Supermassive Games' upcoming B-movie-esque thriller, Until Dawn , is quite simply a string of binary choices coupled with stunning visuals and traditional quick-time events (QTEs).

You may not have heard of Supermassive Games before. The studio previously worked on PlayStation peripheral titles, like the Move-specific Tumble and Start the Party or the Wonderbook title Walking with Dinosaurs.

Until Dawn is an interactive adventure for the PlayStation 4($799.95 at Amazon) that's, essentially, a Choose Your Own Adventure version of a horror movie. It comes complete with a group of moronic teenagers in an abandoned mountain resort, a snow storm, a power outage, and an unknown masked fiend who is there to terrify them. But as silly as it sounds, Until Dawn ($19.30 at Amazon) is a strangely compelling tale that puts you in charge of the action, despite relying on hackneyed horror movie techniques. As Subtle as the Flapping of a Butterfly's WingsUntil Dawn's gameplay revolves around the decisions you make and an element called The Butterfly Effect. The idea is that a small change at one point in time can have a huge impact later on. This has been touched upon in other games such as Second Sight and Resident Evil 2, and perhaps most notably in Marvel: Avengers Alliance where Bishop goes back in time to kill Sin only to change the future into one where HYDRA team up with the ...

Suspenseful, engaging, well-written horror story. Very good voice acting. Highly detailed world to explore.

A suspenseful, engaging, well-written horror story; Very good voice acting; Highly detailed world to explore

Very poor lip sync detracts from otherwise good acting; Occasional glitches detract from gameplay

is a flawed, but fun experience. Though an unfocused story means it falls short of greatness, it's an otherwise entertaining homage to the curious traditions of horror movies which pays off your in-game decisions with occasionally shocking consequences.

Tongue-in-cheek tone; Creepy environments; Choices have real consequences

Silly; derailing second half; ‘Doctor Hill' fades into obscurity

A solid game that definitely has an audience. Might lack replay value, could be too short or there are some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.

Until Dawn is a PlayStation 4 exclusive addition to the interactive drama genre. With survival and horror elements the game promises a twist filled adventure with many key decisions left in the players hand. Following the story of eight trapped friends in a remote mountain location things quick...

Horrifying atmosphere – Impactful decisions

Loses steam towards the second half

The choices you make in Until Dawn have more far-reaching consequences than in most other survival horror games: the butterfly effect feature it so heavily relies on is highly effective, adding weight to seemingly innocuous choices and creating a game that feeds deeply into player paranoia of making...

Narrative offers dozens of branching paths with varying outcomes; Choices matter in big ways and affect the rest of the game; Actor performances are incredibly good; Mechanics are utilized in a meaningful way that feeds into the horror film experience; Repeat playthroughs offer new information and...

Camera angles are unflattering; Story gets predictable at its midpoint

I have a very specific problem with games that try too hard to be like films. That hasn't prevented me from enjoying games that have such aspirations, but the fact remains. To me, the modern video game is a storytelling medium that emphasizes player agency above everything else.

Perhaps more proficient in keeping the player tense than in delivering legitimate scares, Supermassive Games' Until Dawn is an interesting blend of survival horror and choose your own adventure.

I had a lot of fun with this game. You can finish the game within a couple of hours but there is a ton of replay value. The game is pretty scary. There are plenty of moments that will make you jump a bit, but some of those moments can be a bit predictable, just like horror movies.