Until Dawn™

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,386 reviews
  • graphics
  • story
  • music
Until Dawn™ Game Cover
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"Until Dawn™" is a horror game where the player determines the fate of eight friends who return to a secluded lodge a year after two of their group disappeared. Rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, the game features enhanced graphics, cinematography, and refined gameplay. The player's choices and decisions affect the story's outcome, creating a unique and immersive horror experience.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,386 reviews
graphics176 positive mentions
optimization66 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning graphics and a beautifully crafted atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
  • The branching narrative and character choices create a highly engaging and replayable experience.
  • The addition of new scenes and collectibles adds depth to the story and characters.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, including crashes and frame rate drops.
  • The removal of the original soundtrack, particularly the iconic 'O Death' song, detracts from the overall experience.
  • The requirement to sign in to a PlayStation Network account for a single-player game is frustrating and unnecessary.
  • graphics388 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and significant improvements over the original 2015 version, showcasing detailed character models and immersive environments. However, many players have reported performance issues, including lag spikes, graphical glitches, and frame rate drops, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these technical challenges, the enhanced graphics are often described as breathtaking and a major highlight of the remake, making it visually appealing even on lower settings.

    • “The graphics are absolutely stunning, which is matched with great music and excellent actors.”
    • “The graphics are mesmerizing, with detailed character models and environments that make the snowy, isolated setting come to life.”
    • “The graphics look amazing, the new camera system is a welcome addition and all the new content was great.”
    • “The game suffers from constant lag spikes no matter what graphic setting you're on.”
    • “There are huge graphical issues where hair lights up, characters shine, and sometimes things just... disappear?”
    • “Game plagued with issues, graphical glitches, frame rate drops, freezing when entering new areas or upon picking up items or going into menus.”
  • story388 mentions

    The story of "Until Dawn" is widely praised for its engaging narrative, rich character development, and the impactful "butterfly effect" mechanic that allows player choices to significantly alter outcomes. While some reviewers noted predictability and familiar horror tropes, many found the plot twists and emotional connections to characters compelling, making it a must-play for fans of interactive storytelling. Despite some technical issues in the remaster, the overall consensus is that the game's narrative remains a standout feature, offering a thrilling and immersive experience.

    • “The story is great - I didn't spoil myself before, and wouldn't suggest that for any newcomer, but there was never a point in the campaign where I felt the game droned on too much.”
    • “The story is engaging, packed with twists, and doesn't shy away from delivering some heart-pounding jump scares.”
    • “The story, the cast, and the experience is truly unforgettable!”
    • “The story is kind of a cliché, so if you are adjusted to horror themes in games and films, you will not be surprised by the direction that the scenario took.”
    • “The whole story was well written along with all the characters, but the main thing that you play this game for, the story, just felt so lacking, so lazy, so boring and so cheap.”
    • “While the plot can sometimes lean into familiar horror tropes, the branching paths and consequences make it an engaging experience for those who enjoy narrative-driven games.”
  • music292 mentions

    The music in the remake has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the removal of the iconic "O Death" song and the overall downgrade in soundtrack quality compared to the original. While some appreciate the new compositions by Mark Korven, others feel they lack the emotional impact and tension that the original score by Jason Graves provided, often describing the new music as generic or ill-fitting for key scenes. Overall, the consensus is that the soundtrack changes significantly affect the game's atmosphere, with many wishing for an option to revert to the original music.

    • “The music is moody and foreboding, the graphics are solid, the choices you make are impactful and feel like you are changing the story.”
    • “The new music - by Mark Korven - is much more cinematic and provides a richer soundscape overall; the original always felt drowned out and forgettable.”
    • “I do quite like the new main musical motif that plays throughout the game; it feels very recognizable and interesting.”
    • “The new music was so bad I felt like turning the game off.”
    • “The original soundtrack is non-existent (yep, no iconic 'o death' song).”
    • “The music changes in general really took it from being genuinely spooky and jump-scarey in some parts to just a regular game.”
  • optimization193 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, particularly on PC. While some users experienced smooth gameplay with high settings, others found the game poorly optimized for their hardware, leading to frustrating gameplay moments. Overall, it appears that while the game has potential, it requires further patches and optimizations to fully address the technical shortcomings.

