| Until Dawn | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gameplay & Story | Release Date | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Until Dawn is a 2024 remake of an interactive horror game from 2015 of the same name, featuring a cast of 8 teenagers dealing with an unseen horror. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
Until Dawn Review Overview
What is Until Dawn?
Supermassive Games' Until Dawn returns with a fresh coat of Unreal Engine 5 polish, breathing new life into the iconic 2015 interactive horror experience. Set in the eerie, snow-covered peaks of Blackwood Mountain, the game features an ensemble cast of eight distinct characters whose survival hinges on the player's choices. Every decision you make reverberates through the game, shaping a slow-burn horror narrative where the consequences of your actions aren’t just impactful—they're often irreversible and can cascade in unexpected ways.
The Butterfly Effect isn’t just a thematic flourish; it’s a terrifying reality when the shadows of your past come calling at the cabin door.
Until Dawn features:
⚫︎ Expansive horror narrative split into 10 chapters
⚫︎ 8 unique characters to control and make decisions with
⚫︎ Choose-your-own-adventure-style storytelling
⚫︎ Fully voice-acted characters with revamped models and animations
⚫︎ Extra content, including Totems, Bonuses, Clues, and Butterfly Effects
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Until Dawn's gameplay and story.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Steam |
 PlayStation |
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| Price | $59.99 | ||||
Until Dawn Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 A Star-Studded Cast for the Better Great Accessibility Options Immense Replayability Expanded Cutscenes and Dialogue |
Sensitive Content Across the Board Passive Gameplay Isn’t for Everyone |
Until Dawn Overall Score - 94/100
Until Dawn is just as fun, interactive, and narratively gripping as its 2015 predecessor—and in some ways, it even surpasses it. Now remade in Unreal Engine 5, the game has reached new heights, with impressive polish across nearly every front. It plays smoothly, offers more content than the original, and delivers the same captivating experience, now enhanced for a second time. This is what happens when a narrative-driven game is helmed by excellent writers and brought to life by talented actors. It kept me playing long past dawn—I’m sure it’ll do the same for you.
Until Dawn Story - 10/10
Balancing the dynamic of a typical three-character party is challenging enough, but Until Dawn ups the ante with an ensemble cast of eight, each boasting distinct personalities, goals, and backstories—all while navigating a folk-horror setting with a distinct mid-2010s vibe. Combine this masterful handling of its characters with the ingenuity required to create a story with 256 unique permutations, and you’ve got a work of art that will glue you to your seat a second time.
Until Dawn Gameplay - 9/10
Until Dawn avoids the pitfalls that often plague other interactive drama games, keeping the gameplay engaging despite limited player input for much of its runtime. The game strikes a delicate balance, offering just enough mid-cinematic interactions to keep you invested without compromising the integrity of its unfolding narrative. It walks a line that neither Telltale Games’ titles nor even Supermassive Games’ own The Casting of Frank Stone managed to toe quite as masterfully.
Until Dawn Visuals - 10/10
Until Dawn looked impressive when it first launched in 2015, but the shift to Unreal Engine 5 has given it a remarkable glow-up. The facial animations are now stunningly lifelike, and the characters’ movements are mocap-precise. The environments, from the eerie wilderness to the claustrophobic interiors, are breathtaking and easy to get lost in. But what truly sets the game apart is its unique take on rural Appalachian horror, which feels more vivid and unsettling than ever before.
Until Dawn Audio - 10/10
Until Dawn owes much of its success to the vocal excellence of its star-studded voice cast, featuring heavy hitters like Rami Malek and Hayden Panettiere. Complementing this is the haunting score by Jason Graves, whose musical mastery enhances both the horror and the more intimate moments between characters. This is yet another facet where Until Dawn excels, that much has been made clear.
Until Dawn Value for Money - 8/10
Until Dawn is worth every penny, even at the AAA price tag of $60. Sure, it's a hefty investment, especially if you’ve already played the original to its limits, but for superfans like myself—or anyone craving one of the best horror experiences out there—it’s a must-buy. The improvements in visuals, performance, and atmosphere make it feel fresh, and if you're in the market for a chilling, immersive thrill, you won’t be disappointed.
Until Dawn Review: Got Me Playing Well Past Dawn
After the thrill of my first Until Dawn playthrough in 2015, I never imagined Supermassive Games would follow up such a masterpiece with more titles in the same vein. But they did, first with The Quarry in 2022 and then with The Casting of Frank Stone earlier this year. Even more unimaginable to my past self was the idea of an Until Dawn remake—how do you improve on perfection? Yet, with the release of Until Dawn 2024, not only was I proven wrong—I was proven wrong in the best way possible. Reliving that original joy all over again was nothing short of amazing.
