Does Until Dawn Have a Chance?

Image Courtesy of Game Informer

Until Dawn, the choose-your-own adventure-style horror game from Sony and Supermassive Games finally arrived for the PS4 earlier this week after an overly long development. Perhaps more surprising than the fact that it actually came out (it originally was a Move game for the PS3) is that it's good. I'm talking really, really good; it's garnered praise from critics and gamers alike as a gripping, unique, and genuinely scary experience. Sounds like Sony has another hit on its hands, right? Well, that answer may be a little more complicated than it seems.

Sony doesn't have a huge tentpole title for the PS4 this Fall, as Uncharted 4 got pushed into next Spring, and is having to rely on the remastered Uncharted collection to be their "big" first-party exclusive for the final quarter of 2015. While the system has great third-party support, there's no new, exclusive title that Sony could use as a system seller. Except there is, and it's called Until Dawn. Having played a good chunk of it, I can safely say it's one of the most surprising games of the year, and one of its best so far. My fear is that it's going to fade into obscurity, especially considering that Metal Gear Solid V is just around the corner. It seems like Sony's leaving it out in the cold to die.

Sony's first big release of the year was The Order: 1886, and even though it was lauded as a "must have" game for the system, it most certainly did not live up to the hype that surrounded it. The thud that it made when it launched earlier this year is still ringing in a lot of people's ears, particularly Sony's. It seems as if Sony is desperately trying to avoid that kind of let down again by not pushing Until Dawn as hard as it could. Part of me also thinks that they don't know what to do with it; I imagine it didn't focus test well, as it seems more suited for a certain kind of audience (horror movie fans, adventure game fans, etc.) and doesn't scream "mainstream appeal". Regardless, Until Dawn is good enough to be the first-party exclusive Sony so desperately needs going into Fall, but it won't, and that's a real shame.

Whether Until Dawn ends up being a hit or not, Supermassive Games is to be congratulated on crafting a very, very good game. It delivers on the potential of games like Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls (in fact, Quantic Dream should take a few notes from it) and delivers something unlike I've ever played. It practically begs for multiple play-throughs, as every single choice you make alters the narrative in a unique way. Even if you don't like horror or adventure games, give Until Dawn a chance, it really deserves it. On top of its innovative gameplay and narrative structure, it's also well acted and written, and is perfectly paced to build some solid tension, leading to lots of great scares.

I really want to see this game succeed, but my gut tells me otherwise. It's not getting the kind of marketing push it deserves, and though it's scored well with gaming outlets, its coverage is being pushed aside for all things Metal Gear. I feel as if it's a great reason to pick up a PS4 if you haven't already, as it's the kind of game you won't find anywhere else. Until Dawn deserves your time, money, and attention, and if you have a PS4 and about 10 hours of free time, definitely give it a chance. It deserves more faith than it's getting.