    • “While performance is generally improved, there are occasional minor glitches that detract slightly from the immersion, such as clipping issues or inconsistent lip-syncing.”
    • “Thankfully I didn't have any performance issues and the game looked and ran pretty good at 4k with the native HDR (I played after the first patch).”
    • “After several patches, the game is in good technical and performance shape.”
    • “I literally had to play around 20 fps the rest of the game because of how unoptimized it is.”
    • “The main problem is that for a PC port, the game is so poorly optimized!”
    • “Extreme lag and stuttering make this game unplayable.”
  • gameplay126 mentions

    The gameplay of the remake is primarily narrative-driven, featuring exploration, decision-making, and quick-time events (QTEs), which some players find engaging while others consider them dated and restrictive. While the updated visuals and refined mechanics enhance the experience, the reliance on QTEs and occasional bugs can detract from immersion. Overall, the game offers a thrilling blend of horror and choice-based gameplay, making it a compelling experience for fans of the genre, despite some technical issues and a lack of significant new content.

    • “The gameplay is your classic interactive horror, where you walk around, talk to people, inspect objects, make decisions, and try not to die.”
    • “Until Dawn offers a thrilling blend of horror and choice-based gameplay that immerses players in an intense, cinematic experience.”
    • “With updated visuals, improved gameplay, and a captivating narrative, this remake is a must-play for both fans of the original and newcomers to the series.”
    • “The gameplay can feel restrictive for players accustomed to more open-world or action-oriented experiences.”
    • “While its gameplay can feel uneven due to bugs and an over-reliance on quick-time events, the story and atmosphere keep it compelling.”
    • “The game’s reliance on quick-time events can occasionally break immersion, as some sections feel more like a series of timed button presses than fluid, interactive gameplay.”
  • stability119 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many players reporting frequent bugs, graphical glitches, frame rate drops, and crashes, particularly during menu navigation and scene transitions. While some users noted improvements following patches, the overall experience remains marred by these issues, leading to a consensus that the game is currently unpolished and may require further updates to enhance stability. Despite these problems, a few players still found enjoyment in the game, suggesting that it may appeal to those willing to overlook its technical shortcomings.

    • “But all things considered, I had a very smooth and bug-free experience.”
    • “Performance-wise, the game runs great.”
    • “Wasn't that buggy, maybe 3/10 on a bugginess scale.”
    • “Game plagued with issues, graphical glitches, frame rate drops, freezing when entering new areas or upon picking up items or going into menus.”
    • “Buggy unplayable mess, which is such a shame as the story and adventure holds up so well and as someone who preordered and was excited to finally play on PC, it just isn't worth it.”
    • “The game is buggy as hell, there were cut scenes with no audio, and sometimes the character models would load so late.”
  • atmosphere80 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, immersive quality, enhanced by impressive visuals and sound design that create a continuous sense of tension and dread. While many players appreciate the cinematic experience and the chilling environments, some express disappointment over changes from the original, particularly the loss of its distinctive color palette and fixed camera angles, which they feel diminished the overall atmosphere. Overall, the remake successfully builds a gripping atmosphere, though opinions vary on how it compares to the original.

    • “Leaving aside the thorny question of gameplay, it has to be said that the remake is still aiming high, thanks above all to a dark, downright dirty and gloomy atmosphere, enhanced by the switch from the Decima engine to Unreal Engine 5, brewing a continuous acidic tension from start to finish.”
    • “From the moment you step into its world, you're gripped by the chilling atmosphere, jaw-dropping visuals, and a plot that will have you at the edge of your seat.”
    • “The atmosphere is thick with suspense, the jump scares are expertly placed, and the psychological horror elements will stay with you long after the credits roll.”
    • “Somehow they changed the atmosphere from the beginning and other things.”
    • “Compared to the original, this is absolutely nothing like the original in terms of atmosphere, gameplay, or story at all.”
    • “Some scenes have been remapped to the detriment of the atmosphere even more, and the game just overall feels way more lifeless, soulless, and unimpressive.”
  • replayability31 mentions

    The game is highly praised for its replayability, thanks to its branching storylines and the butterfly effect system, which allows players to experience different outcomes and twists in each playthrough. Many reviewers highlight the ability to revisit chapters and make different choices, enhancing the overall replay value. However, some players note that while the game is enjoyable, it may not hold the same appeal after multiple runs, particularly due to technical issues at launch.

