster everything already on PS4. It's sad to see the way they're going.
if jim ryan was still there i'd blame him, now...nickel and diming until newer games release
I know right!? I mean I think this is still a residual from the Ryan reign, but good grief the decisions they’ve been making are baffling to me and completely out of touch.
Why do they keep doing this shit, wtf.
Bad part is that I really liked the original and was thinking about getting this, but after the silly redesign I'll pass or wait for PS+.
That's not the point. Rockstar did this with the GTA Trilogy on Steam and it's still gone, forcing us to play the trash version. Sony just did it with Horizon as well. It's gaming history being erased for no reason other than to force people into buying a remake. Imagine if movies did this? Imagine being stuck watching the live action Dumbo for all eternity or trying to source a disc in the year 2050. That's where this digital future is leading us.
Everybody should really be against this.
Got to be a error? As how can the new version be played on the PS4 when it's for PS5 only?
@Inverno: I'm seriously considering selling mine. I use to obsess over this company but nowadays they're just awful and I genuinely hate giving them money.
Haven't read much into this but what are the differences between original and remake ?
Oh yeah wouldnt want to drop frames on such an intense action game. Every frame is vital.
visual improvements aside going from the Decima Engine to UE5, apparently the new one adds in more story. According to most reviews though, the additions actually detract from the story and affect the pacing by slowing things down.
Nice review, thanks for keeping it spoiler free.
I haven't finished my first run through yet but am loving the game and can already tell I will play it multiple times.
Can I ask how many did you manage to save on your first try?
10/10? Seriously?
You are the first person with score 10.
I don't think that game is worth 10.
Looks little weird then you see score 10 for that game and score 10 for MGSV masterpiece. Is the Until Dawn is a masterpiece like MGSV?
10/10 is definitely too high in my book.
I wouldn't even give Mass Effect series, Witcher 3, or Skyrim or Fallout games a 10, more like 9.5's... let alone this game.
And those are MEATY games with a lot going on and lots of things to do and see. And actual gameplay.
I'm glad you enjoyed the game, but I've played Indigo Prophecy, Heavy Rain, Beyond Two souls, and they are really great experiences, but I didn't walk away from even those experiences feeling like they deserve 9.5 scores..
To each their own tho.
You have me excited. That was a very professional review. It has officially gotten a 10 now by another site. So you obviously aren't alone in thinking it's a masterpiece.
A 10....