[image: psmedia.playstation.com]
Has anyone else played this? Over the last few months, I've been debating which next-gen console to get. The PS4 has better hardware, of course, but the Xbox One has a better online community, and most of my friends are on Xbox. It was a hard decision (though getting easier the more I compared the specs).
And then yesterday I randomly stumbled across the trailer for this game. Last night, I went out and purchased a PS4 and drove to two different stores to find this. The first store was completely sold out, but I had my heart set on getting this game. The second store had one copy left, and I snagged it just in time. The game was released on the 25th, and apparently was highly anticipated (somehow I had never even heard of it). It had originally been intended to be released for the PS3, utilizing the Playstation Move. Instead, they pushed it back, and polished and fine-tuned it.
Fans of Heavy Rain will love this. It's essentially the same style (exploration based, puzzle solving, quick-time events for action sequences), just survival-horror. The game plays like an interactive movie (of course), and presents itself as an homage to classic horror/slasher films. It's deliberately cheesy and campy in parts, while maintaining an unsettling atmosphere and some rather tense action sequences. Now, I'm only a little more than halfway through the game, but I haven't found it as scary as it was made out to be. It's graphic, brutal, disturbing (all done in incredibly detailed and beautiful graphics - they really put work into this), but most of its "scares" seem to be the usual jump-scares that you'd expect from movies of that genre.
What really sets this game apart is the Butterfly Effect system. Now, the idea of a game uniquely crafted for the player, shaped by the decisions they make, is not a new one. However, this is the first game I've played that truly does it well. The Butterfly decisions are often subtle and unpredictable (to a degree), yet yield very significant consequences later on down the line. They took the things that made Heavy Rain unique and impressive, and took it to the next level.
The game is based around 8 friends gathered at a snowy winter retreat on the one year anniversary of the deaths of two of their friends (sound familiar?). In this remote cabin on a isolated mountain top, these friends find that they are not alone, that they are being stalked by a masked assailant. I don't want to go into much detail, as the less you know going in, the better.
Like in Heavy Rain, gameplay switches between all of the characters. Instead of four, though, now there are eight. Each of the characters has a set of unique personality traits, and there is as much emphasis on their relationships as there is on the actual plotline. The way you make the characters interact has a substantial impact on the way that the game plays out, and it's not always easy to tell which outcome a particular decision will bring.
The lines between right and wrong are blurred. The correct choices between action and inaction, honesty and deceit, and heroism and cowardice are rarely black and white. From what I've found thus far, the consequences of your decisions can be extremely unpredictable, and can mean the difference between life and death.
I highly recommend this game. Like Heavy Rain, it is a Playstation exclusive, and for good reason. I've yet to see such a graphically impressive game, and gameplay is extremely smooth. I've not yet encountered any bugs, glitches or choppiness. It runs wonderfully, and sucks you in and refuses to let you go.
Until Dawn (Official Page)
Until Dawn (Playstation Page)
Has anyone else played this? Over the last few months, I've been debating which next-gen console to get. The PS4 has better hardware, of course, but the Xbox One has a better online community, and most of my friends are on Xbox. It was a hard decision (though getting easier the more I compared the specs).
And then yesterday I randomly stumbled across the trailer for this game. Last night, I went out and purchased a PS4 and drove to two different stores to find this. The first store was completely sold out, but I had my heart set on getting this game. The second store had one copy left, and I snagged it just in time. The game was released on the 25th, and apparently was highly anticipated (somehow I had never even heard of it). It had originally been intended to be released for the PS3, utilizing the Playstation Move. Instead, they pushed it back, and polished and fine-tuned it.
Fans of Heavy Rain will love this. It's essentially the same style (exploration based, puzzle solving, quick-time events for action sequences), just survival-horror. The game plays like an interactive movie (of course), and presents itself as an homage to classic horror/slasher films. It's deliberately cheesy and campy in parts, while maintaining an unsettling atmosphere and some rather tense action sequences. Now, I'm only a little more than halfway through the game, but I haven't found it as scary as it was made out to be. It's graphic, brutal, disturbing (all done in incredibly detailed and beautiful graphics - they really put work into this), but most of its "scares" seem to be the usual jump-scares that you'd expect from movies of that genre.
What really sets this game apart is the Butterfly Effect system. Now, the idea of a game uniquely crafted for the player, shaped by the decisions they make, is not a new one. However, this is the first game I've played that truly does it well. The Butterfly decisions are often subtle and unpredictable (to a degree), yet yield very significant consequences later on down the line. They took the things that made Heavy Rain unique and impressive, and took it to the next level.
The game is based around 8 friends gathered at a snowy winter retreat on the one year anniversary of the deaths of two of their friends (sound familiar?). In this remote cabin on a isolated mountain top, these friends find that they are not alone, that they are being stalked by a masked assailant. I don't want to go into much detail, as the less you know going in, the better.
Like in Heavy Rain, gameplay switches between all of the characters. Instead of four, though, now there are eight. Each of the characters has a set of unique personality traits, and there is as much emphasis on their relationships as there is on the actual plotline. The way you make the characters interact has a substantial impact on the way that the game plays out, and it's not always easy to tell which outcome a particular decision will bring.
The lines between right and wrong are blurred. The correct choices between action and inaction, honesty and deceit, and heroism and cowardice are rarely black and white. From what I've found thus far, the consequences of your decisions can be extremely unpredictable, and can mean the difference between life and death.
I highly recommend this game. Like Heavy Rain, it is a Playstation exclusive, and for good reason. I've yet to see such a graphically impressive game, and gameplay is extremely smooth. I've not yet encountered any bugs, glitches or choppiness. It runs wonderfully, and sucks you in and refuses to let you go.
Until Dawn (Official Page)
Until Dawn (Playstation Page)