A lot of games try to be like movies by emulating elements directly. Maybe they add a film grain, or movie-like opening credits. For Until Dawn, their emulation of the classic slashers can be seen in the characterizations, setup and flow of the game itself. A group of teens spending the night alone at a remote mountain lodge in Washington with nothing but booze and hormones is so cliche I can practically feel the acne. That’s not a complaint, just an observation. If you fancy teen slashers, you’ll enjoy Until Dawn. With these tropes comes some good and some bad. The mean-girl will be just as unlikable as she is in that 80s slasher you’d pick up from Blockbuster, the tone as indecisive as me in the candy aisle, and the dialogue just as at home on a teen’s Tumblr page. Truthfully, it makes half the cast instantly dislikable, but since they’re gonna be dying you won’t feel so bad about it at least. Until Dawn is no oscar bait, it’s best to just take it as it is and enjoy the ride.
The game uses a Butterfly Effect system to determine certain outcomes of your run, an under-the-hood system which considers every decision you make to determine who lives and who dies, as well as more innocuous things like who’s still cool with who. Certain magic totems you can find can give you an insight into possible futures, but they give little hint for how to avoid or achieve them. Both small and large decisions can be the deciding factor in someone’s survival, making it pretty much impossible to not lose a few people unless you’re using a guide. Just prepare for last-minute upsets and photo finish survivals. The game’s use of QTEs and Don’t Move Prompts that have you keep your controller still are surprisingly used to great effect here. Unless you're missing every QTE it’s rarely life or death and it’s quite exceptional at keeping you on your toes at all times. If you just so happen to have a PS4, the only console this was released on, I’d say give it a go whenever you have a free night and a hankering for horror.
The game uses a Butterfly Effect system to determine certain outcomes of your run, an under-the-hood system which considers every decision you make to determine who lives and who dies, as well as more innocuous things like who’s still cool with who. Certain magic totems you can find can give you an insight into possible futures, but they give little hint for how to avoid or achieve them. Both small and large decisions can be the deciding factor in someone’s survival, making it pretty much impossible to not lose a few people unless you’re using a guide. Just prepare for last-minute upsets and photo finish survivals. The game’s use of QTEs and Don’t Move Prompts that have you keep your controller still are surprisingly used to great effect here. Unless you're missing every QTE it’s rarely life or death and it’s quite exceptional at keeping you on your toes at all times. If you just so happen to have a PS4, the only console this was released on, I’d say give it a go whenever you have a free night and a hankering for horror.