Until Dawn Review on PS5
Supermassive Games has carved out a niche for itself in the interactive horror movie genre, and it all started with Until Dawn. Yes, other games (like the criminally underrated ObsCure) have tried to bring the world of slasher cinema to gaming, but no game managed it quite like Until Dawn. Now, with a movie on the horizon and a sequel reportedly in the works, it might just be the perfect time to revisit the game.
Supermassive isn’t involved this time around, of course. Instead, Ballistic Moon has taken charge of development, with Sony Interactive Entertainment publishing. Don’t worry though – if you loved the original, you’ll find plenty to love here.
The story follows a group of friends reuniting at a lodge in the Canadian mountains, one year after the mysterious disappearance of two of their number. Predictably, things go very wrong, although we’ll steer clear of the spoilers in case you haven’t played the original.
There are a few revamped sequences and additional areas to explore, but nothing that either distracts from the storyline or adds anything too new. There’s no new scene where Josh admits his feelings for Matt. Jess doesn’t fight off the threat with a shotgun. However, there are a few little bonuses, whether it’s a new path to explore or some new collectibles. Sometimes you’ll take a detour and see nothing, but it’s a chance for the developers to show off the beauty of the game, from the lighting effects to the gorgeously rendered scenery.
A lot of the motion capture is reused, as are the likenesses of the performers. Some of the actors are well-known, and it’s astounding how much they look like their characters. In fact, they look so accurate that at times you might wonder why you thought they looked so much like their characters in the original.
The characters themselves are all fantastic. They’re all typical slasher movie archetypes – the class clown, the queen bee, the bookworm, the final girl – but there’s a real sense of depth. Yes, Emily is the typical mean girl – verging on Heather territory – but she also shows remorse for her actions unprompted. Meanwhile, “nice girl” Ashley has the potential to get two separate characters killed, either through inaction or overreaction. They feel like real people in all their hypocritical glory, and kudos to the performers for making it work. Whether it’s Nichole Sakura slapping someone across the face or Peter Stormare as a needlessly terrifying psychiatrist, everyone is clearly having the time of their lives, and giving it their best.
The cinematography has all been reworked, and it makes the whole thing feel a lot more like a film than ever before. It’s startling how much a new camera angle or a wider shot can make so much difference. It takes everything you loved about the original up to eleven and makes it feel more cinematic.
Of course, a horror game isn’t just about accurate character models or lighting. It’s about the thrills, and oh boy, does Until Dawn deliver. The gore is exceptionally well done, and manages to tread the fine line between being over the top and schlocky and truly horrifying. It still feels like a slasher movie, but more in line with Scream than Cherry Falls.
The game also utilizes psychological horror designed specifically to unnerve each individual player, and as with Until Dawn this is used to great effect. Are you scared of spiders? One will appear in a jar on Doctor Hill’s desk. Scared of needles? The psycho will try to knock you out with a syringe rather than a tank of sleeping gas. A lot of these changes are small, and none of them have an effect on the gameplay. However, they all make the game feel different for each individual player.
More than anything, Until Dawn is the perfect game for October. It’s a game for people who love horror movies. If you’ve ever scoffed when a character goes to investigate a mysterious noise, you might be surprised at how often you fall into those same traps. Although the game isn’t marketed as a multiplayer, it’s a simple case of getting a few friends together, assigning characters, and then snickering as one of them makes the boneheaded decision to open the wrong door. In the tradition of the best horror movies, this is one where people make stupid mistakes, except here we’re the ones making mistakes.
Okay, now for the negatives.
Until Dawn is a great game, but unfortunately there are a few issues. Nothing too major, by any means, but enough to be a tad annoying.
First, let’s talk about movement. At times, moving around feels like driving a living room. Characters will speed up to a run at random, only to slow down to a crawl immediately afterward. It’s a shame that the developers didn’t institute a run button, instead of deciding your pace. Elsewhere, turning can be a bit of an issue, especially when transitioning between camera angles. At points, the characters continued walking in the same direction even after I’d attempted to move in a different one. Luckily, there’s little danger if you take your time with navigation. The danger is all either in action scenes or based on specific decisions.
There have been a few tweaks to collectibles. As with many games these are often collected out of order. In one case I discovered the very last collectible in a set while still working on the earlier ones. In the case of totems, you now have to manually find the right spot to look at it for a premonition. Again, this is nothing major, but it can be a tad awkward.
As good as the character models are, you’ll occasionally see some unusual facial expressions in the background, like a character gurning after their friend has discovered a secret passage. Again, it’s not a major issue, but it does break immersion a little bit.
As with the original version of the game you can see your characters’ traits and relationships. There are a few moments where the characters’ relationships and the decisions they make affect things later on. However, traits like honest, charitable, curious, etc. don’t have any effect on the gameplay. It doesn’t matter if Ashley’s bravery is low, because she’ll still have the same options available. Characters don’t suddenly make jokes because their Funny stat is high.
Going back to relationships for a moment, sometimes what the bars say doesn’t match with what’s going on. At one point Emily was complaining about her boyfriend, Matt, but I still got the best possible outcome for their relationship anyway. It felt a little inconsistent, and the remake was a good opportunity to revamp things a little.
The Don’t Move sequences are back in full effect, and just as frustrating as ever. Even if you keep the controller still, it still registers you flailing it around like a chimp with a Wiimote. If you’re having trouble (or, like me, have never managed to get Sam out alive even if you put the controller down) consider adjusting the settings.
Finally, there’s the case of new content. For the most part, this is as simple as a slightly different path you can take or a new collectible. Just like the original, several characters are absent for long periods even if they survive their earliest deaths. It would have been nice to see these characters get a little extra focus. However, we realize this might not necessarily be practical. There is new content, but a little more love for some of the characters would have gone a long way.
None of this is enough to distract from Until Dawn, though. It’s a remake that knows what we want and gives it to us, instead of instituting needless changes. What changes there are are often subtle, or add to the game instead of detracting from it. This isn’t a remake to play if you want something drastically different, but if you want a more interactive approach to movie night, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better (or season-appropriate) option.
Pros
Cons
Little new content
A few awkward mechanics
Some underdeveloped elements
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