Until Dawn

The story of Until Dawn received praise from the majority of the critics, with many noting its compelling and immersive nature. The game's use of the butterfly effect mechanic was highlighted as a standout feature, allowing players to shape the story and its outcomes through their choices. The characters were also well-developed, with some critics noting their likability and humor. The Digital Fix praised the tension that was ratcheted up at multiple choke points throughout the game, while GameTrailers noted that every decision felt like it mattered. The story was also commended for its self-awareness and deconstruction of horror tropes, with games(TM) noting its smart and self-aware nature. While the majority of the critics enjoyed the story, there were some criticisms regarding its execution. IGN noted that the story lacked cohesion and veered off in an entirely different direction in the second half, stripping away any cohesiveness. Softpedia felt that the story went to some places that every fan of the genre would know pretty well, with characters reduced to their essence and given little space to breathe as more blood gushes and adrenaline is pumped. GameCritics felt that the script was great at drawing players along but pushed the affecting tragedy too far, leading to stunned bewilderment. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the story of Until Dawn is a compelling and immersive experience that takes inspiration from teen slasher movies and uses cliches creatively to form personalities of the characters. The butterfly effect mechanic was praised for its ability to shape the story and its outcomes through player choices, and the characters were well-developed and likable. However, there were some criticisms regarding the story's execution, with some feeling that it lacked cohesion and veered off in a different direction in the second half. Despite this, the majority of the critics found the story to be very good, with many noting its tense and immersive nature.

The gameplay of Until Dawn has received mixed reviews from critics. GameTrailers and The Digital Fix praised the exploration aspect of the game, with the former stating that thorough exploration brings clues and mementos to better understand what’s going on and the latter stating that the game has a lot of replay value due to the Butterfly Effect system. Additionally, GameTrailers noted that the QTEs in Until Dawn actually feel exhilarating, and that the game forces players to think rather than just react. Shacknews also appreciated the variety of decisions that the game offers, which could lead to the death of one or more characters based on what's selected. However, some critics such as Gamestyle and Destructoid criticized the gameplay for being limited and fairly linear, with action scenes relying on QTE sections that are challenging but not groundbreaking. Destructoid also noted that the choice mechanic is unimaginative and mostly amounts to moving an analog stick in the desired direction. GameCritics criticized the game for having a plot to follow and a final sequence they want to get to, which limits the potential QTE failures to throw them too far off course. In practice, this creates a situation where any character who can get killed before the ending is not allowed to be central to the storyline. Overall, the consensus among critics is that the gameplay of Until Dawn is heavily dictated by player choice, which means it focuses more on story than gameplay. The game's central feature is the promise that every character lives or dies based on the choices made, and it's completely true that whether or not anyone lasts until dawn is entirely up to the player. The Butterfly Effect mechanic adds to replay value, and the game offers players plenty of agency and control, while still giving a primarily cinematic experience. However, the gameplay is rudimentary and limited, with lots of walking and QTEs for the action bits. The effective choices mechanic is the primary focus of the game and is pivotal to the entire experience, but the game needs to challenge your response time to dictate the outcome of seemingly random encounters.

The majority of the critics praised the Graphics and Visual Design of Until Dawn. The game was commended for its stunning visuals, atmospheric environments, and excellent lighting. The characters were also highly praised for their photorealistic appearance and expressive facial animations. Critics such as AusGamers and GameTrailers highlighted the game's lush blizzard effects, pitch-perfect lighting, and expert camera direction that created a fantastic atmosphere. Gamestyle also praised the game's atmospheric environments and good lighting and audio design. Impulsegamer and The Digital Fix also praised the game's use of motion capture technology, which made the characters look stunningly real. Overall, the game's graphics and visual design were considered to be one of its strongest aspects. However, some critics did have some negative feedback regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of Until Dawn. Some reviewers, such as Arcade Sushi and Critical Hit, mentioned that there were frequent frame rate issues that detracted from the immersive beauty and horror of what you see. Dealspwn also mentioned that the lip-syncing was sometimes disconnected, which let down the excellent likenesses of the characters. Twinfinite also mentioned that while the characters looked jaw-droppingly realistic when silent, the Uncanny Valley was ever-present when they spoke. Despite these criticisms, the overall consensus was that the game's graphics and visual design were impressive. Overall, the critics had a positive opinion of the Graphics and Visual Design of Until Dawn. The game was praised for its stunning visuals, atmospheric environments, and excellent use of motion capture technology. The characters were also highly praised for their photorealistic appearance and expressive facial animations. While some critics did mention frame rate issues and disconnected lip-syncing, the majority of the critics were impressed with the game's graphics and visual design. The game's graphics and visual design were considered to be one of its strongest aspects, and it helped to create an immersive and terrifying horror experience.

