In 2015, developer Supermassive Games and publisher Sony released the interactive horror game Until Dawn for PS4. This frightening story began with a group of friends in a Blackwood Mountain lodge one year before the game’s events. After a prank gone wrong, a set of twins goes missing, and the search for them is futile.
In the present, the remaining eight friends reunite in the lodge, but things take a dark turn with a psycho killer on the loose. It’s the group’s goal to survive *ahem* until dawn. While it seems like a typical slasher setting, Until Dawn‘s excellent pacing, great characters, and red herrings make it a night to remember.
Developer Ballistic Moon and Sony have teamed up to remake Until Dawn for PS5 and PC. There are big changes, including quality of life, visual upgrades, and a new ending. However, that might not be enough for some people to revisit Blackwood Mountain.
What makes Until Dawn such an effective experience is its ability to build tension. The prologue shows the tragedy that befalls Beth and Hannah Washington, the two twin sisters who disappear. It’s such an impactful start that during the first several chapters, you’re left wondering how it’ll tie back to the game’s main events.
As the story unravels, it’s very clear there’s something even more sinister than the psycho killer on Blackwood Mountain. Until Dawn does a masterful job at keeping its mysteries hidden, as each of the antagonists’ motivations and goals are slowly revealed at a methodical pace, keeping players engaged throughout the game.
Until Dawn Cast
Until Dawn packs a star-studded cast, including Rami Malek as Josh Washington and Hayden Panettiere as Sam Giddings. The actors take full advantage of the medium and excellent script, delivering stellar performances with screams and cries that sound eerily realistic.
It’s rare to see a cast that you simultaneously like and dislike. Nichole Sakura plays Emily Davis, a stuck-up woman who can’t get over her ex-boyfriend to the point that she bullies her current partner. Sakura made the role believable, making me hate Emily even more. Mike Monroe, played by Brett Dalton, feels like the hero of this game, and his action-packed segments with firearms ensure that you never feel bored.
Now, what’s a horror game with some deaths? Throughout the story, there are multiple points where any character could die, thanks to your choices. For example, you hear a noise coming from down the hall — do you choose to investigate it, potentially leading to finding a missing friend, or do you regroup with your current party? The choice is yours! Until Dawn‘s dynamic story takes into account who has survived and who has died, allowing for the potential for every playthrough to be drastically different.
Until Dawn also does a great job of adding suspense. There are also quick-time events (QTEs) where players have to react quickly to an attack or a gap in the bridge during a chase with button presses. Sometimes, failing one could decide a character’s fate.
Remake Upgrades
As for the new upgrades that the PS5 and PC versions received, the graphics got a pretty big overhaul. They look crisper and more realistic than their PS4 counterparts, but some might have issues with the new art direction. Some areas look brighter, which downplays their horror elements.
The original PS4 version also used fixed cameras, while the remake uses a more free-roaming over-the-shoulder third-person camera like the Resident Evil and Silent Hill 2 remakes. While this was done for a more cinematic purpose, it sometimes makes the controls feel stilted and unresponsive. In many instances, I wanted to turn around quickly to walk in a different direction, but my character took ages to maneuver.
I loved exploring and finding collectibles that helped flesh out the game’s incredibly engrossing lore, but it didn’t help that every character’s walking pace was so slow. There are instances where you can sprint, but those moments were few, and I wish there were a more dedicated button for this purpose.
Like many of Sony’s recent games, Until Dawn has a great suite of accessibility settings to help finetune your experience. You can set QTEs to succeed automatically and adjust visual and audio settings. These options were largely absent from the original PS4 release, making the new version much more accessible for wider audiences. (Check out the comparison trailer below.)
Two New Endings
For most fans, the biggest addition to the remake is the two new endings. One of them is a much-requested ending that involves the game’s most sympathetic character. I won’t spoil it here! The other one hints at a possible sequel.
Even with how gruesomely great Until Dawn is, it might be a hard sell for those who’ve already played the PS4 version. In fact, you can probably get the original one at a cheaper price somewhere and watch the two new endings on YouTube. However, if you have yet to experience until Dawn, this is the definitive way to do it.
The Until Dawn remake is now available on PS5 and PC via Steam. For more check out all the horror video games nominated for the 2024 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards.