Until Dawn: First Look (Spoilers)

Available only on Playstation

I'm not too far into Until Dawn, but I can tell you right now that while there is a slow pace to this heart-attack inducing horror flick turned game, it has had a really great start. I have a few complaints, one of which I probably shouldn't be allowed to have considering my own humor is lodged in a lewd place.
Until Dawn is a cinematic, choice-driven, mystery, narrative style game that centers around eight teenagers returning to a lodge on Blackwood Mountain, following the disappearances of their two friends. The reunion marks the one year anniversary of their disappearances, and some super crazy stuff starts to happen after they arrive.


Each character is developed in their own way, and each has a unique personality that a player can easily identify with, as each is mimics the ideas of real, tangible people. Your choices influence everything, including the traits or 'statuses' of the characters and their relationships with each other. The choices create a butterfly effect that can dramatically change everything. You are shown possible outcomes, dependent upon the choices made, but not everything is as it seems.

I am thoroughly enjoying this game. The scares are a little cheesy, just as they would be in an actual teen horror movie, but they still get me most of the time. I might also just be a gigantic baby when it comes to horror games, even though I love them. I'm only a couple hours into it, currently on chapter 4, and have already made mistakes which resulted in the deaths of one of the characters - all because I hit the wrong button during a quick time event.

During the game you look for clues which piece together what's really going on at Blackwood Mountain. You also meet the creepy "Analyst" who evaluates you between chapters, clowns, ghosts, and a supernatural bear that watches your every move.

My only complaints so far include the absurd amount of sex jokes interlaced throughout character interactions and the stiff controls. I get it, they're teenagers, they're horny, but there's only so much I can take before I'm ready to kill off a character because they won't shut up. That's honestly why I'm not too upset that I lost someone already. I say again, I probably shouldn't be annoyed by it too much because my humor is riddled with innuendos. As for the controls, it's probably because I'm not used to using Playstation controls (sorry, I'm an Xbox person mostly), but they're also kind of stiff.

I look forward to beating Until Dawn and creating a full review over it. I'm also looking forward to replaying it and seeing how choices change gameplay and story entirely.

Stay tuned for more creepy goodness.