Drops tomorrow. Anyone picking it up? Reviews are pretty solid. Even the not so great reviews say stuff like "it's bad in some very evident ways, and yet I want everyone I know to try it."
The trailer's I've seen looked cool. Think I'm gonna get it this week.
Some reviews:
GameCloud - 9
I’m going to say it outright, Until Dawn is the best horror adventure since Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. For the longest time, developers such as Quantic Dream have tried to make this style of game work only to end up getting stuck halfway between a film and a game. With Until Dawn, Supermassive has laid the foundation for how it can be done while producing an enjoyable and highly polished horror experience. It’s an adventure game brought to life by a compelling cast of characters and a narrative that expertly plays with genre tropes to upturn expectations. It’s certainly not original in all its ideas, but it does deliver one of the most meaningful choice systems to date. What once looked to be a disaster has turned out to be one of this year’s biggest surprises. Expect great scares and to have a tonne of fun!
XGN - 9.5/10
IGN - 7.5
Until Dawn is a flawed, but fun experience. Though an unfocused story means it falls short of greatness, it’s an otherwise entertaining homage to the curious traditions of horror movies which pays off your in-game decisions with occasionally shocking consequences.
Respawn Ninja 9/10
Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn is quite simply one of the best horror games I’ve played. It’s a uniquely terrifying adventure in what is one of the most cliched sub-genres around. The choice and consequence system crafts an experience that begs to be replayed and the writing is engaging and rather impressive. Horror fans will certainly find many things to love about Until Dawn, and it’s very possible that others will too. While we’ll most likely never really know what the game was and what it was like on PlayStation 3, I’m incredibly thankful for what we have now.
Gamespot - 8/10 I didn't expect to have so much fun with Until Dawn, and the depth with which my choices mattered and affected the final outcome encouraged repeat playthroughs. The visuals can be wonky at times, but in the end Until Dawn succeeds in being a thoughtful use of familiar mechanics, a great achievement in player-driven narrative, and a horror game you shouldn't miss.
GameRant - 8/10
By the time the credits rolled on Until Dawn, it was clear that Supermassive Games set out with a specific goal in mind. They wanted to deliver a horror tale that blends elements within the genre and gives players agency in the decisions made by the characters. There are no standout mechanic or deep gameplay systems, just simple choice, exploration, and some basic puzzling, all bolstered by branching paths. In essence, Supermassive wanted to see if players, when faced with seemingly innocuous choices, could keep these characters alive until dawn.
HardcoreGamer - 4/5
Until Dawn is gripping through its nine-odd hour running time and never lets off the gas. It’s scary — although sometimes cheaply so — and does a great job illustrating the butterfly effect. What Supermassive has accomplished so early in their tenure is impressive and something all horror fans should experience.
GameReactor - 8/10
Misfire? We say no. It'll only not be enjoyed by any who have sworn off QTEs or Heavy Rain-like titles as non-games unworthy of their time. Yes, Until Dawn feels like an interactive movie or horror series, but it's a very enjoyable watch - and play - while it lasts.
The Jimquisition - 9.5/10
Until Dawn is everything that Quantic Dream games have tried to be – unsuccessfully – for the past decade. It emulates horror movies while demonstrating a clear understanding of what makes those movies work, its focus on consequence is nervewracking and intricate, and its story is silly but strongly delivered. It’s the best David Cage game not made by David Cage, and it’s the best interactive horror flick you’ll play.
GameInformer - 9/10
Thanks to some good twists, a few fake-outs, and limitless jump scares, Until Dawn would make a solid horror film. As a piece of interactive fiction, however, it's a remarkable experience that horror fans shouldn't miss.
Polygon - 6.5/10
Until Dawn exists within a strange duality. It's a game that's generic while being unlike anything else I've ever played. It's bad in some very evident ways, and yet I want everyone I know to try it. It's not a great game, probably not even a good one, but it does things I want every narrative-based game going forward to learn from. I'm still fascinated by it, still planning more playthroughs for myself, still wanting to recommend it to friends. Until Dawn's greatest mystery may be how it manages to remain compelling in spite of such huge flaws.
