I feel like I need to start this review by clarifying what exactly Until Dawn 2024 is yes And what you should (and shouldn’t) expect from it. As we all know, this is a re-release of the 2015 classic branching narrative horror adventure game developed by Supermassive and is a PS4 exclusive. But is this a remake or a remake? Surprisingly, PlayStation Publishing has been refusing to give it either label, and the confusion certainly doesn’t help manage any expectations, especially among fans of the original.
So: This new “enhanced” version of Until Dawn is the first game from Ballistic Moon, the studio founded by former Supermassive Games employees; on a technical level, of course, you could definitely call it a remake — It was rebuilt in a new engine, so it qualifies. But this new structure is still built around the performance of the original from a decade ago, and within the game, this character-driven and story-based gameplay means it’s still relatable Feel More like a remake.
There are some new scenes in the game – including a pre-order DLC chapter that was clumsily deleted from the original game, which has been restored to its proper place, much to the delight of this long-time fan – but don’t expect the story to go in any completely new directions direction, at least for the vast majority of the game. It’s not a complete teardown like the recent Resident Evil and Silent Hill remakes, but it does bring more graphical upgrades than you’d expect from a current-gen remake.
Graphics upgrade yes But it is undeniable that this is the most obvious change. Details-obsessed fans of the original (and I fully admit that I’m one of them) will be able to appreciate the finer pleasures of an expanded scenario through clever editing, new collectibles, and some all-new endings that I earned. No spoilers here, but it’s fun. But both old players and new players can enjoy the charm of this game beautiful. After watching Until Dawn on PS5, I finally understood why the characters so frequently talk about the stunning mountain environment they’re currently vacationing in – slash – being threatened. In fact, I really wish Ballistic Moon would have thought of adding a photo mode.
While some of the fantastical charm of the original has been lost in the stunning graphical fidelity of the latest generation of consoles, there’s no denying that Until Dawn has always strived to have as much realism as possible, and this new version It did. While the original’s unique PS4-era nostalgia was lost in translation, the artistic intent behind Until Dawn’s look isn’t compromised; instead, we can benefit from nearly a decade of graphical advancements, especially when it comes to lighting.
Even the title “Until Dawn” seems subtly different when you’ve watched the sunset the night before. The 2015 original didn’t have such flashy lighting and made up for it by starting the game at dusk. This is honestly the biggest tweak to the main story, which has been quietly moved back a few hours so you can get to the mountain during prime time. Over the course of the first chapter, watching the final light fade away behind the mountain peaks adds a layer of sadness even though you already know what’s going on. How many of these children can you safely escort for the rest of the night? Who just saw the sun for the last time? Like almost everything else in this version of the game, it’s about adding every little bit of humanity; this is further emphasized by the lighting makeover of the characters themselves, which adds surreal textures to the skin details that help further flesh out the actors line-up.
Ballistic Moon also doesn’t make any earth-shattering changes to the gameplay, and the content is a bit of a mixed bag. Starting with the clear good stuff: This new version of Until Dawn also introduces a more comprehensive set of accessibility features than the 2015 version. Sony has been leading the way in improving accessibility over the past few years, so this isn’t surprising, but it’s always nice to see.
As far as changes go, the original’s fixed camera angles have been replaced by 360-degree cameras that players can control in most areas, and – if nothing else, a welcome narrative improvement – characters can actually running Sometimes instead of trying (at best) to forcefully walk away and escape the horrors of the night. Unfortunately, these features don’t always work well together: characters’ movements still feel tied to those fixed viewpoints, so moving them can sometimes feel awkward and sluggish. But hey, at least you can do it a little faster now.
Ultimately, the worst parts of this new version of Until Dawn aren’t so much what’s there as what’s conspicuously missing. There have been some opportunities to add some of the quality-of-life features that have become standard in adventure games over the past decade, but Ballistic Moon didn’t take them, perhaps because many of these improvements are indelibly tied to Supermassive’s latest offering.
After playing through The Dark Picture Anthology, The Quarry, and The Casting of Frank Stone multiple times, I honestly wish Until Dawn had a couch co-op option that lets you know what interactions will More content added in terms of mobile UI logos. For example, you can enter another scene, or be able to start a new save without erasing the progress of a previously completed run. I know of course that ballistic moons are not super massive and cannot just rise from their work, but for sure these are just basic and not entirely proprietary ideas to improve user friendliness.
Well, to be honest, I wish I could give different ratings to different players, because whether or not I recommend this game to you will largely depend on your personal circumstances.
If you’ve never owned Until Dawn on PS4 and can’t wait to see it finally launch on other platforms, you should give this game a try – it’s a faithful re-creation that will keep you entertained You end up experiencing one of the best modern adventure games, and a spine-chilling good time. Super fans of the original who would be happy to watch it again nearly a decade later with some extra scenes and general graphical upgrades should definitely check out this version as well.
On the other hand, if you really like the original but want more substantial modifications to justify your purchase, then maybe don’t buy this version – or at least, wait for it to become available. The main sticking point from where I stand is that there’s no discount incentive for long-time fans to “upgrade” from PS4 to PS5: a benefit to Sony’s wallet, presumably because this is technically a remaster Rather than a remake.
If you didn’t like the original and were hoping this dispatch would change your mind, don’t get your hopes up: aside from the shiny updated graphics, I’d estimate this version is 90% the same. I can guarantee that whatever your complaint is, nothing has been completely and utterly overhauled to negate it, unless you very specifically dislike what Amy Van Roekel played in the original opening credits The iconic O Death performance (Supermassive is apparently splitting, sadly).
But – and speaking as someone who has played Until Dawn many times on PS4 and considers it one of his favorite games – I wouldn’t say I like this new version though more Better than the original, I certainly didn’t like it less Any of them. Both versions have their own strengths and weaknesses compared to the others, but in the end, this is Until Dawn: a game too good and too important to be locked away and relegated to a past generation of consoles. relic.
Until Dawn was reviewed on PlayStation 5 using code provided by the publisher. It’s out now on PS5 and PC.
