• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Ready at Until Dawn: Will this game repeat RAD's The Order:1886 mistakes???

OK OK OK ......

I know a lot of people just want to "move on" from the whole The Order:1886 fiasco, but I feel this is an important issue that NEEDS to be discussed. The Order: 1886's release has come and gone and by now, everyone has heard of the game's shortcomings (how egregious those are I'll leave to you). I picked up my copy last week and beat the game. I felt it was a decent experience, but I'd be lying if I felt they didn't FUBAR what could've been an epic PS4 single player campaign. There was a lot of issues that people had with the game. However, it seems the primary issue people have with the gameplay is an over-emphasis on "Cinematic gameplay" and all that entails. Lack of control, QTEs, forcing gameplay mechanics for presentation over choice, etc. When I first opened the game, I saw an ad inside for another game, Until Dawn. At first I didn't make much of it. However, the further I went through the title, the more my thoughts were consumed with the idea that we may yet be in for a repeat of this blunder.

I don't think I am really enlightening most folks here when I say that Until Dawn shares this same intense focus of its gameplay mechanics on cinematic presentation over traditional mechanics, like The Order. In fact, it goes way further. Leaping pretty much into the "Interactive Movie" territory. Therefore, it has been making me wonder if this game is destined to be castigated as badly or even worse than The Order was. I don't think Sony needs more of the kind of vitriol that game got. Reviews have been mercilessly vituperating that title and a repeat would REALLY damage the prestige of Sony's 1st Party brand. Especially, given Sony has had a number of other failures/shortcomings with its studios, even before The Order dropped (Knack, anyone?).

I've watched videos of its gameplay and the game seriously looks like something you'd swear spawned from Quantic Dreams' David Cage. It was rumored they had a PS4 title in development. If this title wasn't announced before that rumor, you'd swear this was it. I'm still baffled as to why Sony decided to create another title of this sort given the fact that they still have QD working for them. Do they really need two studios making such titles? Given Sony's continued relationship with QD, their development of The Order and this title, it seems like as if they have some deep held affinity for these "Cinematic games". It still seems odd Sony shitcanned that Stig Asmussen game, but they keep pouring money into these games. Why?

As for the game itself, I don't know what to say. As I said, it looks clearly in the vein of Heavy Rain. Once again, I'll leave it to you as to whether that is a good thing. I actually enjoyed that game, but only as a "one time" thing. Its not the kind of title I yearn for and desire to see developed by multiple teams. One title every handful of years is enough. Given how vilified The Order was for its "movie-like" qualities, which were only a fraction of the game, a large part of me is absolutely dreading the prospect of how badly this Until Dawn will be maligned since its brimming with such facets. The nature of the narrative too could be a subject of ridicule and derision given how much it seems like a typical "slasher flick" mixed with recent horror movie tropes from the SAW/Hostel and "Haunting/Ghost" films.

What do you think? Are you worried about the potential media firestorm? Are you looking forward to this? What are your hopes and fears?
 

MavFan619

Banned
I'm looking forward to Until Dawn (PSX demo was silly fun) I'm also looking forward to the bad reviews and ensuing 50 video games are dead, and Sony first party is doomed threads.
 
It wasn't initially a QD-like game, you know.

It was a MOVE game that got redesigned from grounds up,but keeping the same motifs and story beats.
 

Neifirst

Member
Depends on how it's eventually marketed. If it's made clear that Until Dawn is a slasher pic send-up, then it will probably review decently. It was originally a PS3 Move game if I remember correctly, so I'm not sure people's expectations will be sky high on this one anyway.
 
Until Dawn won't receive the same backlash as The Order 1886 because the game is very clear in what it is trying to be unlike The Order 1886.


  • It was always positioned as an interactive horror adventure type of game.
  • It will have multiple endings and multiple choices throughout the game.
  • It is purposefully cashing on the B-Horror movie cliche, and there aren't many games like that on current generation.
In the case of The Order 1886, no one expected a game with almost zero replay value and no incentive to replay again. Until Dawn is certainly not like that and offers atleast some sort of replay value like Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls. Both games aren't comparable at all.
 

