Until Dawn to be seen in new light on PC and PS5

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Enhanced version of Supermassive Games' acclaimed cinematic horror adventure coming in 2024

Supermassive Games have made quite a name for themselves in recent years with their popular narrative-driven cinematic survival horrors like The Quarry and the Dark Pictures Anthology. But the UK developer made its first big splash back in 2015 with Until Dawn, the game that would establish the template for its successors. Its reach was somewhat limited as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, however, but that will finally change in 2024 with the upcoming enhanced remake for PC and PlayStation 5.

Like a classic slasher film from the 1980s, eight teenaged friends get together at a remote retreat on Blackwood Mountain to commemorate the one-year anniversary of two close friends disappearing. But group dynamics quickly start to fray, and before long it becomes clear that someone or something is stalking them. Rather than play as just one character, players will have the opportunity to control all eight as they "search for clues to the deranged killer's identity." There is some light exploration to be done, with some interactive items and a bit of environmental puzzle solving along the way, but for the most part it's a guided experience where the player's main input is through making key decisions. And choice is not illusory here, as the game's "butterfly effect" system ensures that even seemingly minor decisions can have major repercussions later on – some of them life or death, as you can lose one or more character and be forced to carry on with permanent consequences.

While the core features of the original Until Dawn will remain the same, including the familiar likeness and voice of actress Hayden Panettiere as Sam, the remake promises to include improved visuals and animations rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, and an overhauled soundscape including a new score from acclaimed horror composer Mark Korven. In a departure from the first game, the remake by veteran game studio Ballistic Moon will add a third-person camera option, which, according to Creative Director Neil McEwan, will allow players to "look behind the curtain of the original game, exploring enhanced and new locations with new interactions and collectables."

While no release date has yet been announced, the enhanced edition will be available on Steam and the PlayStation Store sometime later this year. And if that isn't enough Until Dawn scariness to look forward to, there will also be a film adaptation from PlayStation Productions and Sony’s Screen Gems, directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation) and written by Gary Dauberman (It: Chapter Two, The Nun and The Nun II) and Blair Butler (The Invitation).

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