Sony has detailed some of the new features players can expect to see in the upcoming Until Dawn remake. While the game was originally reported as a remaster, Sony has confirmed that it is a full remake of the original 2015 game.
According to Creative Director at Ballistic Moon Neil McEwan, Until Dawn has been rebuilt from the ground up on Unreal Engine 5. As a result, the game takes full advantage of the engine’s advanced visual systems including ray-traced shadows and reflections and other enhanced visual effects.
A big part of the original Until Dawn game was its facial animations. They helped tell the story and deliver the narrative horror aspects. Ballistic Moon says Unreal Engine 5 has enhanced the facial capture to deliver even more compelling and believable emotions.
Until Dawn will also feature new content and mechanics. For example. there’s an added third-person camera which means players can now control the camera while they play the game. The original Until Dawn had a set camera that followed you around and moved according to your location. The new camera gives you the freedom to explore your surroundings.
“We use a broader cinematic tonal colour palette and new perspectives to make the story more nuanced and emotional. We’ve been brave enough to shine a light into the dark, unseen corners of Blackwood Mountain and added a third-person camera, which means you can now look behind the curtain of the original game, exploring enhanced and new locations with new interactions and collectables. “
Until Dawn is expected to launch sometime this year. The game is also getting a film adaption directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation), and a screenplay written by Gary Dauberman (It: Chapter Two, The Nun and The Nun II) and Blair Butler (The Invitation). You can read more about Until Dawn on the PlayStation Blog here.