    • “The branching storylines mean every playthrough can bring new twists and consequences, making the game highly replayable.”
    • “The replayability is huge and the ease of being able to choose chapters to go back to without having to replay the game start to finish to redo some choices is great.”
    • “The twists and turns are expertly crafted, making the game incredibly replayable.”
    • “It might be worth playing once, but for a game that relies so much on replayability, it doesn't hold up after the first run-through.”
    • “Overall, the game isn't too long but there is replayability luckily with being able to change who survives and who dies depending on what decisions you make.”
    • “The game does have replayability, but I tend to only play these games once and then go online and watch the rest of the deaths/possibilities/endings.”
  • humor18 mentions

    The game's humor is a mix of intentional comedic moments and unintentional glitches, with players finding amusement in character quirks, awkward animations, and bugs like headless characters. The early 2010s charm and humorous writing, particularly from characters like Mike and Chris, contribute to a lighthearted experience, even amidst technical issues. Overall, while some bugs may break immersion, they often add to the game's comedic value, making it endearing to many players.

    • “I have adored this game and its early 2010's humor and awkward charm since I watched MatPat, Markiplier, and Jacksepticeye play it years ago.”
    • “I honestly burst out laughing when I saw the USB-C ports on the laptop in the first chunk of the game.”
    • “Yeah, the game is buggy, yeah the game has funny music, yeah ray-tracing doesn't work or something, but I love how stupid this game is so I like it and I don't care that it's apparently a bad game for these reasons; I'm gonna 100% the shit out of it.”
  • emotional9 mentions

    Reviews of the emotional aspect of "Until Dawn" are mixed; while some praise its lifelike character animations and the impactful nature of player choices, others criticize the lack of compelling storytelling and emotional attachment to characters. The game's blend of psychological horror and emotional depth is noted, but some players feel that certain cutscenes and music choices detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration and emotional distress. Overall, the emotional engagement varies significantly among players, with some finding it resonant and others feeling disconnected.

    • “When a well-scripted scene with on-point acting and strong direction can become transcendent, the scoring really brings to life the emotional impact and atmosphere of the scene.”
    • “The character models are impressively lifelike, thanks to advanced motion capture technology, and the facial animations add to the realism of the characters’ expressions during tense or emotional moments.”
    • “Until Dawn is a perfect mix of psychological horror and emotional depth, making every decision feel personal and impactful.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming and tedious, often requiring significant investment to achieve completion. While some dedicated fans appreciate the challenge and are willing to endure the slow-paced exploration for achievements, many express frustration with the repetitive nature of the grinding process.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Most of the time you are also not even running, so the exploration is a very slow and tedious process.”
    • “Not to mention my graphic preferences are reset every time I launch the game, which gets tedious.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is polarizing; while some players praise its depth and engaging choices that enhance the story and world-building, others criticize it as poor and predictable, leading to a lack of emotional investment in the characters.

    • “Absolutely loved this game, great graphics, great characters and character development, amazing story, and fantastic world building.”
    • “Its complexities between choice and character development are both engaging and fun, and I recommend this game to everyone.”
    • “Poor character development and a predictable story make this a frustrating game to play, leaving me cheering for the Wendigo to finish them all at the end, except for Sam and Jessica.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack any real growth throughout the game, making it hard to care about their fates.”
    • “I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful choices that could influence character development, resulting in a linear and unengaging experience.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization of the remake has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that it rehashes the original game without sufficient improvements, leading to disappointment over its $60 price tag for a buggy and unoptimized experience.

    • “The original game is by far the best from the developer and it's a 10/10 for the genre, but the 'remake' feels more like a cash grab, selling us the same game again.”
    • “Please don't ruin this outstanding game with a half-baked sequel cash grab.”
    • “I really wanted to enjoy this as a fan of the genre and having seen very good things about the original game, but this is nothing less than a $60 buggy, unoptimized cash grab.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Play time

9hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
2-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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