Until Dawn [PlayStation 5] | REVIEW

Until Dawn was one of my favourite PlayStation 4 titles, with the interactive horror escapade bringing with it brilliant visuals, tantalising storytelling, a wonderful cast of characters, and an incredibly eerie atmosphere. Despite this, even I wondered if it REALLY needed a remake, especially since the original game still holds up well today.

Well, I’ve had the chance to play and beat it, and I’ve been left really impressed with the work Ballistic Moon have done. An Until Dawn remake might not have necessarily been needed, but it still makes for an enjoyable and undoubtedly gorgeous experience.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Until Dawn opens with a prank gone wrong, with two sisters running through the woods near Blackwood Mountain and eventually falling off a cliff edge, never to be seen again. It was a traumatic event for their group of friends, but in their memory, they re-unite at a lodge on the mountain, with the girls’ brother Josh organising the get-together. There’s clear tension in the group, but things soon relax a little… but maybe a bit TOO much. It doesn’t take long before terrifying events start to unravel, with a vicious masked killer and deadly creatures ensuring the night on the mountain might not end well for everyone.

I absolutely love the storytelling of Until Dawn, with it embracing a cool slasher flick vibe that makes it easy to root for (or against) the colourful cast of characters. They’re a genuinely likable cast made up of varied personalities that each bring something different to the tale, and with the player seeing things play out from each of their perspectives, it’s always interesting to see the relationship they share with one another and how they handle each situation. It helps that everything is well written, though having a cast that includes the likes of Rami Malek and Hayden Panettiere ensures that the performances are top notch too. And most importantly? It’s genuinely creepy, with the mix of facing off against a sinister killer and the mysterious creatures that haunt Blackwood Mountain ensuring there are frights aplenty when playing.

Visually, Until Dawn has seen some wonderful upgrades over the original game, with the move to Unreal Engine 5 bringing with it more detailed and realistic character models, improved lighting across each locale, more atmospheric visual effects that add to the tension of each eerie scene, and, of course, more horrifying monstrosities to encounter throughout the escapade. It’s a stunning game, and whilst some of the more unique aspects of the original are lost in the change (for example, the game’s blue tint), the visual upgrade alone makes this remake worth checking out.

It is worth noting that whilst there has been a big visual upgrade, it comes at the cost of the frame rate. You can play the original game at 60fps on the PlayStation 5, but this is limited to 30fps, with some stutters occurring whilst playing too. Given that it’s a cinematic-focused experience, it’s not really a deal-breaker, but it is one of the more noticeable differences between the two games that doesn’t work in the remake’s favour.

“Until Dawn is an impressive remake, and whilst there might be some questions concerning whether or not it was needed, there is no doubt that this is the scariest that the game has ever been.“

Of course, whilst Until Dawn tells an intense horror story and looks beautiful whilst doing so, it also brings with it an engaging gameplay loop where players get to scour through eerie environments, complete QTE events in action sequences, and make choices that affect the relationships between characters and how the tale will ultimately unfold. One bad decision or missed QTE can be the difference between life-and-death for some characters, so there are some high stakes – you’ve got to be quick to react and try to avoid making foolish choices if you want to keep every character alive.

It’s exciting stuff and really helps keep players on their toes, especially when you’re playing as one of your favourite characters and really want to keep them alive. On my first playthrough on the PlayStation 4, all but one died (oops), but after multiple playthroughs since, I pretty much had it all figured out this time around. That being said, this remake brings with it some extended scenes as well as a new epilogue, so there are some surprises to be found if this isn’t your first experience with the game.

It also brings some other changes too, with the most notable being the switch from fixed camera angles when controlling characters (which feels par for the course for horror-themed remakes these days). It’s something I actually really liked, with the switch up helping ensure this release feels much different to the original. Admittedly, this does come at the cost of some of the cinematic presentation, but it makes exploration that bit more interesting and fresher for returning players.

There are some other new features, such as the DualSense integration which makes QTEs and decision-making much more intense, whilst there are some additional collectible Totems that flesh out a particular sequence of events later in the game. It’s clear that some effort has been made to build upon the original Until Dawn experience, which shows that this remake is about more than just adding a fresh lick of paint.

Check out some screenshots down below:

That being said, it would have been nice to see a bit more included in the package, whether that would’ve been with bonus materials that focused on remaking the game, a few more additional scenes, or even a multiplayer mode that sees players alternate between characters. Multiplayer in particular feels like a disappointing omission, especially since it has worked so effectively in The Dark Pictures Anthology.

When you put it all together, you have to ask yourself if the game is worth the £59.99 asking price, especially since you can get the original game for much cheaper (and play it at 60fps). I think it is, though it could have offered a little bit more just to make the cost less daunting it for those on the fence. I thoroughly enjoyed re-visiting the game in this revamped form, seeing its new sequences, and admiring its stunning visuals, but I might’ve liked to have seen a bit more done – especially since similar remakes have completely re-invented the experience.

Developer: Ballistic Moon, Supermassive Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PC
Website: https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/games/until-dawn