Until Dawn

 PlayStation 4
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Release Date: Aug 25, 2015
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3764 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,056 out of 3764
  2. Mixed: 462 out of 3764
  3. Negative: 246 out of 3764
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  1. PsychoticCoast
    Aug 27, 2015
    7
    Don't let the yellow circle around the number fool you into thinking this game is only okay; Until Dawn is quite good, it just isn't good enough to warrant a $60 purchase.
    After reading some of the other reviews, I feel the need to mention a one thing before getting to the review proper: Until Dawn was meant to be a love letter to the horror film genre. To clarify, the characters, the    Don't let the yellow circle around the number fool you into thinking this game is only okay; Until Dawn is quite good, it just isn't good enough to warrant a $60 purchase.
    After reading some of the other reviews, I feel the need to mention a one thing before getting to the review proper: Until Dawn was meant to be a love letter to the horror film genre. To clarify, the characters, the different types of villains, and the setting as a whole were meant to feel familiar and stereotypical. Not unlike Joss Whedon's Cabin in the Woods, Until Dawn isn't really meant to be a standalone experience - you won't enjoy what you're seeing to its fullest if you haven't also seen at least some of the substantial source material.
    So the player controls 8 teenagers (portrayed by actors who most certainly are not teenagers) as they wander around a spooky house, a sanatorium, and the forest and such surrounding the two locations, picking up things and piecing together what happened at varying points of the mountain's past. The game jumps you from character to character to try and keep the narrative going. The characters have set attributes, as well as relationship meters with all of their friends, and your actions as each character alter how the others perceive you. Choices you make as one character resonate with the others, and change the story.
    On that note, the "butterfly effect" system the game is so proud of (it even gets its own intro cutscene), isn't as robust as the ones found in the Telltale games, or even that of Chrono Trigger. Supposed recaps of certain situations happened differently during my playthrough than they had when I was playing them. While the consequences were the same, there was an odd disconnect in seeing things that I didn't do work out the same way as the things I actually did. Similar problems arose regarding lines of dialogue that didn't make sense in the context of my actions.
    Gameplay-wise, most of the game is walking around looking at things and flipping them over. If you've played L.A. Noire, that's honestly the best way to describe it - right down to the over-the-shoulder camera when you pick something up and use the right stick to rotate it. Here, however, is where the most noticeable problem of Until Dawn shows itself: it doesn't control well at nearly any point in time. The game operates on a nearly fixed camera (think Resident Evil, or a Telltale game again), but the right stick is still used to move your character's light source around. Everyone turns too slowly, and the light sources, whatever they may be, are difficult to control, because it's hard to tell whether the game wants you to move the right stick in relation to the camera or the character. I'm pretty sure it changed sometimes, as well. But that's tolerable; the real problem is once the right trigger comes into play.
    Players use the right trigger (R2) to pick up objects, push buttons, open cabinets, and so on. To push a button, you must hold R2 until the character's finger presses the button, then release R2. To pick up an object and perform an action with it, you must hold R2 to pick it up, and keep R2 held while doing whatever else is required; releasing R2 will cause your character to place the object right where they found it and then just hold their hand in front of it, like they're trying to manipulate it with the Force. Furthermore, for some strange reason, all of the actions that involve movement in one of these R2 sections translate that movement to the right stick, not the left. Anyone who's played just about any 3D game will understand that the right stick is used for camera control, and that this is wrong. These sections appear often, but thankfully aren't usually time-sensitive.
    In all honesty, however, the thing that really lowered my opinion of the game was the lack of a consistent story in this story-based game. In trying to wrangle all of the horror subgenres into one game, the developers made a story with far too much going on at once; as though they were aware of this, they then sliced away every plot point previously mentioned, and put an entire new one in for the game's last third. With more than half the game involving a series of red herrings, the final, much more action-packed hours lack the tension and interest that was built up for the majority of the game. Furthermore, Until Dawn is, like the horror films it so lovingly emulates, predictable to the extreme. Every plot twist is foreseeable, even after the radical shift in subject matter in the last section of the game. And, as a side note, most of this horror game's "scares" are jump scares that have no context nor significance to the plot at all.
    Despite these concerns, I still enjoyed Until Dawn, as did my family and girlfriend who all sat down to watch the story unfold. But I think I enjoyed it more than some because I got it for about $30, rather than the full price. Like a bad horror film, rent it, or buy it on sale, and you'll have a good time.    … Expand
  2. Sceptic
    Sep 7, 2015
    7
    I really enjoyed Until Dawn.Although any story twists and shocks barely raised an eyebrow on this horror veteran.As an interactive movie,it's a great success,but as a video game it is less successful.It really needed more meaningful interaction besides QTE and conversation choices.Sadly,all of the characters were dull and predictable,though it was hard to dislike Sam and Emily wasI really enjoyed Until Dawn.Although any story twists and shocks barely raised an eyebrow on this horror veteran.As an interactive movie,it's a great success,but as a video game it is less successful.It really needed more meaningful interaction besides QTE and conversation choices.Sadly,all of the characters were dull and predictable,though it was hard to dislike Sam and Emily was obviously designed to be despised by every player( Just die you b**ch) .Still,it deserves a better sequel with better writing that doesn't treat it's audience like foolish horror amateurs...… Expand
  3. Kansler
    Aug 24, 2017
    7
    A middle way between Telltale's adventure games and the survival horror of Resident Evil. A very engrossing story and presentation, although full of horror cliches and some annoying teenage characters. Despite the branching nature of the story, I didn't feel the need to go back and play it again, but the first run was very memorable. Unlike many other "choose your own adventure" titles,A middle way between Telltale's adventure games and the survival horror of Resident Evil. A very engrossing story and presentation, although full of horror cliches and some annoying teenage characters. Despite the branching nature of the story, I didn't feel the need to go back and play it again, but the first run was very memorable. Unlike many other "choose your own adventure" titles, Until Dawn definitely makes you feel like your actions have consequences. Some really horrific ones...… Expand
  4. Tal_Kalon
    Nov 1, 2015
    7
    I rented this game and finished over the course of three days. I'm not big on horror movies / games, but I wanted something to play for Halloween and this fit the bill. I think its a solid rental choice but not worth 60 dollars.