In hindsight, Until Dawn 2015 could have been a worthy laurel to rest on. It boasted an impeccable story, and impressive graphics for its time, and was a groundbreaking moment for the then-niche genre of interactive drama. The biggest challenge for a remake wouldn’t have been salvaging a flawed game, but finding ways to elevate a title that was already really good.
Fortunately, Ballistic Moon, the team behind the remake, rose to the challenge—and elevated it they did. Let’s start where the improvements are most striking: the graphics. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Until Dawn 2024 takes the already impressive character models and environments from the original and transforms them into something truly stunning. The quality of the character animations—the subtle facial expressions, fluid movements, and lifelike environments—is nothing short of breathtaking.
What’s more, though the original was a cinematic masterpiece in its own right, UE5's capabilities unlocked a whole new level of artistry. Dynamic lighting now takes center stage, allowing for even more dramatic and immersive shots. The game is filled with so many cinematic moments that it was harder to narrow them down for this review than to find one worth mentioning.
But Until Dawn 2024 is far more than just a visual upgrade. Alongside the fresh coat of paint, it features remastered versions of the original game's many cutscenes, as well as brand-new cinematic segments. These additions give more attention to characters fans felt were underdeveloped in the original, such as Beth. There's plenty of nostalgia for returning players, but there's also a wealth of new content to experience—now in glorious 4K.
Now, let’s move beyond the bells and whistles. How does Until Dawn 2024 play, and how does it compare to the original? Like its predecessor, this game is an interactive horror drama, meaning that players are more passengers than pilots, with the story unfolding on-screen with or without their input. There aren’t waves of enemies to fight, no stats to manage, and no skill trees to unlock. Instead, the narrative moves forward based on the choices you make, offering various branching paths and outcomes.
The game leans heavily on the concept of the “Butterfly Effect,” offering diverging paths—both major and minor—where each choice shapes the narrative in a choose-your-own-adventure style. This results in around 256 possible story permutations, with three major endings depending on the routes you take.
In addition to the decision-making, there are interactive gameplay segments where you control different characters, explore the environment, interact with objects and collectibles, or even engage in mini-games that determine outcomes. These aspects are largely unchanged in the remake, so there’s no need for direct comparison since they both versions of Until Dawn balanced the line between gameplay and storytelling remarkably well.
When it comes to the story, it's the same gripping narrative from the original, but now told with better cinematography and more immersive graphics. The game's setting, though fictional, evokes a distinct Appalachian vibe, though I won’t spoil why as it’s best discovered firsthand. For a game like this, revealing too much about the plot is a crime in itself.
What isn’t a crime, though, is praising the fantastic character writing. The main cast—Josh, Ashley, Jessica, Matt, Emily, Chris, Michael, and Sam—each steal the show in their own right. Their witty banter, natural dialogue, stellar voice acting, and palpable terror make them feel incredibly real. The only way to fully appreciate how each character adds depth to the story and setting is to experience it for yourself, though I’m tempted to gush about it regardless.
As much as I’d love to keep the compliments flowing, it wouldn’t be a credible review without addressing areas where the game could improve—though, admittedly, there aren’t many. My only real gripe is with the game’s PC optimization and its over-reliance on jump scares. The former isn’t an issue if you play on PS5, which I’d highly recommend, and the latter is more a product of its nearly decade-old writing, reflecting a time when jump scares were a hallmark of horror games.
And that’s really all there is to say about Until Dawn 2024. It’s an outstanding remake that didn’t feel the need to fix what wasn’t broken. Instead, it focused on making the game look, sound, and play better while keeping the story—its strongest asset—largely untouched. While it may be a bit demanding for lower-end PCs and leans a bit too heavily on 2015’s jump-scare-heavy style of horror, getting the chance to experience Until Dawn again in this improved form feels like a privilege worth the highest praise.
Pros of Until Dawn
| Things Until Dawn Got Right |
|---|
|
A Star-Studded Cast for the Better Great Accessibility Options Immense Replayability Expanded Cutscenes and Dialogue |
A Star-Studded Cast for the Better
If recent Hollywood flops in animated films have shown us anything, it's that a star-studded voice cast doesn’t necessarily equate to great performances. In fact, it often works against a project, as big names tend to be chosen over skilled voice actors.
