Until Dawn is one of the last console generation's most successful and surprising horror titles. Released by developer Supermassive Games in 2015, the game blended VHS-era slasher horror, folk horror, and the ever-popular branched storytelling genre into a single tight-knit experience. In 2024, it was revealed that an Until Dawn remake was on the way, featuring a host of original elements and gameplay changes. Chief among these is the transition to a third-person perspective, replacing the original’s cinema-inspired fixed camera angles. In a title that promises fresh scares, original locations, and hidden secrets, the Until Dawn remake's new perspective could be the biggest game-changer of all.

Until Dawn tells the story of eight friends who head to Blackwood Mountain on the first anniversary of sisters Hannah and Beth Washington's disappearance, following a prank gone awry. Soon after their arrival, the event devolves into an all-out horror mystery, as an unknown assailant begins hunting the group one by one. Players are tasked with ensuring that all eight characters survive the night, which requires surviving various supernatural events, as well as fostering trust between characters. Presented as an interactive horror film, players navigate a series of set pieces with a fixed camera, forcing them to explore every nook and cranny for signs of interactivity. In the title’s upcoming remake, however, players will get up close in personal with the secrets and horrors of Blackwood Mountain thanks to a third-person perspective.

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Until Dawn's Perspective Switch Explained

The original Until Dawn thrust players into an interactive slasher film. A pioneer in the branched storytelling genre, the title implemented a number of retro elements, including the angled, cinematic perspective found in horror films and early survival horror games. These elements ensured that Until Dawn felt just as much like a movie as it did a game. However, the road paved by Until Dawn's critical and commercial success has since been overrun with lackluster titles, including, quite recently, Supermassive's own The Devil in Me. In the process of rebuilding Until Dawn for a new generation, the remake's developer, Ballistic Moon, decided to apply a shift in perspective.

In an article on PlayStation Blog, Ballistic Moon's Creative Director, Neil McEwan, shared the team’s reasoning for the shift, stating that they want players to,”...really feel the experience of that fateful night.” A shift to third-person parallels a larger shift in the survival horror genre. Many of today’s most popular horror titles boast a similar perspective, including Capcom’s highly successful remakes of classic Resident Evil titles. However, Ballistic Moon’s shift to third-person serves another purpose, as McEwan goes on to explain that the ability to move the camera will play a major role in the remade Until Dawn experience.

Until Dawn's Third-Person Camera Opens the Door to Frightening New Content

The Until Dawn remake's third-person camera will quite literally change the game, as players transition from the perspective of an audience member and are thrust into the center of Blackwood Mountain's supernatural frights. Leveraging this massive change, Ballistic Moon further shared with PlayStation that the Until Dawn remake will include enhanced and new locations. Within these environments, fans will encounter never-before-seen interactive events and collectibles. McEwan states that fans will be able to, "...look behind the curtain of the original game.", presumably opening the door to a new and frightening experience - an approach that sounds particularly appealing to those who have already played the original game.

It remains to be seen just how much original content the Until Dawn remake will contain. However, a recent rumor suggests this content may include new Until Dawn character deaths. With no official release date beyond a confirmation of 2024, and minimal information, the Until Dawn remake remains largely a mystery. Fans hoping to learn more about the Until Dawn remake will need to wait until the next major announcement, which may come as soon as PlayStation's rumored May 2024 Showcase.

Until Dawn

Until Dawn follows the story of a group of people that find themselves stuck in a remote ski lodge, seemingly hunted by a mysterious killer. Players will be forced to make choices in this adventure game.