    Game has incredible environments and fantastic character models. The character's faces are definitely uncanny valley stuff, but from a distance I'd swear they    I rented this game and finished over the course of three days. I'm not big on horror movies / games, but I wanted something to play for Halloween and this fit the bill. I think its a solid rental choice but not worth 60 dollars.

    Game has incredible environments and fantastic character models. The character's faces are definitely uncanny valley stuff, but from a distance I'd swear they were footage of real people, just very well done.

    At the beginning I felt like I was piecing together a mystery, and it my main drive to continue playing. That said, as the game progressed and the story came together I just wanted it to pick up the pace and end.

    I still don't understand why these teens go on vacation to a lodge during a harsh Canadian winter and never turn on the heat or one single light, except late in the game when they're told its a bad idea. They also wade through rivers up to their waists.

    There are times when the story just made no sense to me, but I won't spoil anything. Characters make some insane choices that you have no control over. I mean, if you were told to stay put for one more hour till its daylight, would you choose to go out into the dark alone where people have died? I understand the game would be pretty boring if you just waited out the danger but at least give me a plausible motive for decisions like this, and the classic "let's split up" bit.

    The game has a stats in the form of characteristics as well as a relationship status bar. These play
    no role in anything, so far as I can tell.

    I can't really provide much insight into just how important your choices are, other than determining who lives and who dies, as I have only done one play through. The game is roughly 10 hours long, and I don't feel like doing another play through - the Red-box is still picking rummaging through my wallet.

    Once beaten, the game does allow you to start at various chapters to try and alter the story.
    I don't know how much the endings vary; only two people survived in my play through.