The trailer's I've seen looked cool. Think I'm gonna get it this week.
Some reviews:
GameCloud - 9
I’m going to say it outright, Until Dawn is the best horror adventure since Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. For the longest time, developers such as Quantic Dream have tried to make this style of game work only to end up getting stuck halfway between a film and a game. With Until Dawn, Supermassive has laid the foundation for how it can be done while producing an enjoyable and highly polished horror experience. It’s an adventure game brought to life by a compelling cast of characters and a narrative that expertly plays with genre tropes to upturn expectations. It’s certainly not original in all its ideas, but it does deliver one of the most meaningful choice systems to date. What once looked to be a disaster has turned out to be one of this year’s biggest surprises. Expect great scares and to have a tonne of fun!
XGN - 9.5/10
IGN - 7.5
Until Dawn is a flawed, but fun experience. Though an unfocused story means it falls short of greatness, it’s an otherwise entertaining homage to the curious traditions of horror movies which pays off your in-game decisions with occasionally shocking consequences.
Respawn Ninja 9/10
Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn is quite simply one of the best horror games I’ve played. It’s a uniquely terrifying adventure in what is one of the most cliched sub-genres around. The choice and consequence system crafts an experience that begs to be replayed and the writing is engaging and rather impressive. Horror fans will certainly find many things to love about Until Dawn, and it’s very possible that others will too. While we’ll most likely never really know what the game was and what it was like on PlayStation 3, I’m incredibly thankful for what we have now.
Gamespot - 8/10 I didn't expect to have so much fun with Until Dawn, and the depth with which my choices mattered and affected the final outcome encouraged repeat playthroughs. The visuals can be wonky at times, but in the end Until Dawn succeeds in being a thoughtful use of familiar mechanics, a great achievement in player-driven narrative, and a horror game you shouldn't miss.
GameRant - 8/10
By the time the credits rolled on Until Dawn, it was clear that Supermassive Games set out with a specific goal in mind. They wanted to deliver a horror tale that blends elements within the genre and gives players agency in the decisions made by the characters. There are no standout mechanic or deep gameplay systems, just simple choice, exploration, and some basic puzzling, all bolstered by branching paths. In essence, Supermassive wanted to see if players, when faced with seemingly innocuous choices, could keep these characters alive until dawn.
HardcoreGamer - 4/5
Until Dawn is gripping through its nine-odd hour running time and never lets off the gas. It’s scary — although sometimes cheaply so — and does a great job illustrating the butterfly effect. What Supermassive has accomplished so early in their tenure is impressive and something all horror fans should experience.
GameReactor - 8/10
Misfire? We say no. It'll only not be enjoyed by any who have sworn off QTEs or Heavy Rain-like titles as non-games unworthy of their time. Yes, Until Dawn feels like an interactive movie or horror series, but it's a very enjoyable watch - and play - while it lasts.
The Jimquisition - 9.5/10
Until Dawn is everything that Quantic Dream games have tried to be – unsuccessfully – for the past decade. It emulates horror movies while demonstrating a clear understanding of what makes those movies work, its focus on consequence is nervewracking and intricate, and its story is silly but strongly delivered. It’s the best David Cage game not made by David Cage, and it’s the best interactive horror flick you’ll play.
GameInformer - 9/10
Thanks to some good twists, a few fake-outs, and limitless jump scares, Until Dawn would make a solid horror film. As a piece of interactive fiction, however, it's a remarkable experience that horror fans shouldn't miss.
Polygon - 6.5/10
Until Dawn exists within a strange duality. It's a game that's generic while being unlike anything else I've ever played. It's bad in some very evident ways, and yet I want everyone I know to try it. It's not a great game, probably not even a good one, but it does things I want every narrative-based game going forward to learn from. I'm still fascinated by it, still planning more playthroughs for myself, still wanting to recommend it to friends. Until Dawn's greatest mystery may be how it manages to remain compelling in spite of such huge flaws.
