Until Dawn Remastered Review

From the opening moments, Until Dawn on PS5 pulls you into a tense, cinematic horror story that plays out like a blend of classic slasher film and interactive drama. The tension builds steadily, with each choice carrying the potential to send the story in an unexpected direction. It feels like directing your own horror movie, where even small decisions can have big consequences.

The story stands out thanks to its branching paths and strong sense of player agency. It’s impressive how many scenes can shift depending on your choices, giving the game real replay value. That said, not every decision has a huge impact. Some choices feel important in the moment but lead to only minor changes. Still, the overall experience remains compelling, and there’s enough variation to make a second or third playthrough feel worthwhile.

Character development is a major highlight. The cast is full of distinct personalities, each with their own backstory and believable motivations. Their interactions feel authentic, and it’s easy to get attached—or grow frustrated—with how they behave under pressure. As the story progresses, I found myself genuinely concerned for their survival and often second-guessing my decisions based on who I wanted to keep safe.

The game does a solid job of making you care about the characters, and that emotional investment raises the stakes. Watching how relationships shift based on dialogue choices adds another layer of tension. I often wondered how things could have played out differently, which pushed me to go back and see what I had missed the first time.

The interactive elements are well executed, especially the “butterfly effect” system, which tracks how choices ripple through the story. It’s satisfying to see your decisions referenced later on, and the branching paths make experimentation rewarding. While not every outcome is wildly different, there’s still plenty of incentive to replay and explore different routes.

Visually, Until Dawn does a fantastic job building atmosphere. The environments are detailed and eerie, with great use of lighting and sound to create a sense of unease. Shadows flicker, snow crunches underfoot, and the isolated setting keeps the tension high. The game doesn’t just rely on jump scares—it uses mood and suspense to keep players on edge.

What makes the experience feel even more grounded is how it deals with relatable themes—fear, trust, guilt, and survival. The game doesn’t just ask you to survive monsters, but also to navigate complex social dynamics under pressure. These moments of emotional tension often hit just as hard as the scares, especially during key turning points in the story.

Until Dawn isn’t perfect. Some story beats are predictable, and a few choices don’t lead to the kind of consequences you might expect. But overall, it’s a gripping, atmospheric horror experience that keeps you invested from start to finish. For fans of narrative-driven games or horror stories that lean into character and choice, it’s well worth playing—and replaying.

THE VERDICT