    I know I've mostly went on about the issues I've had with the game but its well worth a rental if you're in the mood for Quick Time Event, choose your own adventure horror.    … Expand
  5. Jack97
    Sep 9, 2017
    7
    Until Dawn is undoubtedly a unique gaming experience. It's tributes to the horror genre are cool and it's visually appealing. I like the decision making and how it altered certain things, but that's the thing - it only alters certain events within the story. The story will always be the same only with maybe some character deaths and some revelations into their feelings. I was a bitUntil Dawn is undoubtedly a unique gaming experience. It's tributes to the horror genre are cool and it's visually appealing. I like the decision making and how it altered certain things, but that's the thing - it only alters certain events within the story. The story will always be the same only with maybe some character deaths and some revelations into their feelings. I was a bit disappointed that you can't REALLY alter the story with your choices. I don't think the game fully capitalized on it's potential but for what it is I enjoyed playing it but I don't see myself playing it again.… Expand
  6. Prequel
    Oct 23, 2019
    7
    Story starts off cliched, then stops being cliched only to be ridiculous.
    Split second forced key prompts shape the story in the most unjust way and there is no way to change them without replaying whole chapters. Player doesn't get to see the consequences of their choices, they get to see the consequences of their button pressing skills. Whoever still thinks this is a good idea to shape    Story starts off cliched, then stops being cliched only to be ridiculous.
    Split second forced key prompts shape the story in the most unjust way and there is no way to change them without replaying whole chapters. Player doesn't get to see the consequences of their choices, they get to see the consequences of their button pressing skills. Whoever still thinks this is a good idea to shape a story needs to be fired.

    And the locked camera is terrible with this game. 80% of the time you are expected to move a character looking at them 10 meters away, from the ground. It's impossible to see what's ahead. If they thought this type of camera was really important to the game when it really isn't, they should've done a better job directing them.    … Expand
  7. Storm1672
    Oct 10, 2015
    7
    Not so many impactful choices as there seem to be in the beginning. The irritating characters won't help either. The game is beautiful though the uncanny valley is evident throughout. All in all, it a nice game, but a bit overrated. The games from Quantic Dream and Telltale have more meaningful choices and much better scripts.

    Having said the above, I enjoyed my first playthrough as    Not so many impactful choices as there seem to be in the beginning. The irritating characters won't help either. The game is beautiful though the uncanny valley is evident throughout. All in all, it a nice game, but a bit overrated. The games from Quantic Dream and Telltale have more meaningful choices and much better scripts.

    Having said the above, I enjoyed my first playthrough as much as I enjoy a teen horror movie with a not so great 3rd act. But this (movie) genre tends to have a bad third act almost every time. At least now you get to choose which one will die.

    tl;dr
    Enjoyable first playthrough, a bit overrated    … Expand
  8. thanatopsis
    Aug 28, 2015
    7
    I hate interactive movies. I hate the Telltale games, and I didn't much care for Heavy Rain. It certainly isn't worth $60, maybe $20, and it doesn't even have much replay value as there are very few differences besides the few different endings and some scenes where dead characters will be missing.
    Still, it was enjoyable and after the first fairly dull 3 hours I found it hard to put    I hate interactive movies. I hate the Telltale games, and I didn't much care for Heavy Rain. It certainly isn't worth $60, maybe $20, and it doesn't even have much replay value as there are very few differences besides the few different endings and some scenes where dead characters will be missing.
    Still, it was enjoyable and after the first fairly dull 3 hours I found it hard to put down. It literally kept me up until dawn, and then some.
    I killed off a few characters the first time and immediately though, "I shouldn't have done that. That was stupider than a teen in a typical horror movie." But other times all I did was miss a quick-time event sprung on me after a 10-minute non-interactive scene.
    The plot is a bit predictable, but slightly twisty and fun. The characters are typical shallow horror movie types, but I tended to care more about them as time went on. I was rooting for them to die at first, but trying to save them by the end.
    I just don't understand why the couldn't have built in a few real game mechanics. Why not let me run and climb like in Tomb Raider instead of pushing a triangle at the correct moment to jump to a higher ledger or slide under a tree? I don't get that.
    Still, it is something different and quite entertaining. Although there are passages where the characters look like the "zombie" children from The Polar Express, the acting and animation is usually quite good and many emotions are conveyed.
    It is far from perfect, but it is a milestone in the interactive movie genre.
    It is at least worth a rental if you have a PS4. Or buy it and lend it to friends when you are done. One or two times through is enough unless you really want to get all the collectibles, and have to sit through hours and hours of the same non-skipable scenes again and again.    … Expand
  9. HipsterMonster
    Sep 27, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Really good atmosphere combined with a good story is always a good sign. The only thing I didn't like about this game is how cheap the butterfly effect is. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty well designed. The problem is that it only affected who lived or died, but it did not change progression of the game whatsoever. And even where you had the chance to choose sometimes there was nothing you could do about it (SPOILER: When Josh "dies" for the first time).… Expand
  10. TragicShow
    Aug 26, 2015
    7
    If you like games such as the "Walking Dead" or "Wolf Among Us", I would say that you should definitely consider buying this game.