NinjaBoiX

Member
Isn't Until Dawn's whole shtick about branching narrative and player agency?

I don't see the similarities to a strictly linear shooter to be honest.

I don't get it OP.
 

Renpatsu

Member
The PSX live stage demo with the audience participation seems to be a macrocosm of the ideal playing environment for Until Dawn so if that was any indication I think folks will find virtue in what the game has to offer.
 

nbnt

is responsible for the well-being of this island.
Wat. These two have nothing in common. One is aiming to be Heavy Rain/TellTale adventure kind of game with branching story choices etc, the other is a linear shooter with a ton of cutscenes and bad QTEs. Cinematic isn't a genre.
 

Kathian

Banned
Isn't Until Dawn's whole shtick about branching narrative and player agency?

I don't see the similarities to a strictly linear shooter to be honest.

I don't get it OP.

Quite. The Order is not an interactive story, its just a story with prompts.
 
....mercilessly vituperating....

My goodness.

I'm very much looking forward to Until Dawn. When I get a PS4 it will be one of the first titles I purchase for it.

Personally I think there is real value in cinematic games. Too often they get unfairly vilified by critics. Well, to be honest, I love interactive movie / game hybrids. Heavy Rain was one of my most favourite experiences last gen.

And so do many others. We've had loads of commercially-successful cinematic titles. And I bet game developers love creating filmic experiences where they can really express themselves as artists.
 

Paracelsus

Member
In my opinion no, because even if it sounds far-fetched it's one thing to be an interactive drama, another to clutter your third person shooter where people expect to shoot things, coop and compete online, with cinematic stuff nobody asked for in their third person shooter.
 

kinoki

Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
Driveclub got point deducted because it wasn't an open-world racer. Since Until Dawn isn't one either I forsee a similar fate.
 

Artorias

Banned
It wasn't initially a QD-like game, you know.

It was a MOVE game that got redesigned from grounds up,but keeping the same motifs and story beats.

This. I mean I have zero hope for the game, it looks pretty terrible, but I feel like people don't know that it was announced several years ago for PS3.
 

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
Well it's one of the many kinds of games I like, so I'm happy more are being made. Until Dawn is a $50 game, right? I know it's $10 cheaper than usual in Canada. That's probably a smart thing, as I think lower pricing is something that's saving Telltale games from being similarly murdered in public opinion.
 
I think it'll fare a bit better, assuming all goes well. For one, it's actively selling itself as a cinematic game - famous leading lady and all. You can't sell it as an action game - there's no way to mislead the audience about what they're getting into.

Second, it's not taking itself as seriously. Everything we've seen is pure genre dumbness in a really fun way. It's a game for fans of those films, and it's even been sold a little bit as a party game - get drunk with some friends, and make the choices that the characters in horror movies totally should've made.

Finally, it's actually got replay value. That's miles more than what The Order offers.

Will it be worth $60? That's still hard to say. I highly doubt an actual "playthrough" is more than three hours, and from there it's entirely about how much meaningful change is enacted by your choices.
 

xehanort

Member
I think no OP. Until Dawn is very similar to heavy rain where there are branching story based on interactions as opposed to the linearity of The Order.

Also, I don't see how some people say the order mistakes here. It was promised to be a cinematic third person shooter, although i have not played it yet
 

viveks86

Member
They have nothing in common. The game mechanics in Until Dawn are similar to telltale, which is quite revered amongst reviewers. It's not the button QTE that people are complaining about, it's how it was implemented in The Order.
 
I think the fact that Until Dawn sits firmly in the "interactive story" genre, embracing the the branching narrative player choice aspect with timed QTEs, will douse the flame quite a bit. The Order being in the awkward middle ground of "movie-game", complete with short, highly controlled bursts of shooter/"exploration" gameplay, "press button to continue cutscene" no risk QTEs, and non-branching instafail stealth scenarios didn't fully satisfy anyone from any side of the argument.
 
I think it'll fare a bit better, assuming all goes well. For one, it's actively selling itself as a cinematic game - famous leading lady and all. You can't sell it as an action game - there's no way to mislead the audience about what they're getting into.

