Until Dawn PS5 review: Terrifyingly mediocre

Until Dawn on PS5 left me truly speechless in ways that I honestly, did not expect. We're at a point where we are drowning in "remakes" and "remasters" with very little being produced that's wholly original. And there's no other publisher going all out on the "unnecessary remake" route than PlayStation, which is ironic considering the PS4 generation was marked by games renowned for their original concepts.

That's not to say most PlayStation remakes or remasters we've received so far have been bad or sub-par. In fact, I like some of the PlayStation remakes that have come out so far, for instance, Bluepoint Games' Demon's Souls (remake), which was the primary reason for me to get a PS5 last year.

However, the most recent "remake" from PlayStation Studios is not something that left me impressed, at all. Truth be told, playing Until Dawn on PS5 left me incredibly unimpressed, and perhaps even a bit disheartened as well. While there are some good aspects to this remake, most of it is bland, unpolished, and overall, just a mediocre experience.

Looking for Crossword hints & solutions? Check out latest NYT Mini Crossword Answers, LA Times Crossword Answers, and USA Today Crossword Answers

Until Dawn PS5: A fun horror adventure, marred by numerous technical and "artistic" shortcomings

Visuals, presentation, and audio

Right off the bat, Until Dawn on the PlayStation 5 felt lacking, with a redesigned menu that is missing the charm of the PS4 release. While it's not bad to look at, per se, if you've played the PS4 version, you will notice the differences. In the PS4 version, there used to be a subtle blue hue over the options in the main menu as well as the UI, which felt in line with the game's atmosphere.

Character models in the remake are a "hit or miss" (Image via PlayStation)

Yeah, that's gone in the remake. It's now switched to a more generic grey/white background. Moving past the menus and UI, the remake never feels as convincing as the original, even when it comes to the character designs. Although the character models are definitely more detailed and have better textures, they still feel like they are missing the artistic charm of the original.

Some characters like Rami Malek's Josh Washington and Hayden Panettiere's Sam Giddings look quite different from their PS4 original counterpart, and not for the better. In fact, in certain scenes, both these characters look robotic (and plastic), which isn't something I was expecting from a "remake."

Negatives aside, there are quite a few good things about the remake. First of all — the massively improved lighting. I don't think the Until Dawn remake is using any form of ray tracing. However, it definitely is making use of improved GI (Global Illumination), which makes certain scenes look near photorealistic.

The camera in the remake is also vastly superior to that of the original. Instead of the zoomed-out "Resident Evil-like" camera angles, the remake opts for a more traditional over-the-shoulder perspective, which I think is vastly more immersive. However, despite the reworked camera, the controls are almost identical to the original.

3D Audio adds a ton to the game's atmosphere and immersion (Image via PlayStation)

Lastly, let's talk about audio, which much like the graphical and visual "improvements," is a mixed bag. Firstly, to focus on the positives, I like the integration of 3D Audio in the remake. There are also some new ambient background noises added to the game's exploration bits, which adds a lot to the immersion factor.

However, not everything is great about the audio design in the remake. Compared to the PS4 version of Until Dawn, the remake has a vastly inferior soundtrack. The best example of this is the opening, which is changed, but not for the better, in my opinion. I still prefer the PS4 original's opening soundtrack.

Gameplay and progression

In terms of moment-to-moment gameplay, Until Dawn's PS5 remake is left untouched. The game is still a narrative horror experience based on choices and consequences. There have been a few improvements, such as the choices you make in the story are telegraphed much better. Also, the game doesn't suffer from those awkward pauses in-between between scenes where you're asked to make a choice.

Gameplay remains mostly the same, with a few minor tweaks (Image via PlayStation)

Essentially, the game feels much more seamless now, than it ever did on the PlayStation 4. That's probably in part due to the remake's increased fidelity as well as the use of PlayStation 5's SSD. I should also note that the stat screen that shows the choices you made and its consequences, is improved to help keep track of everything.

The improvements made to the stats screen are a god-sent for PlayStation "Trophy" hunters like me. While I don't think I'll go through the efforts of getting the Platinum Trophy for Until Dawn remake, I do know it won't be much of a hassle, if I ever wanted to do so, perhaps shortly.

Unfortunately, if you were expecting a drastic change in terms of gameplay, this isn't going to be your thing. Until Dawn on PS5 is still a narrative-heavy game, which has very little in the way of traditional "gameplay" moments. It's still a point-and-click adventure like the PS4 original, albeit with a new coat of paint, and a few minor upgrades.

The shortcomings

I often keep the "shortcomings" section in my reviews, well, short. However, in the case of Until Dawn PS5, it's a bit longer than usual, but for valid reasons. When it comes to PlayStation first-party offerings, one aspect that remains common among every title is "quality." That's regardless of which first-party PlayStation studio the game is coming from.

The third-person camera is a good addition, despite the underlying technical issues in the remake (Image via PlayStation)

Yes, there have been a handful of exceptions, a la Days Gone and The Last of Us Part 1 (PC). However, the majority of PlayStation releases often launch in a state that's hard to fault at a technical level. Unfortunately, that's not the case with Until Dawn on the PS5, as it's another title on that "exceptions" list.

The first time I booted up the game on my console, it immediately crashed into the dashboard. This admittedly did not fill me with confidence, but I chalked that crash up to a momentary thing. However, that wasn't the only instance of crashing. In fact, I've encountered no less than a dozen crashes during my first playthrough of the story (roughly eight hours).

That's not all, there are plenty of visual bugs, stuttering, and also gameplay-related bugs I had to contend with while playing Until Dawn on my PS5. Furthermore, there's also an odd issue, which I've also faced with Black Myth Wukong (another UE5 title) on its launch, where the game would start stuttering frequently after a 3-4 hour gameplay session.

Seeing how the game struggles to run properly on PS5, I can only imagine how the PC port might've turned out. Apart from the technical issues, I also have a couple more gripes with the remake. Firstly, while I do like the addition of a new ending scene, it feels more like a cheap "sequel bait" than an earnest effort to please returning fans.

Some character models are a massive downgrade in the remake (Image via PlayStation)

Also, I don't like the fact that the remake (which can pass as a "remaster") isn't available as an upgrade option for players who already own the PS4 version of Until Dawn. Had it been a $10 upgrade akin to the upcoming Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, it would've made a lot more sense. However, for a full-priced offering, this remake isn't something I expected from PlayStation.

It's truly disheartening to see the remake of Until Dawn being delivered in such a state. Underneath all the technical and artistic shortcomings, there's a genuinely thrilling and dare I say, enjoyable story that I think most horror fans would enjoy. There are few games that get horror right like Until Dawn did, and the remake was a great way to introduce new fans to the story. But alas, it just ended up being terrifyingly mediocre.

In conclusion

Until Dawn on PS5 is terrifyingly mediocre (Image via PlayStation)

Until Dawn on PS5 does have its positives, like the excellent implementation of 3D Audio for added immersion and the few subtle gameplay enhancements. However, as an overall package, it's woefully short of what's expected from PlayStation's first-party releases. Not only is the remake filled with technical issues, but it's also not much of an improvement (if at all) compared to the PS4 version.