    I wanted to give this game a better score, but it had too many shortcomings for me. The story is a little cliche for my tastes. It's basically one of the "bunch of college friends go to [insert isolated area] and end up getting chased around by [insert scary    If you like games such as the "Walking Dead" or "Wolf Among Us", I would say that you should definitely consider buying this game.

    I wanted to give this game a better score, but it had too many shortcomings for me. The story is a little cliche for my tastes. It's basically one of the "bunch of college friends go to [insert isolated area] and end up getting chased around by [insert scary monster(s)]" horror stories. A lot of the decisions you make are actually more of an illusion of choice in which you are presented with two options, but no matter what you pick the same thing happens. This is mainly used to keep the plot pushing forward, but it can still be annoying. Certain things in the plot just don't make any sense, but this is generally very minor. The voice acting is also pretty bad at times, and the dialogue makes me think I'm watching a high school play.

    The graphics are nice (even though it's usually too dark to tell anyway) and the game does a good job of constructing an atmosphere. If you are a big fan of interactive stories, you would probably like this.    … Expand
  11. seventh_seal
    Sep 18, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One hour into this game, I had the unfavorable impression that this would basically consist in guiding a bunch of idiots through bad decisions. Everyone seemed unlikable and everything so predictable. After finishing, though, I have to give some credit to the writing - though the plot was still far from the most inventive, I enjoyed it, mostly because of one of my favorite legendary monsters.

    It does not come as a surprise that the butterfly effect mechanic is hugely overrated - once again, you do not get actual significantly different content in the game, you do not influence the overall story, you just choose who makes it through and who doesn't. One playthrough of the game is enough, is what I want to say, and you can quite fully understand the story even if you don't find all the clues. You can go back to the episodes and try to get your favorite character (not that there were many for me) to make it, but that's about it. You're not making very many moral choices (maybe one or two), most of them are just random and their consequences completely unforeseeable. I'm fine with that, but the opening sequence made me think the game posed as being more than that.

