Michael Beckwith 
Developer Ballistic Moon has run down all the differences players can expect from its Until Dawn remaster, alongside a new release date.
The project was announced during the January 2024 PlayStation State of Play, though Ballistic Moon has described it as a full remake rather than a remaster. Whatever it is, it’s not only an opportunity for old fans to re-experience the original 2015 horror game, but for new fans to check it out for themselves. Aside from the PlayStation 5, this version of Until Dawn is also slated for a PC release.
Ahead of the game’s launch, creative director Neil McEwan took to the PlayStation Blog to explain what players can expect from the Until Dawn remake or remaster.
What is new and different in the Until Dawn remaster?
The Until Dawn remaster will include numerous gameplay changes alongside a graphical facelift after being ported to a new game engine.
The first major difference in the enhanced Until Dawn is that it’s been rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, whereas the original game was made using Decima. As such, environments, props, animations, and more have all been updated with the newer engine. The character models in particular have seen an improvement, though it’s worth noting that none of the original actors have been replaced. So, don’t expect the cast to look radically different.
Unreal Engine 5’s rendering features have also allowed for improved lighting, as well as the implementation of ray-tracing. Combined with more realistic real time fluids and added elements to characters’ bodies (like cuts and bruises), this new Until Dawn should make for a more atmospheric and disturbingly gorier experience, especially when it comes to the death scenes.
In terms of new gameplay additions, hunger totems are a new type of collectible that come with their own visions of the future. The rest of the collectibles, however, have been relocated, so veteran players can’t rely on their memory to find them all again. There will also be new, smaller areas hosting new character interactions to flesh out the world. There have been theories of the game featuring new death scenes too, but this is unconfirmed.
Lastly, the Until Dawn remaster will come with new accessibility options and customizable settings. One example McEwan shared was an alternative to the Don’t Move mechanic. In the original, certain sections required the player to keep their controller perfectly still for a short period of time. A new Stay Calm option will allow these moments to be compatible with third-party controllers that don’t have a gyroscope, though it’s unclear how these work.
Will there be story changes in the Until Dawn remake?
The new version of Until Dawn will feature a reworked prologue chapter, but the story will otherwise remain unchanged.
Despite this, McEwan has said the remaster will feature revised cinematography and implement a new over-the-shoulder camera view during gameplay. However, it doesn’t sound like this will apply for the whole game as McEwan mentioned how the development is “blending the cinematography of the original with the introduction of a modern third-person camera.” This will offer a new perspective to the events of the game for returning players and maybe even help enhance the tense atmosphere of certain scenes.
One slight story alteration will be a reworked prologue. The goal of it is to give the Washington family extra screen time to explore their relationships with one another before the events of the game kick off. McEwan added how there will be extra context to the infamous prank scene and some scenes have been reframed, but none of this should drastically impact or change the story.
The Until Dawn remaster is scheduled to launch for PlayStation 5 and PC on October 3.
