80
CRITIK
Until Dawn
Until Dawn is an interactive drama survival horror video game. It was originally scheduled to be released on the PlayStation 3 and feature PlayStation Move support, but in August 2014, the game was reintroduced as a PlayStation 4 exclusive. Until Dawn is designed to be played multiple times, as players will miss out on quite a bit of content with a single playthrough. Each will last about nine hours in length and the game mechanics utilize a new in-game system called the "Butterfly Effect" in which any choice of action by the player may cause unforeseen consequences later on. For example, locating a weapon in an earlier chapter may allow the player to pick it up down the line when a chase scene leads back to the same room. Throughout the game, players will make difficult decisions during ethical or moral dilemmas, such as sacrificing one character to save another. The Butterfly Effect system blurs the line between right and wrong decisions and it is possible for players to keep all eight characters alive as well as having all eight of them die, allowing for many different paths and scenarios as well as offering several different endings. Until Dawn has a strict auto-save system to prevent players from reloading a previous save file to an earlier point in the game if they regret an in-game decision they have made. The only way to change the player's choice is to restart the game from the beginning or continue to the end and start a new game. In a developer interview, it has been said that Until Dawn has "hundreds of endings". Different endings have different variations depending on the combination of characters alive at the end of the game. The gameplay is focused on exploration, quick-time events and discovering clues as well as making decisions. There is an in-game system that will keep track of all of the clues and secrets players have discovered in total, even if there are multiple playthroughs; these clues will allow the player to piece together the mysteries of Blackwood. In terms of the gameplay mechanics and theme, Until Dawn has been noted to be similar to Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls. Until Dawn was met with a positive critical response upon release, with praise directed at the visuals, choice mechanic, horror elements, music, voice acting and gameplay design. Most of the criticism the game drew was concerning the story, mostly the second half, camera angles, character movements and partially linear plot.
Other Scores
79
8.7
Critik
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Reviews
92 reviews found94
Impulsegamer.com
Aug 27, 2015
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Until Dawn is the perfect interactive medium on the PlayStation 4 that succeeds at drawing you into your own personal horror story. The game heavily focuses on storytelling and creates an immersive survival horror experience. The butterfly effect means player choice determines the various pathways of how the game can be finished which causes ripple effects. The game has amazing graphics, a haunting soundtrack, and excellent voice acting. The gameplay does take a back seat to the story, but the interactive plot is equally as satisfying. The game can be finished in around 10 to 12 hours, but there is plenty of replay value with unexpected twists a second time around. Overall, Until Dawn is a must-play for fans of survival horror and interactive storytelling.
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91
Cogconnected.com
Aug 24, 2015
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
While Until Dawn lacks complex gameplay, it counters with compelling characters, astounding visuals, and a thought provoking storyline. A masterful fusion of art forms, Until Dawn is a refreshingly self-aware experience that no thriller fan should pass up.
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90
Ztgd.com
Aug 24, 2015
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Until Dawn is quite possibly one of my favorite entries in the cinematic story telling genre, if not my favorite. It hits on all the right notes, has interesting variation outcomes from the butterfly effects, it looks great, and it’s the closest we’ve come to being in a horror flick. Sometimes funny, sometimes cheesy, sometimes downright scary and tense as hell, Until Dawn is one wild ride, and while not everyone will think it’s worth the entry price, I couldn’t be happier with the end results.
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90
Gameinformer.com
Aug 24, 2015
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Until Dawn is a remarkable experience that horror fans shouldn't miss. It offers a compelling horror story with a three-pronged mystery that is augmented by collectibles that actually matter. The characters evolve during the game based on how you play them and offer up chances for redemption (or revenge). The outstanding visuals, commendable performances from a cast of professional actors, and a mood-setting dynamic score all bring the characters and environments to life. Supermassive implements the best use of quick-time events to create nerve-racking action sequences. Don't Move prompts are also an interesting addition, tasking you with holding the controller as still as possible to hide from stalking predators. The decisions you make during the game will craft a unique and personal story. Every player follows the same narrative skeleton, and a few of the more "expendable" characters aren't instrumental to the ending. However, the script kept the reviewer entertained and feeling like their decisions mattered throughout their 10-hour playthrough. Thanks to some good twists, a few fake-outs, and limitless jump scares, Until Dawn would make a solid horror film.
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90
Cgmagonline.com
Aug 24, 2015
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Until Dawn is an incredible game for horror fans, and I have nothing negative to say about it. Supermassive Games didn’t disappoint. However, people not into the horror genre probably won’t enjoy Until Dawn nearly as much. If horror tropes or jump scares are not your thing, be warned before you venture in to Until Dawn.
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85
Arcadesushi.com
Sep 1, 2015
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Until Dawn is a bold experiment that pays off far more than it doesn’t. The game's unique brand of storytelling makes for a gaming experience unlike any other. However, the game has some issues, such as clunky controls, occasional graphical issues, and brutally fast QTEs. Despite these issues, the game is still worth playing for those who enjoy horror games and making tough decisions.
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80
Ausgamers.com
Aug 28, 2015
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Until Dawn proves to be both visually and narratively compelling. The game has a compelling narrative that is driven by the player's choices and has multiple endings. The game has a lot of replay value due to the Butterfly Effect system, which creates a helluva lot of variations between the different endings. The mid-chapter questionnaires with the creepy psychiatrist, Dr. Hill, also shape what horrors are about to befall the player. The game has a rudimentary control scheme, and the option to reconsider decisions that are obviously heading a bad way would’ve been nice.
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80
Softpedia.com
Aug 25, 2015
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Until Dawn is longer than it should be, has a lot of gameplay elements that feel inconsequential, and its replayability will only be an asset for the most dedicated of gamers. Until Dawn shows that Supermassive Games has the potential to someday revolutionize the horror video game genre, as long as it chooses experimentation over classical appeal.
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75
Ign.com
Aug 24, 2015
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Until Dawn is a gleefully cheesy homage to horror movies, set in a world built by a developer that clearly adores the genre. Although its thrills are tempered by a lack of story cohesion, its robust choice-and-consequence system and keen eye on horror’s most ridiculous tropes makes Until Dawn ultimately worth playing. The game dilutes its scares significantly with its gleeful abuse of genre tropes, but there are still some tense moments to be had. The sudden shift in the story's direction in the second half strips away any cohesiveness and left the reviewer feeling like they had played through two very different - and discordant - games. The game encourages replayability, and the decisions made by the player have consequences that shape the fates of the characters.
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70
Destructoid.com
Aug 24, 2015
This is an AI summary of the review and not a direct quote.
Until Dawn knows exactly what it is, and every horror fan owes it to themselves to play it at some point — especially at a price cut. The game is good at world-building, and the script is occasionally funny, as are the performances from the (mostly) talented cast. The game has some predictable plotlines, hammy acting, and lack of meaningful choices, but it's still an enjoyable experience.
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