Until Dawn Remake Review – An Unreal Remake

The original Until Dawn was a big surprise when it launched in 2015. Coming from what was a relatively unknown studio at the time, the horror adventure game won widespread plaudits on the back of its campy teen horror vibes, how effectively scary it was, its choice and consequence mechanics, the acting performances of its star-studded cast, and more. In the near-decade that has passed since then, developer Supermassive Games has gone on to develop several similar interactive horror adventure titles, from The Quarry to The Dark Pictures Anthology, and though the studio has seen varying degrees of success with those efforts, it has never quite managed to hit the heights that it did with the one that started it all.

Now, nine years later, Sony has brought the game back to life with a remake developed by British studio Ballistic Moon, and though many have, of course, questioned the need for a remake of a game that doesn’t really feel like it has aged that much, having binged the game in a couple of sittings, I can say that I’ve had a really good time with this Until Dawn remake. For the most part, it’s an extremely faithful recreation of the original (other than a somewhat altered prologue and some new ending content that potentially implies interesting things for the future), so questions will definitely be asked about whether this remake was even needed in the first place (especially given the fact that it’s launched at a $60 price point). If, however, you’re a fan of the original looking to play an enhanced and (arguably) better-looking version, or someone who never played the original and is looking to play through it it on modern hardware, the remake becomes a much easier recommendation.

"Questions will definitely be asked about whether this remake was even needed in the first place (especially given the fact that it’s launched at a $60 price point). If, however, you’re a fan of the original looking to play an enhanced and (arguably) better-looking version, or someone who never played the original and is looking to play through it it on modern hardware, the remake becomes a much easier recommendation."

But let’s get through the basics first. Until Dawn built its reputation on the back of its teen horror, slasher film-inspired vibes, as well as how heavily it emphasized player choice, with gameplay being driven almost entirely by QTEs and some light environmental interactions. All of that is brought over almost as is in the remake. The slasher horror setting is still an incredibly effective one, especially because of how smartly the game keeps you on your toes, with everything from jump scares to genuinely frightening or tense moments and sequences. I’ll avoid spoilers for those who’re playing Until Dawn for the first time, but suffice to say, the game does a great job of building tension and frequently hitting you with legitimate scares and tense set-pieces.

The central mysteries surrounding the terrifying forces stalking the main cast throughout the story also remain a strong part of the game from beginning to end- though not everything related to the narrative sticks the landing. The Until Dawn remake faithfully sticks to the original game’s story and script, which means it carries over a lot of flaws, from the writing being anywhere between serviceable and bad enough to make your ears bleed, to some members of the cast being terrible characters that I was actively hoping would perish in violent fashion. Admittedly, there are characters in Until Dawn that are consciously written that way- but those, sadly, weren’t the only ones I legitimately hated. Either way, while I have all the time in the world for Until Dawn’s horror side of things, thanks to just how well the game handles that stuff, when it comes to the teen drama, it becomes a much more annoying game.

The choice and consequence mechanics also retain their charm. Until Dawn always felt particularly effective in how much it emphasized the weight of players’ actions, and how significant the consequences of your actions, your inaction, your mistakes, and pretty much everything else you did felt throughout the story. That very much remains a core strength of the remake, to no one’s surprise. From the clues that you find or don’t find to the quick choices that you’re asked to make in hectic moments, to the decisions that you make in interactions between different characters, and more, Until Dawn ensures that it makes changes throughout its story, both big and small, by constantly reacting to you, and it ensures that you’re always aware that that’s happening.

"The game does a great job of building tension and frequently hitting you with legitimate scares and tense set-pieces."

The remake does, of course, also bring some of its own additions and changes, even if it is otherwise quite a faithful recreation of its source material. One of its bigger changes is a new third-person camera, with certain scenes being changed to allow players greater control of the camera. Used alongside the original’s fixed cameras, it achieves a great effect, both modernizing the experience and also allowing it to feel even more cinematic. Meanwhile, there’s also new totems to find,  some small environmental additions to allow for just a smidge more exploration, and new accessibility options for players who want to tweak the game’s QTE prompts in several ways. Additionally, existing totems have also seen their locations remixed.

On a visual and technical level, I’ve found the Until Dawn remake to be an impressive upgrade, though mileage will likely vary on this front. Unlike the original, which was built on the Decima Engine, the Until Dawn remake has been rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, bringing improved facial models and animations, greater detail in the environments, better gore and snow effects, new lighting, and more. Given the changes, a number of scenes have certainly had their look changed noticeably, and not everyone will like those changes. Personally, however, I think the remake largely succeeds at retaining the atmosphere of the original while also applying noticeable enhancements that genuinely improve the experience. The characters all look much better, their injuries look much more detailed, and the many death scenes that you can encounter throughout the game – which were already pretty brutal to begin with – now look even more gleefully violent.

That said, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come without technical issues- because there definitely are a couple that deserve to be called out. The frame rate, for starters, can be surprisingly choppy at times. Even during low-key scenes that shouldn’t be too taxing on the hardware, Until Dawn’s frame rate can stutter noticeably, and it happens more often than you’d want. Meanwhile, I’ve also run into a couple of animation bugs here and there, from characters briefly moving strangely during some gameplay sections to having momentarily choppy movements in certain cutscenes. Obviously, none of these issues are particularly egregious, but they’re noticeable enough, and will hopefully be patched out in the near future.

"For fans of the original rearing for another go or newcomers looking to finally hop in, the Until Dawn remake is very much worth your time."

Ultimately, the question for many is going to be whether Sony and Ballistic Moon’s Until Dawn remake is worth its price, which many deem to be a bit too steep upon the game’s release. Equally, many will also remain skeptical whether this was a remake that was needed at all, a dilemma that another PlayStation remake faced not too long ago with The Last of Us Part 1. And just like with that game, while it’s hard to argue against the validity of those criticisms, it also has to be said that this is an undeniably solid enhancement of a really good game. It will understandably be a hard sell for many, but for fans of the original rearing for another go or newcomers looking to finally hop in, the Until Dawn remake is very much worth your time.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.