Until Dawn (PS4)

“We should split up.” How many times have heard this in a horror movie and wondered just how stupid these people must be – there’s no way you’d make the same dumb mistakes, and you’d definitely make it out alive. Well Supermassive Games gives you the opportunity to put your money where your mouth is; Until Dawn is a somewhat unconventional survival horror game that gives you, the player, a whole lot of freedom to make the decisions that count.

A Fresh Take on a Classic Scenario

In Until Dawn, eight young friends reunite in a remote mountain getaway one year after a terrible accident there claimed the lives of two of their friends. But this isn’t the laid-back vacation they were hoping for – the mountain has a dark and mysterious history, marked by tragedy, cover-ups, and things that defy the imagination. The plot will take you to an abandoned sanatorium that harbors a few dark secrets of its own for you to discover in the course of the game. It doesn’t take long at all for the friends to notice that something’s wrong, and soon they’re running for their lives. Like any good teen slasher flick, there’s a psycho-killer on the loose who appears to have it out for them. Unfortunately for the characters, the writers didn’t give them much to work with, and all of them fit the familiar stereotypes we all remember from movies like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. From the ladies’ man jock and the nice, but shy kid with glasses, to the cliché blonde who only cares about her looks, to the super-bitch who's actually insecure – they’re all in the game.

The Butterfly Effect

Every decision you make will have a more or less direct influence on the rest of the story. Making decisions is the core of the gameplay in Until Dawn, and you’re asked to do so time and time again. Do you hide, or do you run away? Do you take your girlfriend's side or attempt to defuse the situation? Shoot, or don’t shoot – the possibilities are virtually endless. Much of the gameplay is spent exploring with the character you currently have selected, roaming the halls of the rather stately lodge itself or trudging through the snow-covered landscape outside. There are tons of clues you can find that shed a little more light on the backstory of this mysterious place, and gradually you’ll begin to uncover a series of events which happened a long time ago, and whose consequences the teens will now have to deal with.

For the most part, Until Dawn allows you to take your time exploring the area, trying to piece together what’s going on, and soaking up the atmosphere. But when there’s a quick time event, you better know what button you’re going to press and when; otherwise the consequences for your character could be fatal. In stark contrast to these scenes, however, are those where they tell you not to move, and you just have to hold the controller right where you have it. And when the game says “don’t move!”, you better believe they mean it. Seriously – even taking a breath could mean the difference between success and failure, so you’re better off just laying it on the table or on the ground or something to avoid causing even the slightest movement. Speaking of movement, if the plain old classic controls are too boring for you, you can switch over to motion controls and test your skills with the controller’s six-axis motion detection. And if you’re ever find yourself agonizing over the potential negative consequences of your decisions, you’re in luck – Until Dawn comes with its very own psychoanalyst, Dr. Hill. In a series of sessions, you can relate to him your fears and worries, which will further influence the course of the game.

Who Knew Dying Could Be So Beautiful?

The Umbra 3 Engine, which was also used for Killzone: Shadowfall, is responsible for some really gorgeous settings, and together with some terrific motion-capture work with the actors and actresses (including Hayden Panettiere), the graphics in Until Dawn are truly impressive. While there are a few noticeable issues, such as the doctor’s somewhat unnatural smile, I’d really just be grasping at straws if I spent more time complaining about it. The graphics are only 30 fps, but since this isn’t an action game, that’s more than enough. The settings, both interior and exterior, are absolutely packed with detail. Puddles of water, tracks in the snow, messages carved into walls – there’s so much to discover that you’ll find yourself revisiting certain spots multiple times just to make sure you didn’t miss the slightest detail. Since the whole point of the game is make it until dawn with all eight friends still alive, and the game takes place in a single night, the game’s a little heavy on the darkness, though this shouldn’t be a problem when you consider other titles out there.

A Menacing Atmosphere

The soundtrack in Until Dawn is fittingly dark and ominous, which together with the setting guarantees an atmosphere of constant and palpable tension. Each situation in the game has the right music, and there’s enough variety to ensure that it never gets overplayed or annoying. Sound effects are also well integrated, with gusts of wind, slamming doors, and creaky tree branches that are carefully designed to have you standing on edge before they drop the next big shock on you.