Second, it's not taking itself as seriously. Everything we've seen is pure genre dumbness in a really fun way. It's a game for fans of those films, and it's even been sold a little bit as a party game - get drunk with some friends, and make the choices that the characters in horror movies totally should've made.

Finally, it's actually got replay value. That's miles more than what The Order offers.

Will it be worth $60? That's still hard to say. I highly doubt an actual "playthrough" is more than three hours, and from there it's entirely about how much meaningful change is enacted by your choices.

For what it's worth, the devs have stated it's around nine hours in length. This will vary, of course.
 

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
It doesn't seem like it takes itself super seriously. Which I think will help with reception.
 
As others have pointed out, they're not really comparable, and Until Dawn isn't really hiding what the bulk experience is, you know it's a cinematic experience through and through. I loved the look of the psx demo so I'm definitely picking it up, love me some cheeseball b horror movie action.
 

Dominator

Member
This is grasping at straws, and the comparison is only being made because they are exclusives.

Until Dawn knows what it is, with gameplay demos to prove it. It is being marketed as such, and people will know what they are buying if they do a seconds worth of research.
 

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
It'll be fine. The game seems to know exactly what it wants to be.


Until Dawn won't receive the same backlash as The Order 1886 because the game is very clear in what it is trying to be unlike The Order 1886.


  • It was always positioned as an interactive horror adventure type of game.
  • It will have multiple endings and multiple choices throughout the game.
  • It is purposefully cashing on the B-Horror movie cliche, and there aren't many games like that on current generation.
In the case of The Order 1886, no one expected a game with almost zero replay value and no incentive to replay again. Until Dawn is certainly not like that and offers atleast some sort of replay value like Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls. Both games aren't comparable at all.

First post nails it.
 

T.O.P

Banned
I have waaaay more faith in this than i did with 18.86

This seems like a fantastic idea for a horror/slasher night fight friends, could be pretty good
 

Lingitiz

Member
Until Dawn seems to take a lot of good things away from Heavy Rain. It has the tension of permadeath, choice and consequence, and it's character driven.

The big separating factor though is that it doesn't seem to take itself very seriously. It knows it's a campy interactive B horror movie and is playing that up to great effect.

Cinematic gameplay is not inherently bad. Telltale uses it well. Heavy Rain was great at times. The problem with The Order is that it was a legitimately bad game that felt barely interactive.
 

erawsd

Member
I don't think Until Dawn is going to get beat up for any of the same reasons as The Order. Although, I do still think that Until Dawn will review poorly for its own reasons.
 

SgtCobra

Member
I don't think Until Dawn is going to get beat up for any of the same reasons as The Order. Although, I do still think that Until Dawn will review poorly for its own reasons.
I don't think both Sony and the devs expect it to set the world on fire critically/commercially, DarkLordMaliks post sums it up perfectly.
 

Aostia

El Capitan Todd
Until Dawn won't receive the same backlash as The Order 1886 because the game is very clear in what it is trying to be unlike The Order 1886.


  • It was always positioned as an interactive horror adventure type of game.
  • It will have multiple endings and multiple choices throughout the game.
  • It is purposefully cashing on the B-Horror movie cliche, and there aren't many games like that on current generation.
In the case of The Order 1886, no one expected a game with almost zero replay value and no incentive to replay again. Until Dawn is certainly not like that and offers atleast some sort of replay value like Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls. Both games aren't comparable at all.


I agree with you here
 

zeroforty

Neo Member
Until Dawn and QD's new game are pretty much the games that will get me to buy a PS4. The footage of what I've seen of Until Dawn is interesting and I like the story driven style. Although I can see why some people are turned off by these kind of games. These games are obviously not for people who expect top of the notch gameplay and real challenge.
 

Gen X

Trust no one. Eat steaks.
Had Until Dawn had a demo released publicly at all? Tried to do a Google but I just see media outlets reporting on their impressions.
 
Nope. Their demonstrations and demos already demonstrated what this game is,abd it seems to work brilliantly as a party game of sorts.
 
Top Bottom