Until Dawn Review | Good Game

Good Game's Bajo and Hex have two very different opinions of Until Dawn.

[Wh15ky]

Perhaps it's not for everyone.

I love it, one of the best story based games I've ever played and, I'd also go as far to say, it's the first evolutionary step in gaming that I've experienced so far this gen.

[Gazondaily]

On what basis is it evolutionary? Genuine question. I haven't had a chance to play it yet and know very little about it.

[Pintheshadows]

It is mainly down to the way the choices play out and the way the butterfly effect is implemented. It is much more pronounced than in say, Heavy Rain. It really does change the experience in very big ways.

[Gazondaily]

Ah nice one. Deffo gonna check it out

[Wh15ky]

I found that the game took an evolutionary step because it takes the heavy rain-type formula to the next level and IMO that formula should be a big part of the future of all story driven games, whether FPS, TPS, open world, adventure etc.

In most of these types of games the story is just a distraction. It's there to distract you from the fact that all you really have to do is get from point A to point B without dying.

The likes of Heavy Rain and Until Dawn prove that the story can be much more than that.

I also like the clever and subtle uses of the DS4.

[uth11]

That score is out of line with the review they gave. She really liked it in particular but only gave it a 70 in the end.

She also made a comment along the lines of "don't hate me for liking this", which made me wonder if they expected it to be poorly received by other reviewers and kept their scores low to still seem credible

[Ocsta]

These reviews are all over the place. Luckily I don't buy games based on reviews. Case in point, Mad Max.

[TripC50]

The butterfly effect thing. Would you say it's an important game evolving feature like Shadow of Mordor's Nemisis system? I feel like the Nemisis system was an awesome feature that made the game great. I think the next big step will be crackdown's cloud computing. I love seeing these game changing mechanics this gen! I hope we keep getting surprised.

[TeamLeaptrade]

Yeah it's certainly not for everyone. Some people love the idea of a story driven game like this, but some just want to be more in control of everything.

[moegooner88]

Script is bad?? Lol what a joke. Go play COD

[scark92]

Someone needs to tell them that this has a 'B Movie Script'.

[kayoss]

I dont understand these critics. They know this is a b movie horror base game. Yet they are still surprised by the story after playing it. This game have a better story then most horror movies today. FACT!

[Toiletsteak]

I get that not everyone will like it but, this seems to be a way to just get clicks on your site by reviewing a game and giving it a bad score even though it is getting great reviews.

[fermcr]

So a 5.5 is click bait!
What about a perfect 10, is that click bait?

[Wh15ky]

@fermcr

"What about a perfect 10, is that click bait?"

No. I don't know about you, but I don't tend to click on the perfect 10 reviews.

It's like Amazon or Trip Advisor etc, I always bypass all the perfect scores and go straight to the worst reviews to see if the complaints sound justfied.

[amiga-man]

It won't be for everyone, but thats true of any game, the beauty of Sony, they offer such a wide spectrum of gaming, that will appeal to a broad range of gamers.

I thought this was a great game offering something different, even my wife (who doesn't play games) enjoyed it

[Tornado]

5.5, seriously??

[masa2009]

Useless comment

[WeAreLegion]

Then why did you write it?

[TripC50]

Oh snap!

Seriously though. I wish this game would come to Xbox one too.

[masa2009]

Well, it was never going to be a perfect and consensual game given its very nature (Are choices too limited? Are QTEs well used?), but it did get some better reviews than expected, especially as reshuffled PS Move game.

Given their bare lineup this holiday season, Sony should maybe had waited and shipped it later, it was worth the risk. It's a period where games are more visible, exclusives push their platform more, and with Halloween around the corner they could have made a cool ambush marketing campaign of sorts.

They probably thought that it was too niche to push it against the Fallouts, CODs and Assassins Creed of the world in the heart of the holiday shopping spree.

[uth11]

Yes I think that was the best time to release it, just in time for fall, but before the big games drop so it doesn't get lost among the big games.

And they may still give it a Halloween nudge with new a special trailer or something, who knows?

[OB1Biker]

' it did get some better reviews than expected, '
most reviews are very good and Id say the game itself is better than expected.

'Sony should maybe had waited and shipped it later'
I dont get it. You prefer the companies delays games on purpose just to fit in that well marketed 'holiday season' for ....sales?
Im sorry but I prefer good games to release as soon as they are ready.

[iceman06]

"and with Halloween around the corner they could have made a cool ambush marketing campaign of sorts."

They still can. There hasn't been a ton of marketing, especially television. This game is one that will probably have long legs. Now that we have seen a lot of positive reviews, I think that it could go on to sell pretty well. Plus, as you stated, any later and they would be up against a pretty hefty 3rd party lineup.

[lobocob]

I don't like being this guy but this sounds like a person who doesn't get it

[ameliabaz]

I think that applies to horror in general though. I know a lot of people who just don't "get" horror or wanting to be scared. I don't really agree with them, but I can see how a game like this won't appeal to everyone.

[lobocob]

that's a really great point.

[iceman06]

This is SOO true. Especially considering movies like Scream (that blur the lines between horror and satire), it's no surprise that people get confused. The horror genre itself is fairly diverse. Some go for purely jump scares. Some go for the paranormal angle. Some go for the environmental fear. At any rate, they all attempt to get to the same point by using somewhat different means.

[WeAreLegion]

If you want us to take you seriously, don't call yourselves Bajo and Hex.

[sangoku_d]

didnt think prison colony oz would be allowed this stuff

[Der_Kommandant]

Looks like anyone can create "professional reviews" these days.

[Picnic]

Given that it was originally being developed for the PS3, I would expect PS3-like clunkiness rather than PS4 smoothness in some aspects. I know that it was reworked for the PS4 and it shows but it still doesn't look absolutely top drawer graphically or thematically (think Beyond Two Souls) to me.
I really would be buying it for the sheer range of choices, number of possible playthroughs and the scares and I wouldn't base my feelings on the fidelity of the visuals too much. Fortunately, I think that the Butterfly Effect- and the fact that a game that is a playable horror movie- rather than is just a bit like one like many previous games - hasn't really been done- has really pushed up this game's reviews and I am pleased for it.

[Germany7]

Hex and this guy are professional trolls.