Why Until Dawn Should Be Game of the Year

Until Dawn burst into the scene that games like Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls had brought into living rooms: the interactive drama genre.

[capitanandi]

When I initially played it at E3, I was sort of confused as to what they were going for. I'm glad to see it really got its vibe across as well as it did, though.

[FlipSwitch]

I've got this ready for Christmas. Still hearing great things about it.

[Lightning Mr Bubbles]

This game is so overrated. I don't get what's the big deal, your choices don't really make any difference and who survives usually comes down to passing or failing some quick time events toward the end.

Other than QTE, the gameplay is mostly walking around picking up shiny things, and it's really short you can beat it in a few hours, it gives The Order a run for it's money but for some reason this game got a free pass unlike The Order.

I bought and downloaded this game Day 1 because I'm a big fan of B horror but this was a big let down, and don't expect anything naughty either, this game is as clean as they come. I regeret buying it, it should be like a $19.99 PSN game, not a full $59.99.

[FlipSwitch]

I managed to get it less than half price on Black Friday. I think it's the ideal Christmas game. Not too much of a time sink.

I'll see how it goes. I think i'll enjoy it

[guyman]

Lightning

That is your opinion. Not a fact. Fact is the game has a great story and the QTE's are implemented perfectly. The game is well received by just about everyone (that i have heard of) who has played it. In fact, many including myself think its underrated with a metascore of 79.

Nice job supermassive, you delivered a great game.

[Bansai]

More like interactive movie of the year.

[BitbyDeath]

Ignore Lightning he obviously hasn't played it.

This is one game where your choices actually can mean life or death or even direct a character down a certain path that could end them or save them later on.

Not only that but your choices impact your relationships with others so they might treat you differently based on what you do as well as changing your own character stats.

You also can't beat it in a few hours, the average is said to be 10-12 hours long.

[rainslacker]

@Bitby

You can beat it in a few hours if you skip the scenes after making choices or QTE's. However, unless you know what was in those scenes, or what to do at choices and QTE's, you'd be lost come the next one if you skip them. The quick run is for the people doing trophy hunting, not for those who are actually playing to enjoy the game. Those playing it to see how things actually play out will take about 10-12 hours as you say.

I loved the game myself. Felt it did what David Cage keeps trying to achieve, but often comes up just short on in his games. Plus good acting, great atmosphere, and some pretty tense moments. Story was mostly teen horror flick type stuff, but at least it wasn't too campy and was actually believable at times, and I found myself actually caring about some of the characters. I didn't predict the twist about 2/3's in, which is rare for this kind of thing with me.

I will say this game takes great advantage of a 7.1 surround system.:)

[miyamoto]

This game has brought in so many casual gamers to become part of the PlayStation Nation thanks to the top biggest YouTubers on the planet.

Such a very surprising and one of a kind sleeper hit.
I will always remember this game as my all time favorites.

[Xx_Pistol_xX]

Lightning Mr Bubbles your choices don't really make a difference......Are you sure you played Until Dawn?

[EdMcGlone]

This game was fun as hell, whether or not it should actually be GOTY is another question but it was unique, different and really well done.

[Genuine-User]

It's in my top 5 for this year.

[SmielmaN]

Mine too. It was way better than I thought it would be. I'm hoping for Until Dawn 2 but with a different story/cast/legend. I loved it. Wife like watching it. Boom.

[rainslacker]

It's in my top three.:) A genuine surprise, and nice to see this genre(interactive story/adventure) get a shining example of how it can be done right. This is normally the kind of game I'd probably pass on due to the horror genre, which I usually find stupid in implementation, but I'm glad I brought a copy, because it's the best experience in a game I've had all year.

[ShadowKnight]

Why can't it be Horror game of the year?

[cfc83]

Ordered it earlier. £19 from amazon. Got to give it a go.

[zsquaresoff]

The only game where your decisions actually mattered in the end.

Here's hoping other studios embrace the same kind of decision making in their games.

