Until Dawn Will Take About Nine Hours To Complete, Supermassive Games

The game is separated into chapters, often following two or three characters from the group at a time. Although laden with just about every horror trope and cliché imaginable, Supermassive Games has deftly worked them into this unique, branching interactive experience. It is here that a group of ten rowdy teens made their winter getaway, flocking to the Washington family’s idyllic ski lodge.

I’ve never really been a fan of horror movies. Or do they?

I still haven’t decided whether or not I’m going to try to alter the story I crafted by making different choices a second time through, but I can say that Until Dawn was a pleasant surprise I won’t soon forget. The Butterfly Effect system I mentioned above ties everything together. For those unfamiliar with the theory, it explains how the flapping of a butterfly’s wings can, through a series of interdependent events, lead to a hurricane. This time around, they’ll be accompanied by a whole new couple. You’ll will NEED to replay the game to see everything it has to offer. There are decisions in the game where, just like in the movies, you’ll yell at the character not to make, that you will make yourself in the game.

One major reason that Until Dawn resonated with me where other horror stories haven’t is the surprisingly strong character development. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of flat one-liners, but these feel completely intentional. Among the eight playable teens we have your typical jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, and in-betweeners, each dutifully filling their role within the game’s cast. And because Supermassive Games does such a great job at realizing these characters, the deaths feel all the more impactful. Some choices you think are insignificant may be incredibly significant. There are also collectable totems scattered around the mountain. From the iconic ski lodge to the many outbuildings, forest tracks, and abandoned mineshafts, each area is its own pulsating hub of tension.

The game has a very atmospheric lighting which sets the overall tone of the game very well.

While the story in Until Dawn is presented in a fairly straightforward manner – as influenced by the player’s choices, of course – there are collectibles strewn about the game to bolster the narrative.

While it would be easy to talk about the admittedly solid story, it’s best to leave most of the narrative details in Until Dawn as vague as possible because that’s arguably its biggest selling point. The game always hints at which direction the player should head towards, but there are plenty of side routes, hidden rooms, and alcoves providing entirely optional distractions. Characters take baths with their headphones in. But these friends should be suspicious because they aren’t alone.

That said, the way content is accessed once the credits have rolled leaves much to be desired.

Until Dawn is one of the few PS4 exclusives launching this year, especailly now that Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has been delayed into 2016.

You will miss entire sections of the game based on your choices, but that’s all part of the game you’re playing with Until Dawn. Some of Until Dawn’s most thrilling moments came when I was being pursued and had to make split-second decisions on my method of escape, all the while trying not to fumble at a prompt which would result in my immediate capture or death.