Supermassive Games returns just a year after the release of their PS4 hit "Until Dawn" with their first VR title, which fittingly takes place in the same universe and once again takes the player on a truly terrifying journey. It's one of the titles I was personally most excited about.
Rail shooters are making a comeback
For PlayStation VR, game concepts have to be completely rethought, if not reinvented. At the same time, once-thought-dead mechanics are making a comeback – rail shooters. While the original "Until Dawn" was a decision-based adventure, in "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood" you experience a hellish ghost train ride where full physical exertion and accuracy are crucial. We took a closer look to see if the idea works as well as the execution.
Amidst all the excitement surrounding PlayStation VR, the initial focus was solely on enjoying diverse experiences and exploring what was available. Details were secondary, and aspects like the story took a backseat. "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood" seems to address this somewhat, ultimately revealing what transpired inside the mountain and deep within the mines. However, the gameplay experience was so immersive that the story truly faded into the background.
Accuracy as a challenge
As mentioned, "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood" is a rail shooter where you're confined to a gondola, traveling through various haunted house or mine installations. Enemies, weapon crates, bonuses, and more appear along your route, all of which you must shoot down. Given the sometimes high speed and sheer number of them, this isn't always easy. The biggest challenge is accuracy with the PlayStation Move controllers, which, while promising a more authentic gaming experience, unfortunately don't always perfectly match your real-world movements. You might aim straight at a target but still miss, which becomes particularly problematic when facing multiple enemies at once or bosses. To make matters worse, the position tracking frequently shifts, often requiring you to recenter the view. Furthermore, the various obstacles on the track demand full-body movement, which you can avoid by casually leaning to the side or down. “Until Dawn: Rush of Blood” promises plenty of action, both on screen and through your own body movements, not least through the sometimes extreme scares that you already know from the original and which, thanks to VR, have an incredibly immersive effect.
Atmospherically, a dream come true.
Today's haunted houses are anything but scary, at least compared to what you might find at the local fair. "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood" may have found a niche in this genre, making every imaginable horror a reality. Across diverse and themed levels, it's not just about mindless shooting; genuinely terrifying scenarios are presented, ranging from an insane asylum to a spider-infested nest and a real haunted house. One moment you're distracted by strange noises on your right, the next, two ghostly figures appear before you, causing you to nearly drop everything in shock. In the spider's nest, you experience what it's like to be overrun by countless tiny creepy-crawlies, a sight that would send a shiver of disgust down even the most hardened soul's spine. It truly has it all, unfolding right before your eyes.
Graphically, "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood" is quite impressive, offering many nostalgic details, especially in the characters, and a cohesive overall look. The often-mentioned pixel matrix in VR adds a special touch, even if you barely notice it after a few rounds. The constant jump scares are complemented by the creepy 3D soundscape, which ranges from the unstable sounds of a wooden roller coaster to deafening screams and the whispers of small children.
The immersive experience of "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood" is initially quite impressive and could only be enhanced by a moving VR seat or a headwind. Eventually, you realize you're not actually moving, which somewhat diminishes the feeling, but "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood" is already one of the most impressive launch titles.
