REVIEW: ‘Until Dawn’ On PS5 Looks Beautiful, But Is It Worth It?

PlayStation has been remaking and remastering a number of their games, with Until Dawn being the latest to get a fresh coat of paint on PS5. The original, which came out in 2015, is still fantastic. It’s a horror game in the style of campy slasher thrillers. The new remake brings a host of graphical enhancements and some reworked scenes, and it absolutely looks stunning. At the same time, it’s an uneven experience, with a stuttering frame rate and a hefty price tag. There is something really cool here, but the value will really depend on the player.

Until Dawn is mostly the same game that it was in 2015. It follows a group of friends on a vacation at Blackwood Mountain, a year after a few close friends go missing. The group dynamics are tense and dramatic, with each one of them being absolutely unlikeable to some extent. Throughout the evening, things take a turn for the worse as things escalate. There’s a killer in the woods, and the group has to survive.

The game plays out like an interactive movie. Players make choices that change the story. Characters can live or die, and depending on the quick time responses and choices made, their fates differ significantly. The core of Until Dawn is very much intact here. While some scenes have been expanded, and there is some new content, the 2024 remake largely stays true to the tale spun in the original.

Where it differs majorly is in its graphics and presentation. The graphics have been overhauled in Unreal Engine 5. There’s a lot more detail and animation to each character and background. The lighting looks fantastic as beams of moonlight stream through the foliage. The beginning of the game is lighter when compared to the original, as the sun sets over the mountain. It’s an artistic choice that works within the confines of the experience, even though Alberta at 7 PM would be entirely dark.

The camera angles have been entirely reworked. The original had several fixed perspectives, while the remake uses an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective. This brings it in line with much of PlayStation’s first-party offerings, trying to make Until Dawn a more explorable and cinematic experience.

All of this works to some degree and fails in others. The game looks breathtaking, but the frame rate stutters, even at 30fps. There’s pop in for textures and backgrounds. When everything is running smoothly, it’s completely immersive. When it doesn’t, it completely takes you out of the experience.

The third-person camera is an interesting idea that mostly works well, but the original’s fixed perspective is missed, as well. Both make the experience feel cinematic in different ways, but the original perspective better fits the camp and tone of the story. Some weird moments with the facial animations look odd, reaching a level of the uncanny valley. They aren’t frequent, but when they do happen, they stand out.

Until Dawn, as a remake, works in a silo. The core experience is still a blast. The camp and drama of the characters and story are still incredibly engaging. The choose-your-own-adventure choices are fun, and most importantly, feel impactful. Graphically, Until Dawn is stunning despite its performance issues. It still feels and plays like a new experience, one of Supermassive Games’ best titles.

The issues really spring up when you bring the original into the conversation. The PS4 version still looks and plays well, as it hasn’t even been a decade since its launch. There’s no upgrade path, so for folks looking for the new experience, it comes with an almost full price tag. The PS4 edition is much cheaper, and graphics and camera aside, it is almost exactly the same experience.

The question then becomes one of value. Who is this remake really for? Die-hard fans of the original will undoubtedly double dip for an experience that really does look fantastic. New players who may be unaware of the original or just want the newest version of it will have a lot of fun here. There are a ton of new accessibility settings as well, opening up the title to those who may not have been able to experience it in the past. But for folks who already have played the PS4 version or for the price-conscious, there isn’t much here to warrant shelling out the cost it carries.

Until Dawn is a fantastic and fun experience. The butterfly effect experience is a fun ride. The replayability is high, with tons of branching pathways and collectibles to find. The remake is very much for a specific audience. Despite its technical issues, it is the way to go for those looking for the newest or best-looking way to play the classic horror game. For anyone else, the original holds up just fine.

Until Dawn is available now on PS5.