    What it comes down to is that you don't do much here as a player, almost half of the action seems to take place in cut scenes, except for the times you do some quick QTE button pushing or you're asked to make a choice or quite boringly wander around under cinematographic camera angles. So if you're feeling like a eight-hour long horror movie, which is sometimes my case, go for it. The plus side is that you can get rid off all the annoying characters who seem to swarm this is sort of genre and I did rise up to the opportunity.    … Expand
  12. chr1so
    Sep 2, 2015
    7
    Basically an interactive movie. The gameplay consists of some quick time events. That's it. Very similar to tell-tale games.
    Personally it wasn't that scary, not like Outlast anyway. My wife tho, she crapped herself, but still loved watching me play, and wanted me to start again right after finishing the game.
    So depends what your cup of tea is. For me it was a bit meh
  13. everin
    Oct 1, 2015
    7
    Tier 2
    + One of the most visually impressive console games released to date, particularly concerning lighting and animations
    + Demonstrates incredible cinematic prowess that pushes the adventure game genre to a new level + Engaging, visceral, and fun in its execution and delivery ? Suffers some pacing issues in its attempt to cover so many genre tropes and characters ? Interesting    Tier 2
    + One of the most visually impressive console games released to date, particularly concerning lighting and animations
    + Demonstrates incredible cinematic prowess that pushes the adventure game genre to a new level
    + Engaging, visceral, and fun in its execution and delivery
    ? Suffers some pacing issues in its attempt to cover so many genre tropes and characters
    ? Interesting exploration mechanics, though in many instances they distract from the cinematic immersion by making the experience feel like gamey "search for the glowing objects"
    - Treats its players like idiots in its tutorials and communications of the objectives
    - Ending feels rushed and cheap compared to the story building up to it, greatly undercuts the achievements of the game's earlier chapters    … Expand
  14. DeusXCom
    Aug 18, 2017
    7
    Pretty solid horror experience. Audio/visual quality and the overall presentation is quite high and there is no shortage of scary or shocking moments which is what you mostly want from a horror. There might be a little too many typical teen cliches thrown in but at least it changes pace in the second half, the entire thing also escalates a little too quickly to my taste, I always enjoyPretty solid horror experience. Audio/visual quality and the overall presentation is quite high and there is no shortage of scary or shocking moments which is what you mostly want from a horror. There might be a little too many typical teen cliches thrown in but at least it changes pace in the second half, the entire thing also escalates a little too quickly to my taste, I always enjoy horrors at the beginning when the tension is building up before it gets all crazy and that's cut pretty quickly here. In terms of gameplay it's just some basics, with various QTE thrown in, this is more about the story and decisions you make than the actual gameplay, but in terms of horror experience you get from it, it works pretty well. 7/10… Expand
  15. ason313
    Jan 27, 2016
    7
    Impressive presentation and graphics that make you feel like you entered a horror movie. The game is ultimately about trial and error to achieve its full potential. Lots of quick time events and tough decisions that can mean life or death for characters whose personalities vary greatly on play throughs depending on your choices which aren't always clear or easy to make, Would get a higherImpressive presentation and graphics that make you feel like you entered a horror movie. The game is ultimately about trial and error to achieve its full potential. Lots of quick time events and tough decisions that can mean life or death for characters whose personalities vary greatly on play throughs depending on your choices which aren't always clear or easy to make, Would get a higher score if they found a way to extend the games play-ability after you reach the "true ending." If you like the survival horror genre i would recommend it, but I can't say the full $60 is worth it since I'll probably never play it again. I got it used for 25 bucks and feel it was well worth that though.… Expand
  16. fijiboy
    Nov 24, 2015
    7
    some things about this game were a bit disappointing, but there were also a lot of things that took me by surprise. One issue I have with this game is how the story unfolds. I was invested at first and then it took a very unexpected turn, which was clever but I think the experience would have been better if it would have stuck to the direction this game has you believe that its going,some things about this game were a bit disappointing, but there were also a lot of things that took me by surprise. One issue I have with this game is how the story unfolds. I was invested at first and then it took a very unexpected turn, which was clever but I think the experience would have been better if it would have stuck to the direction this game has you believe that its going, without spoiling anything there is a twist and even though it was fun I think the game went a bit too wild. The other thing I wasn't impressed by was its replay value, the developers had sad that most people will only get 50% of the experience the first time through and will imidiately want to play it again, without spoiling anything, this is simply not the case, even though there is reason to replay the game, it is not for that reason. that's really everything bad about the game, everything else is great, but one thing that really surprised me was the depth of the characters and how much I actually ended up liking them. this is a great game for those who are into games where your choices matter and those who also love horror clichés because this game embraces them in the best way possible.… Expand
  17. Hack
    Apr 2, 2016
    7
    Good story, great cast, extremely atmospheric and scary but it has the worst performance of any game I've played on PS4 and it really hurt the experience for me. Even if you don't normally notice frame rate issues I'd be surprised if you don't notice how poorly Until Dawn runs as it's that bad, it spends most of the game under 30fps, with a lot of the time in the low 20s and even lower, itGood story, great cast, extremely atmospheric and scary but it has the worst performance of any game I've played on PS4 and it really hurt the experience for me. Even if you don't normally notice frame rate issues I'd be surprised if you don't notice how poorly Until Dawn runs as it's that bad, it spends most of the game under 30fps, with a lot of the time in the low 20s and even lower, it felt incredible choppy throughout which killed the immersion for me. I had to knock a whole point off due to this issue as it hurt the game so much for me. The game would have been much more enjoyable had they either optimised it better or knocked the visuals down a little to maintain 30fps throughout.… Expand
  18. horrorreviews
    Sep 22, 2015
    7
    The first half of this game was awesome. Loved the whole murder mystery plot and the butterfly affect. But then things started getting supernatural. The whole Wendigo thing really hurt the game for me. They weren't scary and it didn't feel like they belonged in a story like this and that they were just added to lengthen it and give the player a "real" threat, but all that meant was aThe first half of this game was awesome. Loved the whole murder mystery plot and the butterfly affect. But then things started getting supernatural. The whole Wendigo thing really hurt the game for me. They weren't scary and it didn't feel like they belonged in a story like this and that they were just added to lengthen it and give the player a "real" threat, but all that meant was a bunch of QTEs and "don't move " parts. The butterfly affect was a interesting ideal, but it's execution was awful. Most of the choices either result in the same outcome, or affect the story in an insignificant way, and this is especially apparent if you play through the game a second time. It's a shame because this looked like one of the best horror games in years for the first few hours, but by the end, I can't say I was totally satisfied. Still not a bad game by any means, but I really feel like it had potential to be great, and yet, I can't say it's any better more than a slightly above average horror title.… Expand
  19. TK4EVA47
    Dec 19, 2022
    7
    I played Until Dawn (2015) in 2022 and thought it was a good game that I liked.
  20. Angelwolf
    Nov 22, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I enjoyed Until Dawn thoroughly. It's definitely a great game, so why am I only giving it a 7? Well, first of all is the re-playability. Once you know the story, there are no more surprises for next time around. That's not a bad thing on the whole - often with re-plays you already know the story. But the problem with Until Dawn is that you *expect* a different story given the 'Butterfly Effect' system. You even expect your interactions with other characters to change the story - but they don't. (There are certain stat bars for how you have interacted with the others, but whether you get along well with someone, or not well at all - nothing seems to change within the story).

