Until Dawn Review: Here Comes The Sun

Until Dawn is a survival horror game unlike any as the course of its story changes as you play in real-time. Will you survive the events that occur over a single night, or will you be yet another victim of this remote mountain getaway? Our review.

15

I feel there's always been a time and a place for teen horror films in all of our lives. Growing up, they serve as a great introduction to more hardcore horror films that may traumatize most adolescents, which could lead to sleeping with a night light well into adulthood. Until Dawn certainly seems harmless enough as eight teenagers become trapped on a remote mountain getaway exactly one year after some tragic events took place there.

But what lies beneath is a real nail biter that kept me guessing at every turn. Not only did I worry if these characters would make it through the night, but whether or not my heart was going to jump out of my chest in the process of learning their fates.

The Butterfly Effect

While the reason why all of these friends have gathered together won’t change, how things play out will based on the player’s decisions. As I played through Until Dawn, I was asked to make a variety of decisions that either seemed menial or were completely life-altering.

For example, I was controlling Ashley when I spotted Emily flirting with her ex, Mike, using a tower viewer. Then, her current boyfriend, Matt, popped up and asked what I was looking at. The option I was given was to either lie to him or tell him the truth. While it may seem trivial in the large scheme of things, my action would dictate whether Matt held a grudge against Emily throughout the game, which could very well cost her life if he deemed she wasn't worthy of his help. I decided he should try to have a nice experience on the mountain resort, so I kept the engagement between the two to myself.

Some decisions aren’t as easy to make as there are some that will lead to the death of one or more characters based on what’s selected. Should a character hide or continue running as they’re being chased by someone? Does a character risk their life to save someone or fend for themselves for the sake of survival? Should a character run away or lock the door and then run away? Decisions could be decided with the simple push or pull of the controller stick, or through quick-time events (QTEs). I know QTEs can be contentious, but I'm not opposed to its use here considering Until Dawn is more about the player's actions above all else. And sometimes, that means the game needs to challenge your response time to dictate the outcome of seemingly random encounters.

As I made choices, I was changing the story bit by bit. This is something I was extremely impressed with because the changes were seamless to the action on screen, although I was notified of the change through a pop-up message. I could then view the Butterfly Effect menu to see how the story changed, which I always felt compelled to do to see how my story was shaping. I wasn’t always in the dark as to what was about to happen as totems offered a hint at what could happen in the future based on my decisions. These included visions of character deaths, possible dangers, or helpful guidance.

Disturbing Behavior

As I progressed through the story, I went from thinking this was a simple attempt at telling a teen horror flick within a game to being absolutely terrified about what was bumping around in the night. The amount of jump scares I experienced in Until Dawn felt endless as the eight friends spend the opening moments of the game messing with each other. I felt like these friends loved nothing more than to mess with each other in ways that would cause anyone to have a panic attack, and I wanted them all to die as a result. But then, more serious elements that actually want to cause harm to the friends appear as well as past events involving the mountain that will round out what’s actually going on.

I spent much of my time not only playing God with the lives of these eight friends, but also learning about the mountain’s past by picking up clues throughout my play session. These also helped in my decision making, although some would contradict previous clues I found. Thankfully, previous ones would become updated when a new bit information was discovered, helping to make sense of it all.

Final Destination

At the end of a long night, only Ashley didn't survive as her head accidentally came off of her torso. As the credits rolled, the survivors explained their experience on the mountain, giving me their own perspective in events they were involved in. Some were bitter by decisions made by their friends. Others were grateful to just be alive to tell their tale. And even though only one character didn't survive, I felt the urge to go back and manipulate the story to see how things would have carried out from a slight change here and there.

Until Dawn kept me intrigued from start to finish. I came for the campy teen horror movie feel and left extremely impressed with how well rounded and influential an experience Supermassive Games delivered. This is a game that you'll be talking to your friends and colleagues about for years to come as you'll find no two experiences are alike no matter how hard you try.


This review is based on a PlayStation 4 retail copy provided by the publisher. Until Dawn will be available in retail and digital stores on August 25 for $59.99. The game is rated M.

Senior Editor
Review for
Until Dawn
8
Pros
  • Mind-blowing amount of replayability
  • Great acting
  • Story pace
  • Atmosphere and camera angles
Cons
  • Script can be cheesy at times
  • Early jump scares felt unnecessary
From The Chatty
  • reply
    August 24, 2015 8:00 AM

    Daniel Perez posted a new article, Until Dawn Review: Here Comes The Sun

    • reply
      August 24, 2015 8:20 AM

      Interesting, I wasn't very optimistic about this one, but I might have to pick it up around Halloween!

      • reply
        August 24, 2015 9:17 AM

        Make sure you have a good sound system or headphones on. The game is way scarier when you can hear everything going on around you.

        • reply
          August 24, 2015 9:18 AM

          So basically you just told me to play the game with all the lights on and no headphones. Got it, thanks! :)

          • reply
            August 24, 2015 9:20 AM

            I wish I could have played it like that, but I couldn't since I needed to get the full ambiance for this review.

    • reply
      August 24, 2015 9:29 AM

      So excited to pick this up tomorrow!!! Thanks for the review! I LOVE horror games but haven't played one since Alien Isolation scared me halfway to death. I've recouped, and I'm ready for more.

      • reply
        August 24, 2015 9:35 AM

        You know -- I have yet to play Alien Isolation. I keep hearing good things about it, so maybe I can fit it in once the review season quiets down.

        • reply
          August 24, 2015 10:31 AM

          I would never recommend AI for anyone to play. It was like torture that I only completed to see if I could. I beat it, and now I keep the game as like a trophy of a real accomplishment-but I'll NEVER play it again. If you do play it and have the chance to share your experience I'd love to read about it (or listen to it, whatever).

          • reply
            August 24, 2015 5:29 PM

            I don't understand this. It was an amazing, tough, tension filled game that was a blast to play.

            • reply
              August 25, 2015 4:35 AM

              [deleted]

            • reply
              August 25, 2015 12:45 PM

              I just meant to say that it was the scariest game I've played, and a little too tense for me to say that I loved it, or that it was fun. But I suppose if someone is looking for a seriously creepy world to explore-AI is a great pick. It's the best game that I never want to see/play ever again.

      • reply
        August 24, 2015 9:55 AM

        Same, looks real cool.

    • reply
      August 24, 2015 9:53 AM

      Streaming ----> Chapter 2 here: http://www.twitch.tv/eatgames

      • reply
        August 24, 2015 9:55 AM

        Cool man, thanks

      • reply
        August 24, 2015 9:59 AM

        oops back up!

      • reply
        August 24, 2015 10:57 AM

        Aww missed it... And no past broadcasts :(

        • reply
          August 24, 2015 11:08 AM

          It just disappeared. Why isnt there a past broadcast? Did Twitch change something?

          • reply
            August 24, 2015 11:09 AM

            No idea. Technical issues? Or is it just me?

            • reply
              August 24, 2015 11:29 AM

              this has never happened before. I emailed twitch support.

              • reply
                August 24, 2015 11:30 AM

                Ok. I always miss your stuff but then watch it in past broadcasts. Thought you disabled them or something!

                • reply
                  August 24, 2015 5:31 PM

                  Damnit Jim! It was a good broadcast too.

    • reply
      August 24, 2015 10:59 PM

      Is your review title a reference to a song by The Weeknd?

Hello, Meet Lola