Does Until Dawn Push PS4 Technology To The Next Level?

Supermassive's long-awaited horror epic surpasses expectations.

[Thatguy-310]

I think as far as presentation goes definitely. That game just looked amazing. Going forward and tapping into hardware limitations is really going to bring this type of genre out there. There is a type of immersion one gets when playing games like these. The one thing I wish this game did was toy around more with the button prompts. I remember the entertaining struggles with heavy rain when you had to play a game of twister with your fingers when getting through certain levels. I truly hope that they make a sequel or a game that follows a similar story to what was presented in Until Dawn. Slasher story driven games fit so well with this genre.

[Hoffmann]

Just imagine a studio would use the idea for a big slasher movie series of the past.

Something like the stories of Haloween, Freddy Krueger, Friday 13th etc could continue with the looks of the old actors in such a game form as example.

[amiga-man]

I have to say there are some moments in the game the graphics look almost real, some of the best character modelling out there, couple that with great animation and voice acting all adds up to a really believable enviroment for the game to flourish in.

Playing it today really left me amazed at how realistic the in game graphics are and bodes well for games and gamers in the future.

Hats off to Supermassive for a job well done.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Agreed. Its one of the rare moments when you forget your playing a game in a good way.

The immersion is unreal with this game. I want to see just how deep they can take this genre and hope it becomes a thing! Consider we only get give or take 2 hours with a film, this game is clocking in at 9 hours of just 1 playthrough type.

Your getting a deep back story with the characters to know every one's place and how it effects the game.

Knowing someone was an ex to someone else really, really helps understand the next scenes!

I've talked about this before longer in Film with Film vs Television where Film is the art of telling you in a very short way something to convey the character to move the story along.

Television gets to do this for many, many episodes, this game does it well with the first 2 hours.

The first 2 hours which would have just been any normal film, is literally just opening up who is who and letting the knowledge of that carry over to the rest of the game.

This now becomes the staple of what we mean when folks say games are bridging that gap.

This is very much a game, with an amazing script. Some games say they have a good story...this game actually, really does.

Ask yourself in the first 2 hours of the game, did you in 2 hours of any horror film get better character development?

Did the film spend 30 minutes telling you about the history of 1 character? When stacked up against real films, this game actually does so many things BETTER then what an actual horror film would do.

This is very much bridging the game, play this game for me is coming very close to just watching a real horror for those same reason, but now I get to choice how it ends and who I want to live or die. I still can't believe just how great this game is.

A sleeper hit for sure, but I want it to be much more.

Some folks did things differently then I did too.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

I choose to try to wake up her brother. @7.38

[robtion]

Yes. Well said. Let's hope for more in the future.

[OhMyGandhi]

agreed.
this game is absolutely incredible. at first, I thought so many people were selling the game as "a group of archetypes vacation to a large cabin retreat in the Canadian wilderness. Chaos ensues."
so many people made it sound like the game did nothing for the characters themselves, which I vehemently disagree with. I cared more about "the slutty idiot without a brain but steely determination" then most characters in ANY now game nowadays.

I cared more about her boyfriend, a similarly thick headed frat boy whose endearing looks and personality make up for his nonsense and horesplay.

These are not easy traits to imbue into characters that you are actually supposed to CARE about, but I found myself nervously inching forward, and thinking damned hard about my decisions, more-so then I did in a game like Heavy Rain or Indigo Prophecy, or The Wolf Among Us.

This game is incredible. It's beautiful. It has incredible lighting and a heavy atmosphere that enshrouds a location that is one of the most realized I've seen.

I have no complaints.

[SoapShoes]

It has great graphics but I think The Order had better if just slightly. This uses the Killzone ShadowFall engine so it looks great. I think Uncharted 4 looks even better now in beta.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Agreed. Until Dawn looks amazing and its easily a top 5 best looking game on PS4 by far, but The Order looks slightly better, but what is really better in a league of such amazing artist and on powerful hardware?

They did a great job with what they were dealt with. Crazy to think this game's life began as a PS3 Move game, but many of gaming's great titles began life as other games.

Halo an RTS, Ico was originally going to be a PS1 game etc.

[kenwonobi]

I couldn't agree more. I am really hoping this game does well enough to inspire sequels or more games similar to it in its genre slasher related. This generation is perfect to show off horror games.

[Chaosdreams]

It pushes immersion and story telling to a whole new level. If you want to label that as technology, go ahead.

