The horror genre has had its high points and low points over the years. This generation, however, has proved that people want to be terrified. Resident Evil had a resurgence, Dead by Daylight took over online gaming for a while, but Until Dawn by Supermassive Games took the genre to new heights. With the eighth generation of consoles coming to a close, we here at Duel Screens wanted to highlight some of our must-play experiences before grabbing your new PS5 or Xbox Series X. This is Duel Screens Selects.
Fright Night
Until Dawn focuses on the campiness of horror films and turns the intensity up to 11 in an adventure game with more twists than a freshly mangled Mike Myers neck twist. While the game itself was incredibly terrifying in many respects, Supermassive nailed the fun factor that the genre can really produce. Being released in 2015 means that it serves as one of the fundamental building blocks of the eventual evolution of the horror genre. Excellent motion capture and facial renderings make this horror show leap out at you, throwing one chilling experience at you after the next.
High octane chases, moral ambiguity, hilarious moments, and of course…brutal murders, are all present in an ever replayable package. The cinematic quality of the title is immersive, which gave it the feel of a next-gen horror experience. It takes what we grew to love about the Tell Tale adventure games such as The Walking Dead series and repackages it into a terrifying and gorgeous little gift under your horror hearth. Combine this with an open-ended ending system where your choices effect who will survive the disturbing mission in the cold wilderness and you’ll be sure to be at the edge of your seat.
A Scare To Remember
Until Dawn is a shining example of storytelling and quite simply how to do horror in video games the right way. Its got gore, atmosphere, jump scares, camp, tough decisions, engaging gameplay, and tons of replayability. It really is a must have of the generation and dare I saw an instant classic on the PlayStation 4. As one of the shining exclusives on the console as well, it’s the perfect time to pick it up and try it out. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to get scared!
