So last night I played a couple of hours of Until Dawn and I have to say I’m very impressed.  It has some genuine scares in it, even though you are always expecting them they still manage to shock.  I think this might be something different after all and it is building up to be a really decent horror game.

Controlling the characters is more Resident Evil like (the earlier ones) where the perspective changes as you walk around. There are quick time events in it and you have choices to make but it doesn’t feel just like an interactive movie. It combines a few game styles – and does it very well.  It does appear to have some definite replay-ability as some of the choices you make will alter the story considerably.

Reminiscent of a lot of eighties and nineties horror movies, it all starts with a terrible accident.

One of the most impressive things I’ve seen in the game (it happens early so this isn’t spoiling much) is that you are given the opportunity to pick out your worst fears (spiders vs snakes vs bugs, heights vs drowning etc). Even though I’m only a couple of hours in you can see it is tailoring what you pick as a player to the game. This makes Until Dawn all the more frightening.

Until Dawn also looks and sounds absolutely amazing. The lighting is some of the best I’ve seen. It is a game to show off the graphical prowess of your PS4.  The only slight complaint is the motion capture looks a bit overdone at times, especially with the mouths of the characters. But apart from that small gripe very impressive.  The sound is something else – it really helps convey a sense of dread while it slow builds and raises the tension.

I need to play this more but I actually think this could be the second decent exclusive the PS4 has had (Bloodborne being the first).

Expect a full review on The Late Night Session in the couple of weeks.