Love the game (I hope they make more like it.) Anything Thriller/Horror + blending genres or inspirations = prime.

Would totally dig more horror though.

Totally.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Agreed. I'm just such a sucker games like this. Give me a good story and I'm in. I want narrative based games to very much be a thing

[Eonjay]

Its just very well crafted for what it is. They nailed the atmosphere and mocaps. I agree with @Chaosdreams. The tech was good but its really the atmosphere that they built that steals the show.

And about the genre, its nice to see games taking the horror genre seriously...angst and all. With the grit of a gory slasher.

[F0XHOUND]

Its fantastic, almost reminds me of a quantic dreams game. Saying that, just wait till we get their next game, that will push the hardware to aanother level!

[robtion]

Yep. Can't wait to see it soon at Paris games show.

[FallenAngel1984]

I can't wait to see Quantic Dream's prowess with PS4 hardware

[ABBAJESUS]

I hope that in the future we will get more games like this :)

[baraka007]

I'm on my second play through and IMO this game is great. A lot of times the camera reminds me of old RE and Silent Hill. The character models are really good but it does dip into low FPS here and there but it's nothing that's a problem and being a pc gamer I'm kinda used to it I guess. I recommend everyone check it out and give it time because the game gets better around chapter 3 and 4. The characters develop more personality too

[pedrof93]

This.

[NeckBeardBSMTDweller]

No, its a playable movie. I know the PS4 is capable of much more than this.

[BitbyDeath]

That is the point, feeling like you are playing something real. Next step is VR, to make you feel like you are in said playable movie.

[_-EDMIX-_]

"I know the PS4 is capable of much more than this" really now ,tell us when your PS4 game launches.

[NeckBeardBSMTDweller]

Ok..ok....I retract my previous statement. PS4 has seen the best quality that it is capable of.

Now are you fools happy?

[fishy1]

Wow neck, according to all your disagrees, everyone thinks this is all the ps4 can do LoL. Sorry guys, this is not its max, not even close.

[_-EDMIX-_]

No one say it is or isn't, but clearly many here are not making PS4 exclusives to actually really know that. Many have already stated that this gen will max out likely sooner then last gen. I think we will get better looking games on PS4, but not by THAT much, nothing night and day.

You can only really make hardware do so much, PS4 is much better optimized then PS3 was. They are getting that level sooner then last gen as they don't have to work around some curve.

[MysticStrummer]

I disagree with him for saying Until Dawn is a playable movie, not because he said PS4 can do better. That I agree with… which means I can't hit either agree or disagree.

[Spotie]

I'm always amazed at how you guys pick a specific thing out of a comment to say people are disagreeing with, and try to paint it as ridiculous. Moreso, I'm amazed at WHAT you pick; odd that you didn't pick the "playable movie" comment, which carries negative connotations.

But go ahead. Choose the less logical remark and be "outraged" over that.

[fishy1]

Lol ok, apparently I was wrong, you guys are right. PS4 has maxed its capability with a QTE play along movie that in the end was a so-so, overhyped teen play along movie. LOL

[OhMyGandhi]

the game is an homage to slasher movies of yesteryear. It even goes as far as saying "previously on Until Dawn" before the start of each chapter.
So yes, you are right. It is meant to be an interactive experience with cinematic elements, even going as far as sharing the narrative qualities often intrinsic to film and/or television. It also goes beyond that implied stigma, by ushering in a new decision engine that accounts for nearly action the player takes, guiding the player through one of many ways that the game could potentially unfold.
So. It's more like 1000 different movies with the same general theme, and the game is changing dynamically within those interactions.

The PS4 is a capable machine with diverse gameplay experiences that can suit any individual taste.

[bOObies]

Amazing game. All the BS they have always said to gamers throughout the last two generations of consoles about games and the possibilities like, "Like you're in a movie" "Story telling that you control" and other hyperbole. This is the first game that actually did it. This game was like nothing I ever played before, and I hope they make more

[_-EDMIX-_]

Could not agree more, this might be the closest thing we have to such a idea. Its been dropped in many games before, but this game really means it and pulls it off amazingly.

[criticalkare]

Just imagine what Quantic Dream can do with PS4 tech...

[Soap_Z]

UD's success makes me much more look forward to Quantic Dream's new game.

