Recent years have shown that the audience loves being told a good story. Movies and books with great plots becoming major hits left and right. Video game industry develops rapidly and the trend has reached it as well. Good stories wrapped in stunning visuals and suspenseful music that resonates with the viewer became highly demanded by the general audience. And the industry, as it often happens, has responded magnificently. Visual novels and interactive dramas became the bestsellers and players’ favorites. Until Dawn is a rather recent addition to the genre and it copes with the responsibility as any interactive drama should. Released in 2015 and developed by Supermassive Games, it quickly became the hottest topic of discussion. A game that puts a player in the driving seat will always be appreciated. Not only you are allowed to watch the story, but make a direct impact on it.
Furthermore, the game employs a so-called “butterfly effect”. This means that any action you take in-game may have a consequence in the future. That outcome, in turn, will cause something as well, creating a snowball of events that grows each second.
Such approach enables huge replayability option for the gamers. If they make one choice, they may want to come back later to see the other outcome which then will split into two or more paths again. It is impossible to see every bit of content even after several playthroughs so Until Dawn is that game to keep you awake at night, trying to complete all the pieces of the jigsaw. A large system of flashbacks and flashforwards is used which allows to briefly see what is about to unfold or what actions have led to a certain condition. This adds to the complexity, however with enough attention it allows the players to make the choices that replicate their vision the most.
The story is the most brilliant part of the game. We meet friends who gather to spend holidays in a lodge somewhere in Western Canada. The cabin is owned by Josh and his twin sisters. When the friends arrive, they normally go about their business, having fun and shooting jokes at each other. But one moment later, a prank goes south as Hanna is tricked into becoming rather intimate with Mike. Everybody else was hiding and watching. When Hanna figured out that it was all a joke, she rushed out in the cold forest. Beth follows her, however a mysterious figure follows them. Both girls fall off the cliff and die.
A year later, the remaining friends gather at the same place to honor the memory of the girls and remember their own failure that has lead to their deaths. Some mysterious beings, however, have not forgotten them and their lust for blood drives them forward. The friends are in danger and only the player can determine the ones that make it out alive to tell the story to the world.
The game allows playing as multiple characters, one at a time. Each individual can make the defining choice and Until Dawn uses that to its advantage. Player will have to search the area, conduct investigation and place the clues together to see if a bigger picture is visible. Every detail will matter and every choice can turn out to be the worst decision in your life.
Realistic graphics will immerse you in the frozen world of Western Canada and make the spiritual horrors feel as they are walking next to you. The sound will resonate with your heartbeat and add a few drops of sweat on your forehead after you manage to survive one more night. Until Dawn is a first-class horror movie with you playing as the main character and the one who defines the plot.
“I hurt ’em, Sam.”
She breathed in, and breathed out. Her face twitched partway to a smile that immediately seemed tasteless, and so she released it. She kept walking, slower now, with light from the torch catching the edges of the passageway. Continue reading “Remains” »