If you were wondering how many changes have been made to the Until Dawn remake and whether it is still faithful to the original, here is our Until Dawn remake vs. original comparison, with all differences listed.
Until Dawn (2024) changes from the original
Outside of cinematography changes, there aren’t many differences in Until Dawn (2024). Somehow, Ballistic Moon has greatly improved the interactive feel of this installment. The camera angle changes offer a fresh perspective that truly makes you feel like you’re watching a horror film instead of playing a video game. While I love me some fixed camera angles and wide-angle shots that isolate the character and make them feel minuscule compared to the threat around them, Until Dawn’s cinematography lets you take in the beautiful scenery—and feel scared to take it all in.
The biggest difference between the remake and the original is Moon’s choice to add depth to Beth and Hannah’s characters. The sisters had little to offer in the original. Although their time was cut short (as intended), we couldn’t align ourselves with these characters. Instead, they became Josh’s sisters rather than individual characters we should care about. But the Until Dawn remake changed this for the better. It now takes longer to gain control of Beth and to actually see some gameplay in Until Dawn.
You witness the creation of the prank and watch the group laugh about it before Hannah comes in. A lot of music has been added to the remake, which makes the teen’s interests and tastes feel more authentic. We see Hannah getting ready in her bedroom—a place we can explore later on. Instead of leaving Josh unconscious at the table, Hannah and Beth move him to the couch. This tells us how caring the sisters are and how much they love their brother.
Until Dawn remake paints the group as villains in the story’s introduction. It makes sure that we see the group as Hannah sees them. She is the victim in this story—Beth is the heroine—and the group is the antagonists. The lighting is dark and illuminated in a red glow. Emily and Jessica look evil as they laugh about pranking Hannah. It is an interesting shift from the original that brings Hannah and Beth’s characters to life and gives us more depth to the more hated characters like Em and Jess. We can understand their hardships and dislike of one another more than we did before.
Beth’s search for her sister is scarier, too. Classic horror film formulas were used, such as opening doors as slowly (and painfully) as possible and scanning a dark room with a flashlight, which forces you into a first-person perspective. It’s a welcoming addition to Beth’s section as it feels fresh and new as if you’re playing Until Dawn for the first time.
Totems have also had a rework. Instead of just rotating the item to see the premonition, you now need to find it by moving the totem left to right and up or down. The screen turns dark and a low rumble sounds if you’re close to finding the premonition. A small slit appears in the woodwork and a bright light engulfs the screen, where the premonition quickly follows. You are then told what time of vision it is if you didn’t spot its color when you were inspecting it.
All new content in Until Dawn (2024)
Aside from the cinematography changes and reworks, there are no main differences in pacing, narrative, and gameplay. Every chapter and event remains the same. While the introduction adds a lot to the story and its characters, it isn’t the only new content added to the remake. The most notable and exciting change is the post-credits cutscene. I got this by saving all eight friends in Until Dawn.
Without spoiling it as it’s worth watching for yourself, the post-credits cutscene shines a spotlight on Sam. We often see post-credit scenes set up a sequel, so is this the case with Until Dawn? Could it be that Sam is the protagonist of a new storyline?
Plagued by nightmares, Sam struggles to tell whether the world around her is real or a dream. While there weren’t any before, there are now similarities between Sam and Josh—as they are both being haunted. Does this confirm that Sam is the main character of Until Dawn, or is it more likely that she will become the sole protagonist in a possible sequel?
The remake also added the much-needed opportunity to save Josh. Yes, Josh can now be saved and it’s something I missed the first time playing. A new session with Dr. Hill is offered in Chapter 8 – Revelation, where your dialogue as Josh determines whether he’s on the path to redemption or if Hill’s efforts were futile.
Other new content includes Hunger totems. This appears exclusively from Hannah’s perspective, which makes sense as she was part of the friend group. Finally, Until Dawn (2024) has a new mechanic for when you need to hide from enemies. The challenging mechanic of keeping the controller perfectly still is still Until Dawn‘s default, but you can now switch to Stay Calm instead if you want to experience the horrors of the Wendigos differently.
