Until Dawn (2015) - How much blood would you shed to stay alive? - 10/10 (20/01/10)

Until Dawn is a survival horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. This game is one of the greatest games I have played in a very long time and might even be my favorite game of all times.

The game follows eight young adults who spend a weekend in a cabin in the Canadian woods one year after two of their friends died there under mysterious circumstances. Soon, the eight friends sense that they aren't alone on that strange mountain somewhere in Alberta. Step by step, they uncover the numerous stunning mysteries of this abandoned place and their lives are soon in danger. Telling you anything more would take away from the brilliant plot that goes back to classical thrillers and horror stories somewhere between Agatha Christie and Stephen King.

Until Dawn convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the atmosphere of this game is gloomy, mysterious and uneasy from start to finish.

The challenge level is extremely elevated because there are many different possibilities related to the possible outcome of the story.

The controls are quite tough and add to the challenge level since you have to press the right buttons in a short amount of time to take the right decision and save someone's life.

The game flow is quite fluid from start to finish but I personally prefer the first half of the game that is strictly related to a sinister tale of revenge while the second part has a more supernatural twists which means that we almost get two games in one.

The graphics are stunning and add to the game's gloomy atmosphere. Especially the winter landscapes look quite realistic.

The game doesn't only have a reasonable length somewhere between eight and ten hours but can also be played over and over again because the decisions taken by the gamer have significant impacts in the future and playing the game again by taking different decisions will change the entire outcome of the game.

It's the kind of game that never gets boring and can be played over and over again which explains the elevated long-term fun factor.

The sound effects are creepy and intense. Make sure to play this game in the dark with an elevated volume to get fully absorbed by it.

The soundtrack helps creating an immersive and intense atmosphere.

The story isn't exactly new but perfectly executed.

To keep it short, if you are a young adult and like clever thrillers and gloomy horror stories, there is no way you can get around Until Dawn. The spin-off Until Dawn: Rush of Blood doesn't have anything to do with the brilliant original game presented here. However, a prequel entitled The Inpatient, which takes place in the same locations as the original game but sixty years prior to the events portrayed in Until Dawn, is going to be released in November 2017. There is no doubt that I'm going to purchase this prequel. If it's only nearly as good as Until Dawn, it's going to be a contender for game of the year.