Until Dawn Remaster Review: A Shiny Coat of Paint (PS5)

Many fans as of late have been divided on many of the decisions PlayStation Studios has made in the past year. One of those major decisions is the investment in live service titles and remakes/remasters. It’s understandable then that many fans were disappointed when Until Dawn was announced to be receiving a remaster. Until Dawn was released back in 2015 to positive reviews. Having played it about a month ago, I can vouch for the fact that the title still holds up very well. Visually, it still looks better than a lot of titles today. So what is a remaster going to add?

The Until Dawn Remaster has the difficult job of justifying its existence. We’re obviously expecting updated visuals, but what else will Until Dawn Remaster bring to the table to convince fans to shell out another $60? That depends on what you’re looking for. In this Until Dawn Remaster review, I’ll go over what works, what doesn’t, and whether or not purchasing this game is for you. 

Until Dawn Remaster was released on October 4th for PlayStation 5 and PC.

See Also: The Casting of Frank Stone Review: Dwindling Appeal (PS5)

Story: A Classic Horror Story

For those who haven’t played Until Dawn (2015), the story follows a group of friends who decide to spend a vacation at their friend’s lodge a year after the disappearance of the host’s twin sisters. The host, Josh, invites everyone to the cabin to party and to try and forget the events that occurred the year before. It’s after they spend some time in the cabin that they realize something is wrong. They begin to uncover sinister secrets and try to leave, unfortunately, unable to do so until dawn. 

It all starts here

Until Dawn Remaster essentially retells the same story as the 2015 original. Thankfully, the game does try to add a bit more depth. There are a few differences between the titles, such as extended paths and all-new conversations. My favorite was the additional scene involving Emily and Matt. They don’t just randomly disappear like they do in the original title. They talk while walking outside. It helped my enjoyment of these characters, as I didn’t care for either of them in the original.

But what makes this story stand out is that the player can influence who lives or dies. Players control these characters and choose how they wish to progress or how to talk to another character. Most of the time, these options have you choose between an aggressive approach or a passive one. Not every situation can be won just by being a pacific though. Your ultimate goal is to keep these characters alive. Choosing to always try and save someone can get you killed. Sometimes abandoning them can do the same. 

Retelling

I’m glad the story was mostly kept intact in this remaster but at the same time, I was a bit saddened by it. I would have loved more scenes with Jess as she is gone for the majority of the game. Every other character had more to do than she did. The most notable change in the story is the extended opening that gives more context to the events that lead to the twin’s disappearance. There is also a new ending not featured in the original game that is super cool.

The beginning is more fleshed out

I loved Until Dawn back in 2015 and I fell in love with it again here. One of the reasons the story stood out to me back then is how much was going on at the same time. There was a lot of confusion about what exactly was happening and what threats there were. The characters, although a bit hard-headed at times, are super enjoyable to watch. Until Dawn doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel here with some original horror story, but it excels at being fun, and scary when it needs to be. 

How much players explore in their playthrough will determine how much context they will be provided with. There are three categories of information in Until Dawn Remaster. There is a segment for the past, a segment for the mysterious killer, and a segment for the Host’s twin sisters. This information is presented primarily through letters and documents found throughout Blackwood Mountain. Finding as much as you can will bolster your understanding and overall appreciation of the game.

Gameplay: Hold Your Breath

Besides choosing what to say, players control what the characters do. Depending on what you choose, you might have to perform QTE (Quick Time Events). They’re still quick and will pose a challenge to players. There are various accessibility options to help with QTE’s though if you hate them. The most challenging segment was each time you had to stay still to avoid being caught.  At least for PlayStation 5, you have to hold your controller very still so you don’t alert enemies. I have no idea how this works for PC players, but I suspect the ending chapter will be a blood bath for many players on consoles.

Make the right choice and keep everyone alive

There are many collectibles to find in this game too. For example, a type of collectible called Totems, are spread out throughout the game that offers a brief look at a possible future. The totem can warn you against an upcoming danger or maybe give a hint about a correct solution. It depends on the type of totem you get. The location of these is different than the original Until Dawn game. The information they give is also different. There used to be various totems that guided me toward one decision over the other. These are no longer present. It makes predicting what to do more difficult for those who haven’t played the original. 

So yes, for the most part, the gameplay remains the same in Until Dawn Remaster. The most notable change here is the updated camera angles. Players can now control the camera which adds another level of depth when exploring the lodge and Blackwood Mountain. It’s not a free camera all the time though. There are instances where the camera will lock in at a more cinematic point of view. 

Graphics and Audio: Meticulous Detail

As much as I would love to say exploring is so much better in Until Dawn Remaster, there are a lot of hiccups when it comes to the frame rate. I think many will be sad to hear that Until Dawn Remaster is capped at 30 fps, at least for PlayStation 5. It makes sense when exploring the world. Until Dawn Remaster is built from the ground up using Unreal Engine 5. Everything in this game looks magnificent. The environment and characters are packed with little details, going so far as to see the pores on the character’s faces. That being said, I did run into the occasional hiccup when traversing in the title. I imagine this will be patched in the future but it’s a bit disappointing considering that the game is already running on 30 fps.

The updated visuals look spectacular

The lighting is also vastly improved although I think some fans of the original might miss the blue filter that used to be present. Until Dawn Remaster sometimes offers warmer colors during the early chapters. Not everything is basked in a blue dark filter making it look like night all the time. Instead, the lighting gradually gets darker as night begins to fall, which makes the dark more impactful.

Technical Improvements

The music and overall sound effects in Until Dawn Remaster are stellar as well. The opening song changed from the original, and it might be unpopular to say, but I loved the change. It lends an ominous tone to the game, especially for newcomers unsure what to expect. Ballistic Moon makes excellent use of the environment, creating a tense atmosphere through background noises. The cabin feels alive as you sometimes hear the creaks of the floorboards as you walk or the shuffling of branches while traversing through Blackwood Mountain. 

The new camera breathes new life into the story

Another technical addition that I absolutely love is the use of the DualSense controller during decision-making moments. Now, when you make a decision, you either press L2 or R2. These decisions incorporate dynamic adaptive triggers meaning there is resistance when you go to press the button. You have to press one of these two triggers harder and then after holding it for a while, the decision gets “locked” in. This feature might seem subtle but it felt incredibly impactful. It was another way for the Developer to essentially say that each decision you make has weight behind it. The decisions are meant to be difficult to make just like they are to press. 

What do you think about Until Dawn Remaster? Did you play the original? Are you waiting for a sale to pick this up or did you already play it? Do you agree with this Until Dawn Remaster review? Let us know!

Until Dawn Remaster was reviewed on PS5.