Until Dawn

Until Dawn is a survival horror interactive drama that arrived on PlayStation 5 in 2024 as a completely rebuilt remake of the original 2015 title, this time with improved graphics, new lighting, and expanded scenes. A group of young people returns to a remote mountain lodge a year after a tragedy, only to find themselves at dawn face to face with an ancient evil hidden in an abandoned mine. The player switches between the perspectives of individual characters and decides their fate through dialogue choices and quick reactions to quick-time events, while the butterfly effect system links seemingly innocent decisions to far-reaching consequences later in the game, so that even a small detail noted in the first few minutes can come back in the final act.

The remake uses the DualSense controller for haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that heighten the tension during a chase or quiet movement through the dark, and newly recorded facial animations elevate the acting performances a notch above the original. The musical score relies on oppressive string motifs and silence interrupted by sudden jump scares, which is typical for the genre but is particularly effective here thanks to spatial audio. The level design of the lodge and the snowy forests combines claustrophobic interiors with more open outdoor sections, where the player searches for totems that predict future scenes and scattered memorabilia that flesh out the story's background.

The original 2015 game became one of the most influential titles in the interactive horror genre and paved the way for further Supermassive Games projects, and the remake has now let a new generation of players experience the story in a modern technical package. Reception of the remake was more mixed than for the original, with some players criticizing the high price for essentially the same content, yet Until Dawn remains valued for its gripping story, memorable characters, and nerve-wracking decision-making, where no choice comes for free and even a seemingly insignificant decision from the first hour can determine who lives to see the morning.

Why play it: For fans of gripping storytelling where even a seemingly insignificant choice can cost someone their life, though the remake is worth considering mainly on sale given its high price for essentially the same content.