The Sound Design and Music of Until Dawn has received mostly positive reviews from the critics. Several critics have praised the game's sound design and music. According to Arcade Sushi, the composer Jason Graves created a soundtrack that is wrought with tension and punctuates the action perfectly with discordant sounds to make your skin crawl and tragic chords mourning each lost character. Critical Hit also praised the scoring, which creates tension right from the beginning. The audio design adds to the fear and atmosphere of the game, as per Impulsegamer. The sound effects are creepy, and the music is haunting, which works hand in hand with the gameplay and storytelling, as per Impulsegamer. However, some critics have pointed out some negatives regarding the Sound Design and Music of Until Dawn. Softpedia mentioned that the soundtrack and the ambient sounds feel a little out of step with the rest of the game, with a constant whispering of voices almost always in the background, and with the music sometimes preempting tense moments and scares. DarkStation also pointed out that the actual audio for the voices sounds somewhat muddled, as if they were bouncing off damp cave walls. The voices can be difficult to hear over the sound effects and music. Overall, the critics have a positive consensus regarding the Sound Design and Music of Until Dawn. The audio is key in any type of horror game, and it's a driving force in Until Dawn, surrounding you with all kinds of unidentified screeches and bumps in the night, as per GameTrailers. The audio design adds to the fear and atmosphere of the game, and the music is haunting, which works hand in hand with the gameplay and storytelling, as per Impulsegamer. The sound design is really something as well, with plenty of creepy effects that really get your best nerve over the course of the game, as per GameCrate. Although there are some negatives, the overall consensus is that the Sound Design and Music of Until Dawn is a great addition to the game, which contributes to the overall horror experience.

The voice acting in Until Dawn has been praised by many critics. Arcade Sushi commends the cast of excellent actors, including Hayden Panettiere and Brett Dalton, for bringing the motion-captured characters to life. COGconnected also praises the talented actors and enjoyable script, with genuine performances that created real-world emotions during interactions with the characters. DarkStation notes that while a few performances were flat or unmemorable, Peter Stormare and Rami Malek delivered their lines with an exaggerated flair that echoed the game's love affair with cheesy, 80's horror clichés. The Digital Fix also highlights the stunningly real mocap of the actors, including Hayden Panettiere, who will likely be the most noticeable to players. However, some critics did have negative opinions about the voice acting in Until Dawn. Critical Hit notes that while the voice acting was pretty good at times, the script was so clichéd at points that it was cringe-worthy. Dealspwn was let down by the disconnecting lip-syncing, which detracted from the excellent likenesses. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the voice acting in Until Dawn is commendable and adds to the cinematic experience. Game Informer notes the "commendable performances from a cast of professional actors," while Impulsegamer praises the "excellent" professional voice acting. Twinfinite notes that the game does an excellent job of delivering lines and making them feel believable. ZTGD commends the cast for conveying their characters exactly as horror fans would expect, playing right into the slasher horror genre. While there were some negative opinions, the majority of critics agree that the voice acting in Until Dawn is a strong aspect of the game.

The critics' opinions on the technical performance of Until Dawn on the PS4 were mixed. Some critics, such as Softpedia, praised the game for its innovative approach to saving progress, while others, such as Arcade Sushi and ZTGD, noted occasional graphical issues and frame rate drops. However, there were no major technical issues or bugs reported by any of the critics. Despite these minor issues, VideoGamer praised the game's design for allowing players to replay certain chapters and completely change the outcome of the story. On the other hand, there were no critics who reviewed Until Dawn on any other gaming platform, so it is difficult to make a comparison. However, it is worth noting that the PS4 version of the game was praised for its innovative approach to saving progress, which may not be present in other versions of the game. Overall, the critics' opinions on the technical performance of Until Dawn were mixed, with some praising the game's innovative approach to saving progress and others noting occasional graphical issues and frame rate drops. However, there were no major technical issues or bugs reported by any of the critics. Despite these minor issues, the game was praised for its design, which allows players to completely change the outcome of the story.

The majority of the critics agree that Until Dawn has a high replay value due to the Butterfly Effect system, which creates various outcomes based on the player's choices. The game's potential to alter the story drastically is everywhere, and the decisions made by the player have consequences that shape the fates of the characters. The mid-chapter questionnaires with the creepy psychiatrist, Dr. Hill, also shape what horrors are about to befall the player. The game's core scenario mostly remains the same, but there are consequences to actions that add replayability. Whole portions of gameplay can be skipped, depending on who is alive or which physical path you travel, adding to the replay value. The Butterfly Effects are at the core of the Until Dawn experience, and may be minor things like choosing to throw a snowball or ask about an old baseball bat. Every time you make one of these decisions, you will be alerted with an on-screen prompt, but there’s no indication of when or how this choice will manifest. Reinforcing this concept are Totems. Found throughout the game, Totems provide the tiniest of glimpses of a future event, choice, or outcome. As a game mechanic, they’re interesting, as a tension builder they are sublime! Some critics, such as Arcade Sushi and GameCritics, mention the clunky controls and the flaws that become too great to ignore after the first playthrough. The QTEs are brutally fast, which can lead to unnecessary deaths. The game should only be played a single time, as the scares may dissipate in a second playthrough. Once you complete those elements, it is then necessary to complete the entire game all over again as you can only see the result of your new decisions once you reach the later points in the game. This sort of defeated the replay elements for some critics. The slightly questionable replay value shouldn't discourage gamers, especially horror fans. The gameplay could have used some more variation, and it doesn’t quite live up its self-generated hype when it comes to the butterfly effect and multiple playthroughs. Overall, the critics agree that Until Dawn has a high replay value due to the Butterfly Effect system, the mid-chapter questionnaires, and the potential to alter the story drastically. The decisions made by the player have consequences that shape the fates of the characters, and the game offers a Mind-blowing amount of replayability. The game encourages replayability as the decisions made by the player have consequences that shape the fates of the characters. The Butterfly Effect is a great feature that allows the player's decisions to change how things play out. The changes were seamless to the action on screen, although the reviewer was notified of the change through a pop-up message. The totems offered a hint at what could happen in the future based on the reviewer's decisions. However, some critics mention the flaws in the controls and the gameplay, which can make the replay value less enjoyable. Despite this, the game is a remarkable experience that horror fans shouldn't miss, and it definitely keeps things interesting, even with multiple playthroughs.