OPINION: Until recently, I believe I sided with a fair amount of gamers in my disdain for remakes. Even though recent examples like The Last of Us Part I and Resident Evil 4 Remake have been fun to play, I hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that this console generation in particular is becoming unnecessarily saturated with upscaled nostalgia.
That all changed when I booted up the shiny-new version of Until Dawn last weekend, I realised that maybe I’d been looking at the whole thing from the wrong perspective.
For the longest time, whenever I heard about a remake in production, my first question had always been about what new content might be added, ever with the presumption that if there isn’t anything new to entice players a second time, why not simply play the existing version?
It’s still a fair question to ask as you’ll always want to get as much bang for your buck as possible, but with the frequency at which these remakes are appearing, it makes more sense to view them in the context that one might see film and TV.
I’m sure that all of us at some point, despite owning a film or TV show on DVD (or even VHS), have decided to purchase it again either on Blu-Ray or in digital format, not just for the improved visuals that come with it but also the convenience of being able to watch it on modern equipment and without the need to dust off old tech.
I think we’re at the point where the same concept applies with video games given the sheer backlog of titles that you can dive into on any given day.
The comparison feels particularly apt with Until Dawn given that it is marketed more as an interactive story rather than a traditional video game.
Half the allure of the original title was in seeing life-like graphics and well-acted performances from a handful of recognisable faces, and while I definitely have some rose-tinted glasses when I recall my first time experiencing the game on PS4, I was surprised to see how much of a leap the PS5 version could bring to the table.
A gorgeous game made even better
Right from the title screen, which packs a close-up of one of the main characters, I was amazed by how much detail could be seen on the faces of the cast. While there’s definitely a touch of the uncanny valley about their facial movements, you can’t deny that a great deal of attention has been paid in recreating even the smallest features of the cast.
The lighting system has also been given a huge overhaul, where everything looks eerie and cinematic in both equal measure (the latter partly due to the large letter box display set up by default). The PS4 original is by no means an ugly game, especially as it really pushed the tech available at the time, but there’s no arguing against the fact that this version looks a great deal better.
It might sound a tad superficial to pick up the new version based purely on updated visuals (additional changes are minute, including new camera controls and a tweaked prologue/ending), but nothing is stopping you from simply playing the original game if you’d prefer.
Much like the PS5 Pro, the mere existence of Until Dawn’s PS5 edition doesn’t undermine its predecessor, instead it offers a means for diehard fans to feel like they’re experiencing the game for the first time once more, and for total newcomers to have the ideal entry point on a console that currently sits next to their TV.
It won’t be an essential buy for everyone but I can tell you as someone who loved playing the 2015 original almost a decade ago, it feels like enough time has passed to enjoy a second-go round this interactive night of horrors come Halloween.