    The 'Butterfly Effect' system is used to change how the story pans out. And it doesn't. Well, it does. Kind of. People can live or die depending on the choices you make, but this will not necessarily impact the way that your game will follow through and end. That, in itself, is disappointing.

    These points aside, Until Dawn was a very enjoyable game on my first play through. With plot twists, I never knew what was next. The game kept me on the edge of my seat constantly and I couldn't stop playing - I just had to know what was going to happen next!

    The graphics are superb and the sounds are chilling. The story was enjoyable and, at some points, unexpected.

    Despite my review score, I would definitely recommend playing through Until Dawn, however don't expect anything dramatically different if you decide to play through it again for a second time. It's a game every PS4 owner should try at some point.    … Expand
  21. notlaw
    May 1, 2016
    7
    Until Dawn is a decent horror survival game.The first few hours are a little slow but once your past that it gets pretty entertaining. I like how you think its taking you one way and then goes another a couple of times. Your choices will influence who lives and who dies, its like your own teen slasher with a twist. The visuals in it are pretty impressive also, I did pick this game up forUntil Dawn is a decent horror survival game.The first few hours are a little slow but once your past that it gets pretty entertaining. I like how you think its taking you one way and then goes another a couple of times. Your choices will influence who lives and who dies, its like your own teen slasher with a twist. The visuals in it are pretty impressive also, I did pick this game up for $20 so if you can get it for around that certainly not money wasted.… Expand
  22. Epik_Ninnja
    Aug 12, 2017
    7
    What started as what seemed like an interactive low-quality horror movie the first time I played it almost had me staying up until dawn playing it the second time I booted it up. Some of the scares were surprisingly effective and the decision making had real impact on the story. Also, the game's graphics are some of the best I've seen and the animations are well done (although cutscenesWhat started as what seemed like an interactive low-quality horror movie the first time I played it almost had me staying up until dawn playing it the second time I booted it up. Some of the scares were surprisingly effective and the decision making had real impact on the story. Also, the game's graphics are some of the best I've seen and the animations are well done (although cutscenes look choppy for some reason). It isn't a masterpiece and some parts were disappointing but overall it's a pretty good game.… Expand
  23. Nel
    Jan 23, 2017
    7
    Until Dawn is a story movie like game. The game revolves around you walking, and doing QTE. At the first playthrough it is fun, and enjoyable, but the second playthrough to collect the missing totems, it is an absolute pain not to be able to skip scenes which you already have seen.
  24. zwickyuoh
    Aug 25, 2015
    7
    So this game boasts about how your choices greatly influence the outcome of the story. Here's some news that will shock no one: it won't. Sure you choose who lives and who dies, but the main premise is differed only slightly and incrementally. Not like Heavy Rain and certainly not like 999/VLR. Despite this, I still had an enjoyable time with all the campy horror nonsense going on.So this game boasts about how your choices greatly influence the outcome of the story. Here's some news that will shock no one: it won't. Sure you choose who lives and who dies, but the main premise is differed only slightly and incrementally. Not like Heavy Rain and certainly not like 999/VLR. Despite this, I still had an enjoyable time with all the campy horror nonsense going on.

