When Until Dawn first launched in 2015, it quickly became a horror gaming classic, blending interactive storytelling with a gleefully campy take on horror tropes. Fast forward to 2024, and Supermassive Games has given Until Dawn a fresh coat of paint with its remake on the PS5. With upgraded visuals, a shift in camera perspective, and a few subtle gameplay tweaks, the Until Dawn remake promises a familiar yet enhanced experience. But is it worth the price of admission for returning fans, or does this update feel like a missed opportunity?
The New Look: Upgraded Graphics, Familiar Setting
The visual upgrades in Until Dawn are apparent right from the start. Rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, the remake boasts higher-quality textures, advanced lighting, and weather effects that enhance the eerie atmosphere of Blackwood Pines. Snow crunches convincingly underfoot, and environmental details—from the haunting shadows to the flickering candlelight—immerse you in this chilling cabin-in-the-woods scenario. This graphical polish helps Until Dawn feel more in line with recent horror titles, like the Silent Hill 2 remake, bringing an extra layer of realism to the game’s slasher-movie vibe.
However, these new visuals come at a cost. While it’s clear that Supermassive Games invested effort into revamping the aesthetic, the performance often falters. Frame rate drops are common, especially during action-heavy scenes, and they can be jarring. Given the PS5’s capabilities, this lack of smoothness feels like a letdown. I encountered a few stutters and glitches, and while I was lucky enough to avoid any crashes, other players have reported stability issues that disrupt the flow of this suspenseful narrative.
Gameplay: Same Choice-Driven Experience with a Few Frustrating Twists
The essence of Until Dawn remains intact in this remake. You still control a group of teenagers trapped in a remote mountain lodge, making life-or-death decisions that shape the story and determine who survives the night. Supermassive Games has always excelled at creating nail-biting choice-driven gameplay, and Until Dawn continues to deliver on that front. Your choices feel impactful, and the branching narrative keeps you engaged as you try to keep your characters alive—unless you’re in it to watch the chaos unfold, of course.
Yet, not all changes have improved the experience. For one, the fixed camera angles that heightened the game’s cinematic quality have been swapped out for an over-the-shoulder perspective. While this allows for more control over exploration, it sacrifices some of the tension that came from those fixed, unsettling viewpoints. This shift in camera angles might appeal to fans of recent survival horror games, but it detracts from the original’s cinematic essence, making it feel less like an interactive movie and more like a traditional third-person game—without the actual combat to justify it.
Another less welcome adjustment is the new totem mechanic. These collectable items, which provide glimpses into possible character fates, now require a fiddly process to unlock premonitions. Rather than simply picking them up, you need to rotate and position each totem just right before it reveals its vision. This unnecessary complication interrupts the game’s flow and makes it feel like a chore to interact with an otherwise clever gameplay element.
Sluggish Movement and Missing Features
One of the more puzzling omissions in this remake is the “walk faster” option. Originally, players could press a button to move their characters more quickly through environments, which was handy for pacing. Now, your characters stumble along at a leisurely pace, which becomes particularly irritating when you’re combing through areas looking for clues or trying to build tension. Coupled with a slightly clumsy control scheme, character movement feels more like a hindrance than it should in a game built on exploring tense, atmospheric environments.
It’s also disappointing that the social aspects introduced in later Supermassive Games titles, like the multiplayer “pass-the-controller” mode, aren’t present in the Until Dawn remake. Given the game’s narrative-heavy, choice-driven format, it’s well-suited to group play, and the absence of this feature feels like a missed opportunity to inject some new life into the experience.
Audio and Acting: Classic Camp with Some Cringe
The voice acting and audio design in Until Dawn are largely unchanged, and that’s mostly a good thing. The 2015 cast returns in all their glory, featuring Hayden Panettiere, Rami Malek, and Peter Stormare, among others. Their performances add personality to their otherwise archetypal roles, and while some of the dialogue is as cheesy as ever, it fits the game’s B-movie style. The audio design remains effective, too, with eerie sounds and sudden audio cues that will keep you on edge throughout the story.
Verdict: Worth the Trip, but Maybe Wait for a Sale
Ultimately, the Until Dawn remake doesn’t offer much beyond a graphical upgrade. While the new visuals are impressive, the shift in camera perspective and gameplay tweaks don’t necessarily improve the core experience. The frame rate issues and occasional performance hiccups further diminish the impact of this remake, making it feel like a game that’s stuck somewhere between a full reimagining and a simple remaster.
If you’re a fan of horror games and never got around to playing the original Until Dawn, this remake might be worth picking up—especially if you’re drawn to choice-driven narratives and aren’t too concerned with flawless performance. For returning players, however, the question is whether the updated graphics and minor changes justify the higher price tag. Given the option, you may want to wait for a sale before revisiting Blackwood Pines. While Until Dawn is still an enjoyable horror romp, this remake doesn’t quite capture the spark that made the original such a memorable, late-night fright fest.