Despite the variances in the story based on your decisions, you’ll get the most satisfaction from Until Dawn’s first playthrough (around ten-ish hours).
The game suffers from some inconsistencies, mostly on the story side of things, but it’s still a fun play, especially for fans of the horror genre. Again, it’s a game that feels more suited for an October release, but don’t let the month spoil it. Like most horror games, as long as you’re playing it in a dark room with no distraction, it won’t matter what time of the year you’re playing it.
Most of my gripes stem from the story, and that's simply because I wasn't a fan of the direction Supermassive went with it. From an overall experience, however, I enjoyed Until Dawn. I would've appreciated a more fulfilling ending, but I think it's more about the adventure you take to get there.
The Positives:
- Your decisions really do matter. With all games of this nature, the ones that promise your decisions matter, it’s nice to see one in which that statement is true. While the overall narrative doesn’t necessarily change with your actions, how you get to that conclusion will be different each time. Some decisions have bigger implications than others, but it’s the unknowing that makes Until Dawn so suspenseful.
- Only one save file means the decisions you make are incredibly stressful. There’s no going back and changing your decision in the first playthrough. What happens happens; there’s no do-over. One slip up or wrong press of the button could mean a character’s death, which is exactly what you want in a horror game.
- No character is safe from death. I learned this the hard way on my second playthrough. I thought, for sure, Supermassive Games wouldn’t let a certain character die if I messed up. Well, I was wrong. I was glad to see they don’t play favorites.
- It can be incredibly frustrating not knowing if the decisions you make are the correct ones. For my first playthrough, I felt like every decision I made was the wrong one. This is a good thing because it kept me in suspense.
- Once you beat the game fully, you have the choice to start a brand new playthrough fresh from the start or go back and select a specific chapter. I like that Supermassive Games gives you the option to select a chapter individually and see what changes.
- Incredible acting. I feel like most games of this nature are often hindered by the voice acting. Too often believability is lost when it sounds like actors recorded their dialogue individually. I’m not sure how the recording process went with Until Dawn, but it definitely sounds natural. It feels like a free-flowing conversation rather than a bunch of lines chopped together. Sure, there are some lines that come off corny, but that’s to be expected in the horror genre. The acting in Until Dawn is as believable as the story allows.
- Good build up. The action doesn’t really start until about the third chapter, but the build up is what leads to the suspense. Exploring the remote mountain retreat is creepy enough to keep you intrigued for what some might consider a slower beginning. Personally, I appreciated the slow build up.
- Good use of atmosphere and sound. Until Dawn relies on more than just cheap scares. As I mentioned, there’s a slow build up to the action, which means Supermassive has to rely on other horror techniques to keep you in suspense. The setting alone allows for this and I’m glad to see Supermassive make the most of their mountainous environment.
- Mechanics encourage exploring the environment. As I mentioned, Supermassive made full use of their environment. And to encourage players to immerse themselves in it, they've hidden clues that help explain the mystery surrounding the remote mountain retreat. Beyond story, these clues can offer you insight into upcoming moments that could factor into your decisions. Depending on the clues you find (or miss), what you know (and your overall experience) could change drastically.
The Negatives:
- The ending was incredibly unfulfilling. I get that how you get to the end is what makes Until Dawn unique, but I would’ve liked to see a bigger wrap-up. Without spoiling anything, the game kind of just ends. Sure, everything is explained (for the most part) by the end of the game, but you’re left with little satisfaction for the characters you managed to keep alive. I would’ve liked a bit more reward for keeping certain characters alive.
- Until Dawn is a horror game, so twists are to be expected. And, of course, you already know there’s going to be a big reveal. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of the narrative. I like the overall premise of the game, but the twists and reveals were disappointing. I don’t want to spoil the story — because it is more complex than just a psychopath stalking eight friends — but I just wasn’t a fan of the direction Supermassive took.
- Jump scares are used way too often, and at times are predictable. I get this is a horror game and Supermassive Games is doing everything they can to keep you at the edge of your seat, but after the third or fourth jump scare, you start to expect it.
- No skipping the cutscenes or cinematic events. I get that Until Dawn is an interactive experience and the idea is to see how your decisions play out, but after the third or fourth time playing a scene, you’ll undoubtedly see the same thing (depending on your choices) at least once. Having the option to skip the talking — maybe after your first playthrough — would be welcomed.
- Again, I don't want to spoil anything, but the story is much deeper than originally let on. About halfway through, after the first twist, the entire narrative seems to switch focus and it goes from one type of horror story to another. It almost feels like Supermassive tried to crunch two different horror plotlines into one.
The Neutral:
- The gameplay is not for everyone. Similar to Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, Until Dawn relies more on quick time events and forcing players to make quick decisions. The adrenaline in this game is fueled, not by controlling every single aspect of the character, but by the idea that everything you do affects these characters and the outcome of the story. The notion that one wrong move could spell doom for these characters is enough to keep you in suspense — or it was for me at least. Not everyone will feel the same way, obviously.
- Graphically, the game looks great. There are moments when characters look almost lifelike and you can truly distinguish their facial expressions. At the same time, there are moments when the game’s performance slips up and the frame rate drops to noticeably low levels. It’s not all the time, but it’s enough to cause some annoyance.
- Characters are campy, but it works. Each of the characters fill the stereotypical horror tropes — good looking jock, nerdy nice guy, the pretty mean girl, etc. Each character has a built-in set of traits that determines their relationship with other characters in the game; however, through your actions and decisions, these relationship ratings will adjust accordingly. In a way, this lets you sort of break from the stereotypical mold each character fills.
- Awkward camera angles may seem like an annoyance as it restricts your view, but I believe this to be an intentional decision to allow for a more dramatic horror effect. It's sort of reminiscent of the original Resident Evil. The camera angles, while frustrating, sort of lend itself nicely to the feel of the game.
I’ll admit, it felt a little strange playing through Until Dawn in August. A horror game in which eight friends become trapped on a remote mountain getaway, stalked by a psychopathic murder, seems better fit for an October launch. For whatever reason, though, Sony saw it best fit to release their latest PS4-exclusive in the middle of August.
Developed by Supermassive Games, Until Dawn is more of an interactive adventure than an actual game. Gameplay consists mostly in the form of quicktime events, pressing the correct button or performing the appropriate action and watching the event unfold on screen. Anyone familiar with Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls — two games which also happen to be PlayStation exclusives — will be right at home with Until Dawn.
What makes Until Dawn unique is the notion that every decision you make, even the most seemingly trivial ones, will affect the outcome of the game. Until Dawn relies heavily on the butterfly effect, or the scientific theory that a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the course of the universe forever. And the game certainly isn’t shy in reminding you of that. What this whole butterfly effect does is ensure that your choices carve out a unique story.
Of course, like all games of this nature, not every decision you make or action you take is a monumental one. Some choices definitely have lasting implications on the story, but others exist merely as fodder, not necessarily changing the overall story, but how you experience it. What makes Until Dawn so intriguing is that you don’t know which decisions will have a lasting impact. One wrong decision or mispress of a button could simply be a minor twist in the narrative, or it could mean the death of a character. And with only one save file for each playthrough, there’s no going back and changing your decision.