[Peace_Love_and_FPS]

Let's hope they realize their actions making the game have an impact on sales ;)

[annoyedgamer]

cough Metro Last Light cough

[souljah45]

This is one of those games that i felt i'd wait for the price to go down. Now that ive got it i was blown away by how great it is and regret not buying it day one. Doing my second run to try and save every character and choosing different paths etc for different outcomes. Well worth a purchase and one that i'm definatley keeping in my collection. In my top 3 of the year.

[uth11]

It's good, but in a year of Bloodborne, Witcher, etc, it's not GOTY.

[HOOHAARR]

I can't get into it, I really expected to like it too

[guyman]

Great game but definitely not GOTY. That goes to bloodborne or the witcher 3

[xReDeMpTiOnx]

Not goty but new IP of the year I def could go with

[mocaak]

Nah, that's Bloodborne.

[SolidDuck]

I loved until dawn. In a year with witcher 3, fallout 4, bloodborne, rise of the tomb raider, halo 5, and rocket league. Its not even top 5 for me.

[Medievalwaffles]

Yeah definitely a great purchase and the first half genuinely scared me while the second gave me some adrenaline

[BlackPanther]

To me GOTY is Witcher 3. This game isn't even in the Top 5. Not with games like Rocket League, MGS V, Mario Maker, Bloodbourne, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Fallout 4, and Ori.

[SmielmaN]

I know in in the minority, but I thought Witcher 3 was boring and the combat was terrible. I sold it after a week. Just terrible.

[FITgamer]

I just finished my first play through yesterday. I wouldn't say it's GOTY, but it's way better than i thought it would be. I actually want to play through it a few more times.

[DeToX420]

Just like the article that had the order as ps4 game of the year. What the hell is wrong with you people. Bloodborne will be remastered one day, only a handful of people will ever remember until dawn myself not included.

[AudioEppa]

Are you saying there's something wrong with people who personally don't view bloodborne as highly as yourself and some others?

[rainslacker]

I'd imagine only a handful of people remember Journey as well, yet how the game will fare through the ages has nothing to do with it's worth or quality. Plenty of great games go unnoticed and unremembered.

[Lonnie18]

I loved this game, but not a contender for GOTY, Witcher 3 Wild Hunt has already recieved the title for GOTY so not sure why these kind of artiles keep popping up? It's like everyone is having a hard time understanding the scope and magitude that is Witcher and that it has already won.

[ChuckTheIceMan]

It's weird but I got to a point in the Witcher 3 where I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of things to do in the game. I'm a completionist so it really turned me off. but I'm trying to get back into it now.

[rainslacker]

There is no official GOTY title to give out. Each site, and every person has their own choices, and for the most part, who's to say any of them are wrong just because they are different from one another, or from our own opinion? Even the VGA's aren't official, they're just another media outlet and it's not recognized as official by the industry, and probably never will be because it means that less publishers can use it for their marketing purposes.

[Tobsesan]

"Game" of the year.

[SouthernComfort]

No need for quotation marks. You play the game. You can't sit your controller down and have the game play to completion without your input.

[DigitalRaptor]

Oh yeah, Tobesan...

We all know what rules you like to apply to games in the hope that certain ones will count, and others won't. Unlucky for you, this is a survival-horror adventure game, and an extremely good one.
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@ SoCo

Well said.

[Apex13]

It was a good game but not a great game. Movement was stiff, control/camera angles and the fact you actually didn't have a choice the way it seemed. I killed the girl where the saw cuts them in half and yet the guy died...hmmm. Heavy rain define toy down the choice and controls better. Not game of the year at all. But a nice game nonetheless

[mixelon]

Well of course the guy dies. There is a very good reason for that. If you play further it's clear which choices you could have an effect on, and that isn't one of them.

[rainslacker]

LOL...seriously? That's not a false illusion of choice, that's part of the actual story. The effect it has is in how the female character(can't remember the name) feels about the guy who pulled the switch, and ultimately what happens to that guy at the very end of the game.

Choices matter, it's just not always obvious how that choice matters until later.

[FoxyGotGame]

@a_adji

WHY ARE YOU SPOILING THE GAME FOR THOSE YET TO PLAY IT?

ARE YOU A SELFISH #####?

CANNOT ABIDE PEOPLE LIKE YOU /

[Germany7]

Great game and another great exclusive for PS4.

[Keregan]

AHAHAHA lol

[Lennoxb63]

I'll have to respectfully disagree. I think game of the year should be based on how solid the gameplay is. Until Dawn; while not a bad game, isn't what I would call a gameplay intensive game.

[ColonelHugh]

The second half of the game will have your palms sweating and unable to put the controller down for fear of dying. People used to say classic Resident Evil controls we're terrible, but it's obvious in retrospect that it creates a more realistic tension and fear. Same goes for these controls if not more so than ever.

Just because you can't point a gun at the environment around you or use traditional camera controls doesn't mean it's lacking any of the intensity of other horror titles. I would imagine that someone who beat it would never describe it as you did.

I find the the QTEs and split decisions in particular to be conducive to a genuine "fear of failure." Few traditional horror games or movies can give you the sheer dread of causing someone's gruesome demise because you would feel removed from directly controlling them, and Game Over screens just take people out of the immersion.

[Lennoxb63]

I just look at it like this. If your game has a great story or drama; but bad or limited gameplay, its a great story but not a great game. If a game has a crappy story but the gameplay is top notch. It can actually be saved. A great story cannot save a bad game or game with very limited interaction.

I feel a game has to be fun first before its considered game of the year. Which is why the Witcher 3 won at the game awards. Sure the story for The Witcher was good. But the gameplay mechanics was where it shined.

[Ethereal]

Currently in my top three for the year. I was hopeful but it was a huge surprise. Hope we see more from these guys in the future.

[captainexplosion]

I enjoyed the game my first play through but the game is terrible after your first 5.5 hour play through. You've already seen the story and you realize on the second play through that your choices don't matter. Choosing who to saw in half did not matter. Choosing to save the couple from the falling icicle did not matter. And on the second play through the glaring plot holes are far more noticeable. It's a solid game and a good rental, but isn't worth close to $60.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Got this a week after launch and loved it. Got the platinum in a week :3

[Subaruwrx]

Until Dawn is a great game for its genre - adventure/survival horror. Until Dawn is the adventure point and click game evolved. Cinematic with multiple endings, and imo, unique for what it's trying to do. It impressed me as much as any other game I played this year but, The Witcher 3, because of its scope and amount of content gets the nod for GOTY for me.

[Xx_Pistol_xX]

My GOTY

[AstroCyborg]

SORRY BUT NO HELL ITS NOT EVEN THE BEST PS4 EXCLUSIVE OF THE YEAR thats bloodborne

[Lonnie18]

Don't know who is saying that the VGA's is not offical, developers are going onto a real stage and accepting real awards for which the whole industry agrees upon. The Witcher 3 won GOTY plain and simple, get used to the idea people because no amount of crying will change that. I for one am happy with the industry's choice and Witcher 3 is also my personal choice for GOTY!

[Germany7]

There is no such a thing like an official game award, VGA it's one of them, it's well-known, there is also AIAS too.

And just because someone has a different opinion for a GOTY it means that he is crying? LOL.

[FoxyGotGame]

Until Dawn is easily in my Top 5 Games of 2015...

What an amazing experience I had with this Game. All I can tell you is the game is a mixture of The Last of Us, Resident Evil, Cabin in the Woods, The Descent and the Saw movies. Until Dawn is a Jump-Scare-Fest, more Gruesome than all of those put together, I kid you not.

A Real Must Play For Anyone Who Likes Horror Story/Narrative Driven Games /

[Movieworld]

😳

[Lonnie18]

@Ratchet8, yes there is an official awards show, it's called the VGA, and it happens every year! It's televised, has celebrities, backed by millions of dollars and is widely accepted by the gaming industry as the final word on who has won what titles! So once again keep you opinions to yourself as it won't change official results!