[BABY-JEDI]

I'm looking forward to playing this. It's also good to know it has some re-play-ability. Which is always a good thing with this type of game

[Boozehound]

I'm less than impressed with this game. After going through the game twice, it just doesn't seem like most of the choices have any impact at all, there's a few sure, but I tried to kill all the characters as fast as I could on my second play through and well, some just can't die until certain scenes.

Purposely missing QTEs didn't speed things along either, except in a couple of circumstances, but again those were only in those scenes where the character was allowed to die.

[F0XHOUND]

You have to remember this is a game, not reality. It has to be scripted in places or else it might not work....

[Boozehound]

I realize that, but when a game says your decisions matter when they ultimately do not, it leaves more to be desired. Anyone who's gone through the game more than once will tell you it's a chore to play through again, and the first 5 chapters are pretty much the same regardless of choices. It's the same thing as Mass Effect and The Walking Dead, choice is an illusion, and that's my problem with Until Dawn, not to mention that it's just not scary at all.

[someOnecalled]

Booze this is not fable so they are not going to get what you are saying hype misdirection and overhyping is OK when its sony

[Ashunderfire86]

Spoiler Alert( Well sort of not naming any character)

I thought that was the main issue about the game(I still think its a great game), but I understand why the developers made 3 characters a plot device until the end. One of those 3 characters can die in the second to last chapter, but the 2 main characters can die in the end, depending on your choice. They wanted to make the game length longer each time you play. They should add more ways to kill these main characters at the end. Despite some of these flaws, this game is a big hit!!! It started a new genre which is interactive horror movie games! I really hope more developers use these mechanics for another awesome new ip or license horror movies like Scream, Saw, Friday the 13th, Freddy Kruger, heck Final Destination man!!! Remember that Final Destination 3 Choose their fate DVD?

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Final Destination would really do great as interactive movie game.

[massapeal79]

Maybe

[ilikepizza]

No. Dafuc.

[Spotie]

Very sound reasoning. Can't dispute that.

[ilikepizza]

these graphics look super "ok". It's not anything isnt pre scripted in a closed type environment. They could basically used cgi content in stead of gameplay.

[mogwaii]

Definitely not getting this, not my thing at all but it sure looks good.

[SaveMeJebus]

My friend and I loved this game. There was just so much immersion that it felt like you were actually a part of the story. I was awesome being able to decide who lives and who dies. If a character is annoying you, choose not to save her from a collapsing tower. My friend and I passed the controller and got through almost the whole game without anyone dying and right toward the end, he got my favorite character's head cut off. I genuinely felt angry at him for checking his "real life" phone and not paying attention to the game. 10/10 in my book.

[Imortus_san]

A liniear game, with limited choises, predefined everything, yes it will be able to push the grafic barrier up, it's a no brainer.

[SaveMeJebus]

Obviously, you have never played the game, or attended grammar school.

[DafunkyRebel]

I doubt he went to school at all

[Imortus_san]

Did I lied? In any way did I said the game was bad, just stated a fact.

[SaveMeJebus]

My friend and I loved this game. There was just so much immersion that it felt like you were actually a part of the story. I was awesome being able to decide who lives and who dies. If a character is annoying you, choose not to save her from a collapsing tower. My friend and I passed the controller and got through almost the whole game without anyone dying and right toward the end, he got my favorite character's head cut off. (There is no going back btw) I genuinely felt angry at him for checking his "real life" phone and not paying attention to the game. 10/10 in my book.

[MysticStrummer]

"If a character is annoying you, choose not to save her from a collapsing tower"

lol Everyone hates her.

[kenwonobi]

Make more of them. I'll keep buying all slasher horror related games. Just look how well a smartly made horror game gives a company recognized or money wise. It works. Make more please.

[SaveMeJebus]

I agree. The horror genre is perfect for this type of game. Make a wrong move or hesitate too long and someone dies, that's it. No do overs. It really adds to the tension. I like games like that.

[kenwonobi]

This is the type of game I love playing. Gettin good scores is just icing on the cake to me.

[zombie78rock]

If you though this game pushes the limits well your in for a surprise when Uncharted 4 Thief's End comes out.I'm gearing up for MGS5 so I'll wait until it's cheaper. just got to stay away from those u tube vid's!!!

[benji101]

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3...

What the Japanese think..

Personally I think the game looks fun.. Japanese gamers however prefer games you actually play...

[Roronoa0411]

If you look at most of the comments translated its because of the censored content and the difference between the western version and their version.