Sony has announced an October release date for the remake of its narrative-driven horror game Until Dawn. Arriving just in time for Halloween, Sony invited PS5 and PC players to revisit Blackwood Mountain on October 4, 2024.
Originally released in 2015 for PlayStation 4, Until Dawn is an interactive drama horror from developer Supermassive Games. The game follows eight friends who are trapped on a remote mountain retreat, only to discover they aren't alone. Players experience the fear and tension of each member of the group as they are forced to make snap decisions that could mean life, or death, for everyone involved.
"Every choice you make in your terrifying search for answers – even the seemingly trivial ones – will carve out your own unique story," Sony teases.
Nearly 10 years later, Until Dawn has been rebuilt and enhanced for PS5 and PC. Developer Ballistic Moon has remade the game from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. Character models, environments, interactable props, visual effects, and animations have all been updated to take advantage of the improved console and PC hardware.
"We have completely relit the game to take advantage of Unreal Engine 5’s rendering features, including raytracing and enhanced materials, focusing on a more atmospheric and “modern horror” experience," the developer explained in a post on the PlayStation Blog.
The goal of this remake wasn't necessarily to change any of the story beats. The events of that fateful night atop Blackwood Mountain remain unchanged, only now you can experience it with an improved cinematic update for enhanced visual storytelling.
A post on the PS Blog highlights all of the specific graphical improvements in the remake, but it's probably better to just see for yourself. In the newly released trailer below, you can see a comparison between the original game and the rebuilt and enhanced version for PS5 and PC.
Although the original narrative remains intact, the prologue has been reworked with adjustments to its narrative pacing. Ballistic Moon Creative Director Neil McEwan explains:
We’ve given the Washingtons extra screen time to explore their close family bond and get to know them a little better. We have also reframed some of the original scenes and developed the context around the infamous prank. We hope this enhances its emotional impact.
There are also new collectibles to discover. All of the original totems have been relocated, and Hunter totems have been added. These are a special new type of totem that holds a different kind of vision to the others. New interactions and small new areas that hold them have been added, providing additional extra context and detail to the game world.
Finally, the enhanced version includes new accessibility and usability settings. A new optional alternative for the Don't Move mechanic called Stay Calm is now implemented for their party peripherals that do not feature a gyroscope or for players who prefer a different challenge.
Until Dawn is set to re-release for PS5 and C on October 4, 2024. Pre-orders open up on August 21.