Until Dawn (2015)Playstation 4
This will be the first time I have written about a video game here on the blog, but this one fits right in with the content for sure. Do you really enjoy slasher movies? Do you wish you could control what goes on? Do you think you can outsmart death and survive until the end? Well in Until Dawn you finally get a chance to do that.
A great idea for a video game and one of the main reasons I finally broke down and bought a Playstation 4, Until Dawn is an ambitious role playing, interactive movie styled game. You take control of 8 characters set up in chapters. The characters’ traits and destiny are reflected by the choices you make within the game. Taking the wrong path whilst running away can lead to doom for said character, choosing the right path may lead to safety. The game boasts the ability to have numerous different endings to the “movie”. You can make any character as evil or heroic as you choose, but it all affects the ending of the game.
The plot revolves the group of friends at a remote cabin in western Canada on vacation. In the beginning Hannah is embarrassed at a poorly executed prank and runs off emotionally into the woods. Her twin sister Beth goes after her to comfort her. Soon after consoling her, Beth and Hannah are chased by an unknown person until they reach the edge of a cliff. The two girls struggle to stay on the cliff and the person pursues closer causing both girls to fall to their deaths. A year later, the surviving friends return to the cabin to reconcile. From there you take control of each character separately.
The game has some pretty cool features, such as using the controllers motion control in moments where you must keep still to hide from the killer. Another feature is the choice system. As you progress through the game you are given choices on what to do next. Whether it is prompted during running as the correct button to push or with an option of what to say to another character. Your actions towards the killer and other characters affect your personality and the running/climbing button choices affect where the story goes. One wrong button combination and your character could die. The game really keeps your attention and you get emotionally involved in the story.
As the game progresses it develops two stories. One story being the mysterious killer that is stalking the group. Another story is dealing with the creatures that roam the mining system near the cabin. The latter reminds me of the Descent and it is by far the most gut-wrenching part of the game. The creatures move very fast and any slip of a thumb on the controller can be costly.
There are numerous advertent and inadvertent homages to horror movies. A few I noticed were: the Saw series, The Descent, Friday the 13th, and April Fool’s Day. This game is truly a love letter to horror movie fans and it is shown throughout the game with its homages and reenactments. I found this game more entertaining than the majority of current horror films being released and the promise of multiple endings gives the game great replay value.
Without ruining anything, I will say that I ended the game with 4 surviving characters the first time I played it. I am interested to see if I can have all 8 survive sometime as well as having no survivors. I had a blast playing this game and I would suggest this to horror fans and non horror fans alike. The cool controls such as keeping still, using the touchpad to turn a page in a book, and button prompts were fun and made me feel like I was really part of the game. The only knock I really have on the game is that the characters walk super slow, and you can’t run while free roaming, just a brisk walk. Also sometimes you sit through some lengthy dialogue that is essential to the story so you have to pay attention. I would grade Until Dawn an A-. I loved the idea of the game and the story was unique yet reminiscent of great films of the same genre, but at times it can drag a little and sometimes you get the “where do I go now” moments. All in all it is a fun game that stands out with great replay value.