    There are plenty of great games that don't have much interactivity, I don't get why these types of games get **** for that. The game should be judge based on how that level of interactivity is executed and how it serves the narrative. Considering this is a horror-based choose your own adventure, it works well. Great even. The slow initial build and generic set-up hinder the game somewhat, but shouldn't wave the players interest. We've been starved for horror games, Until Dawn does a decent job at satisfying the hunger until SOMA.    … Expand
  25. ragnarokew
    Nov 10, 2015
    7
    Wasn't scary thats for sure but i like this kind games you making choices and game depens what you choice characters and atmosphere is good woth buying.

    7/10
  26. Kauneon
    Aug 25, 2015
    7
    A video game obsessed with its own narratology, detracting from the overall immersion. As far as interpretation goes the Butterfly Effect motif is spoon-fed, when it should be implied. The conceit found with the nuanced campiness is that it's actually not to a fault, but what ruins this subtlety is the flimsily implemented motion-controls.
  27. TheBeastInMe
    Aug 30, 2015
    7
    Sure, this can hardly be called a "video game" as that term has been defined over the last 30 years, but whatever the hell you call it, it was a wonderful experience. I know this because (1) I completed the game over the weekend and (2) my wife was as engaged in watching me play it as I was. As a (now) casual gamer married to a woman who hates video games these two things never happen. ISure, this can hardly be called a "video game" as that term has been defined over the last 30 years, but whatever the hell you call it, it was a wonderful experience. I know this because (1) I completed the game over the weekend and (2) my wife was as engaged in watching me play it as I was. As a (now) casual gamer married to a woman who hates video games these two things never happen. I suppose that says more about how this experience is not a video game than anything else, but video games are evolving and I suppose this will be a case study on that point.

    Unfortunately, the thing most likely to kill you in this otherwise tense experience are its first 2.5 hours. This part of the game just moved too slowly and the scares had no substance to them. As a fan of the horror genre, that “thing lurking in the shadows” can only turn out to be a harmless **** so many times before I stop taking you seriously. This isn’t to say that the scares should commence right out the gate, but too many false starts are what nearly caused me to put the controller down on this one forever. If the creators want to lull me into a false sense of security before unleashing the proverbial beast, I would appreciate it if they were quicker about it next time. This wouldn’t be so bad in a game where you can do more than walk at a snail’s pace, but with the exception of its set pieces, that’s really all you can do here. This has the effect of forcing you to endure 2-3 hours of slow, uneventful “gameplay” through the introductory chapters. I'm too damn busy to spend all that time doing nothing.

    Another gripe I had is that when you are in control of them, the players can never move faster than a slow amble. If you hold down the L1 button you go from moving at 1 mile per hour to moving at 1.2 miles per hour. However, the game rewards exploration, possibly more so than any game I have ever played. This sends mixed messages by encouraging you to check every corner of every environment, but also making it frustrating to walk your character's slow ass across the room. This frustration is exacerbated when the characters have to explore some of the larger locales. The experience would have been much better if you could at least jog. This would have allowed me to get through the game’s slower moments without sacrificing the tension I am sure the developers were trying to achieve with the whole walking thing. I’m left wondering why the creators of the game even gave you the option of “walking faster” by holding L1, when there was no meaningful difference in the character’s pace.

    Notwithstanding the above, there are many things I found in this game that I want to see in future video games. The setting is fantastic and the graphics are incredible. The game is just amazing to look at. I also appreciate how the choices you make have consequences that the game forces you to live with. The game is constantly saving, so if a decision you made results in a character’s death, or leaves the character without a weapon, you have to move forward with that. What made this feature so interesting is that the consequences of your decisions are not always readily apparent: sometimes the consequence of a decision you made much earlier in the game does not manifest itself until the game’s final chapters, when the **** really hits the fan. Another quality I found interesting is that the choices I made did not always turn out the way I would have expected.

    Despite what I am reading in other reviews: the story and characters are brilliant. Reviewers are complaining that the characters are one-dimensional stereotypes to which I say two things: (1) no, they aren’t really, and (2) so what? On that first point, the characters definitely start out as stereotypes, but they (and how you feel about them) will change based on the decisions you make. At one point early in the game, you rank the characters based on how you feel about them. Naturally, I made my choices based on the things I had observed up to that point. As the game progressed however, the way I felt about certain characters changed dramatically. I have never had an emotional attachment to video game characters quite like I did in this game. By the end of the game, each character was a byproduct of the decisions I had personally made. So, if you played the game and still think that the characters are stereotypes, then perhaps that says more about you than the characters themselves.

    Lastly, I prefer conventional video games where the interactivity aspect manifests itself more in the gameplay and less in player decisions. I hated Beyond Two Souls and the minute I learned that this game was going to be much like that gameplay-wise I was seriously off-put. In fact, I un-preordered Until Dawn and did not buy it. Instead, I rented it and I am damn glad I gave it a shot because when the developers address its issues in future games, I am looking forward to giving them my money.    … Expand
  28. geo333
    Jul 6, 2021
    7
    It's a solid game that is very unique in the game play however the only thing I did not like was the button decision as sometimes is too fast for one to react, aside from that I enjoy the game.
  29. TyphoonHamster
    Sep 1, 2015
    7
    This game had great graphics, a pretty interesting plot, and kept me cringing everytime I made a decision. I kept asking myself, "Did I just send that character to murderville?". Overall, I had a great time with it. If you are not a fan of games like Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, then you will probably hate this game. It has a lot of slow gameplay where you just explore theThis game had great graphics, a pretty interesting plot, and kept me cringing everytime I made a decision. I kept asking myself, "Did I just send that character to murderville?". Overall, I had a great time with it. If you are not a fan of games like Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, then you will probably hate this game. It has a lot of slow gameplay where you just explore the environment and look for clues. However, if you do enjoy those types of games then this will give you an entertaining way to spend the evening. Even-though anyone can die in the game I feel that the replay value is still not too high. Once the big twist is revealed it just seems like who dies and who doesn't is not too important; it seems like the end result is roughly the same regardless due to the nature of the plot. Replay value isn't the purpose if you are in it for a pretty good story that plays out like an old school slasher flick and that is what I was playing it for so....mission accomplished!… Expand
  30. SystemGamerDJ
    Sep 6, 2015
    7
    Je ne peux pas appeler "Until Dawn" un jeu, mais plus un film interactif.
    Mais pourquoi un 7/10 ? La durée de vie est très courte si on veut rusher le "film" et rajouter peut-être une ou deux heures pour trouver tous les indices et les totems. Il est également très mal optimiser pour la "PS4", des chutes de framrate qui peuvent descendre parfois à 20 FPS. Le "film" ne fait pas très peur,    Je ne peux pas appeler "Until Dawn" un jeu, mais plus un film interactif.
    Mais pourquoi un 7/10 ? La durée de vie est très courte si on veut rusher le "film" et rajouter peut-être une ou deux heures pour trouver tous les indices et les totems. Il est également très mal optimiser pour la "PS4", des chutes de framrate qui peuvent descendre parfois à 20 FPS. Le "film" ne fait pas très peur, on peut prévoir ce qui va se passer dans certaine scène. Des voix VF qui sont moyens, la VO est bien mieux. Et beaucoup d'éléments scriptés.
    Je viens de dire que des points négatifs, et maintenant les points forts du jeu ! Nous ne pouvons pas nier que les graphismes sont très bien même excellent comme l'ambiance.. Grâce aux choix qu'on a fait, les fins sont à chaque fois alternatif comme dans "Heavy Rain" et "Beyond: Two Souls" et un scénario qui est bien pensée.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Best PS4 Game of 2015
9
#9 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
10
#10 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 103 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 103
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 103
  3. Negative: 1 out of 103
  1. CD-Action
    Nov 14, 2015
    65
    A barely interactive horror film about typical American teenagers. You know, with a cabin. In the woods. And a psychopath. We’ve all seen that, we’ve heard these dialogues, we all know these characters. Still Until Dawn has a pretty good story and is a nice homage to horror flicks and despite being a collection of simple QTE’s can both engage and surprise. [11/2015, p.44]
  2. SpazioGames
    Oct 28, 2015
    80
    It's tense, smart, and able to arouse the player's curiosity until the end. Some design choices are a bit controversial, and the acting is not always spot on, but it's definitely a great homage to horror movies.
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  3. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Oct 16, 2015
    80
    Gameplay-wise, not exactly a killer app, but anybody who looks at those visuals will be dead impressed. Short, but plenty of reasons to replay, and it’s the spookiest game since Alien: Isolation. [November 2015, p72]
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