But that’s not the case with Until Dawn. Its all-star cast doesn’t just rely on fame—they deliver genuinely top-tier performances. Hayden Panettiere as Sam, Rami Malek as Josh, Jordan Fisher as Matt, and, perhaps the most stellar performance of all, Peter Stormare as Dr. Alan Hill, elevate the game with their talents. Each of them brings their character to life in a way that truly enhances the game's quality, showing that a well-chosen cast can make all the difference.
Great Accessibility Options
A good story should be accessible to everyone, regardless of ability, and Until Dawn upholds this principle exceptionally well. Despite its genre and limited gameplay mechanics, the game offers a wide range of accessibility options for players with different needs. From basic features like aim-assist and subtitles to more specialized tools like dyslexic-friendly fonts and voice-annotated screen-reading for visually impaired players, Until Dawn ensures that no one is left out of the experience.
Immense Replayability
One defining trait of interactive drama games like Until Dawn is their immense replayability. While this can vary from title to title, Until Dawn stands out with its vast range of story permutations—256, to be exact—giving players plenty of reasons to dive back in. Though it’s not a true sandbox, the game’s Butterfly Effect
system ensures that your choices have meaningful consequences, making each playthrough feel fresh and keeping you curious about the paths you didn’t take.
Expanded Cutscenes and Dialogue
A simple buff and shine might have sufficed for a game as beloved as the original Until Dawn, but it wouldn’t have justified a AAA price tag. Thankfully, Ballistic Moon went the extra mile by expanding the game's cinematic runtime with new sections that focus on certain characters—offering something fresh for Until Dawn veterans to appreciate. The best part? These additions don’t interfere with the main story at all. Instead, they seamlessly enhance it, adding depth without altering the core experience.
Cons of Until Dawn
| Things That Until Dawn Can Improve |
|---|
|
Sensitive Content Across the Board Passive Gameplay Isn’t for Everyone |
Sensitive Content Across the Board
While this isn’t necessarily a downside, it’s definitely worth mentioning, especially for those sensitive to certain triggering content. Until Dawn is far from a family-friendly game—it features graphic violence, frequent sexual innuendos, and intentionally triggers specific phobias. While all of this serves the horror genre well, it’s not for everyone. The game doesn’t shy away from displaying these themes boldly, which might be off-putting to players who aren’t comfortable with such content being presented so explicitly.
Passive Gameplay Isn’t for Everyone
It's important to understand how this game plays. Until Dawn is a highly passive experience, where player inputs are often spaced out by tens of minutes, and intense action scenes are rare. In exchange, it delivers a deep, narrative-driven story—but this may not satisfy players seeking a more hands-on, engaging experience. It’s definitely not for everyone, so managing your expectations before purchasing is key to appreciating this game as a product.
Is Until Dawn Worth It?
The Rare Case of a Remake Being Worth the AAA Pricetag
At the industry-standard AAA price of $60, Until Dawn isn't exactly a budget-friendly game. Depending on how much you enjoy this genre, it could feel like a fantastic investment or a waste of money. Personally, I see it as a solid purchase, even if you've already played the original. This version offers a fresh take and a new way to experience the original's brilliance, along with bonus content to sweeten the deal.
While it's not a flawless buy at this price, once you dive in, you'll likely find few reasons to regret it—of that, I'm confident.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
PlayStation |
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| Price | $59.99 | ||||
Until Dawn FAQ
Is Until Dawn’s Setting Connected to The Quarry or The Casting of Frank Stone?
No, despite all three games being developed by Supermassive Games and sharing themes of horror and mystery, Until Dawn does not exist in the same universe as The Quarry or The Casting of Frank Stone. Each game stands on its own, with no direct connection between their storylines or worlds outside of cameos.
How Do You Find Totems in Until Dawn?
Totems are small collectibles that provide players with a brief glimpse into future events for certain characters. Like most other collectibles in the game, Totems are typically hidden off the beaten path—tucked away to the side or concealed in rooms, rewarding those who take the time to explore thoroughly.
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Until Dawn Product Information
 | |
| Title | UNTIL DAWN |
|---|---|
| Release Date | October 4, 2024(PC, PlayStation 5) August 25, 2015 (PlayStation 4) |
| Developer | Ballistic Moon, Supermassive Games |
| Publisher | PlayStation Publishing LLC |
| Supported Platforms | PC(Steam), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 |
| Genre | Horror, Story-driven, Adventure |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| Rating | ESRB M 17+ |
| Official Website | Until Dawn Supermassive Games Official Website Ballistic Moon Official Website |
