Until Dawn

So, what do you get when a David Cage game goes wrong and turns into a horror flick? Well, you get this game. Really, these are the types of games I normally don't play, as I really view these as "interactive fiction" more than a game, even though this one is more akin to old adventure games you play on PC. In this style of game, though, I think the horror aspect of it helps it out.

One reason I think that is that controls are limited, and that's fine by me. All you really have in this game is a walking stick and an interact button. You barely have control of the camera, but the in- game camera angles aren't that bad. Just think of it as early Resident Evil with no weapons or zombies. Some places do have you ping-ponging from one wall to another, but with this game, it's not necessarily a big concern. Heck, most of the is just interacting and quick time events anyway.

Now, when it comes to story, what would you think about when you think about most horror movies? Bunch of teenagers? Check! Jumpscares? Check! A guy, or thing, just "making a killing" somewhere? Check, and I apologize for the pun. Couldn't resist! Anyway, as you can tell, this game plays a lot with horror movie tropes, but it's still a lot of fun to play through, even when you can choose, or be punished in some ways, what happens to the characters. In fact, it is possible to keep all the characters alive, at least the ones after the beginning of the game, during their return stay at a cabin, a year after a death of a few friends, gone horribly wrong, and the butterfly effect can cause for some interesting changes. Another mechanic, though playing a smaller part, is the way the game learns about your fears. After some chapters, you meet a psychologist name Dr. Alan Hill, and his involvement is pretty much asking you questions, such as how you feel for the characters. I don't want to spoil too much, but I can say that whoever plays his roll, it feels like he had some fun playing the role. In fact, all the characters were acted perfectly, even the guy from the show Mr. Show. Overall, story is just a campy horror story, but it's fun to play through. The jump scares do get tiring after a while, but it can keep you along for the ride easily.

Now, the best part of the game is the graphics, and let me tell you, if the developers tried to make it anymore realistic looking than it does now, the PlayStation 4 might've not been able to run it. It's just that good looking. What helps even more is that the faces were motion captured, and the actors did an excellent job with making the characters look real. Still better than Cole Phelps performance on L.A. Noire, which wasn't bad but just felt like the actor was nervous at some parts, and I'm glad none of the characters were like that.

While I wouldn't have recommended the game while it was at $60, this is worth at least checking out. This is the only game of it's kind I felt like buying, as I really wasn't a fan of the David Cage games, but this was the one exception I made. If you find it at a good price, get it. It's also worth noting that it does have PlayStation Camera functionality, but before you go out and buy one, just know it just record your reaction to a jump scare, which thinking about it now, that's a bit creepy.

Until Dawn succeeds at something many horror games fail to do. It makes you have a real fear for the characters in your game. Each character feels very real and they each have distinct personalities. The gameplay is a nice balance between story building and intense action. There are a lot of jumpscares in the game but the real fear comes from the tension that builds between scenes. The game has some jaw dropping graphics from the beautiful character's faces to the diverse settings. The game's choice system is one of the best parts. The choices you make have real consequences which keeps the pressure high and makes for more intense gameplay. Quick time events are used in a smart way to make the action scenes very difficult and stressful. Totems can be collected around the map that give you glimpses into the future to warn you about a death or give you guidance on important decisions. Your sessions with Dr. Hill feels very eerie and makes the game scarier for everyone. The game uses classic horror tropes beautifully to please the us awesome horror fans. The voice acting feels believable and helps you care about your fragile friends. This game is not going to be for everyone, but if you are a horror fan and love a good story this is one of the best out there.

When I was a kid I grew up hearing horror stories of the dreaded Wendigo in the mountains. And the fact that they finally made a horror story for it made my day even better than actually playing this game. The Butterfly Effect is greatly influenced in this game, and if you are a fan of TellTale games then you will love this, because the smallest choices you make really do have an effect on the story and how you play. Everything you say, do, or decide will effect how the game goes. The gameplay was simple as well to go with the Effect which makes it so much more fun. And also (and this is just something I'd like to point out to all horror movies and games) you can enjoy horror movies without the use of nudity and sex. Also, the voice acting was tremendous. The use of ALMOST every cliché in a teen slasher movie is not overdone with a few extra surprises in store. The graphics on everything from facial, hair, and environment was top-notch amazing. Now, the scares. The game kept me guessing the entire time what was real or not, which just adds to the suspense as you continue to play through the game. The monsters are terrifying, the legend behind them is disturbing, the use of psychological influence greatly affects the mood, this is one of those horror games that just nails it every single time and without mercy when it comes to the choices you make. Although it might not be as scary or gory as many horror games are, but it defiantly causes quite a stir on your heart as you are trying to find out what is going on out there in the cabin. So choose wisely, and definitely play this game. It is now considered one of my favorite horror games.

Some of these cinematic games get a lot of flack, and for good reason, but this is definitely an exception. This game BLEW me away. All the different endings and possibilities are what set this apart. The story is amazing and every decision you make feels like it matters -- in fact, you can go back and see just how much it DOES matter on each additional playthrough!

This game is amazing. Its cult status guarantees it to become a collector's item one day. Get it while you still can!

But it does not just play with the cliches we have (though no nudity in case you were wondering, but a lot of violence and death if that helps or appalls you), it builds on them and it tells quite the interesting story. A story you participate in, a story you actually play. And you play multiple characters and you have to make sure they all survive ... or if you are mad I reckon, make sure everyone dies - which by the way isn't as easy as it may sound.

I played this so many times and do not regret I did. This is not for everyone of course ... you have to love story game telling with little to no action. Yes you get FMV here, but you can control and move the characters too at certain points of the story. A rich story that takes breaks from time to time to give you psychological tests ... from a psychiatrist ... there is so much here ... so much story, so many neat and wicked twists ... I love it! I know the rating gave it away, yes?