The popular horror game Until Dawn recently got a remake for PS5 and PC, but it hasn't been a smooth ride. Early reports show that the game might have had some issues and maybe wasn't a good idea after all. Let's look at why!
Until Dawn Remake: A Rough Start
The remake launched with some serious problems. There were lots of technical issues and bugs that players found pretty annoying. Even worse, way fewer people played this remake than expected. Data from Steam Database shows that at its peak, only around 2,600 people played the game at the same time. That's super low for a game of this type, and even worse than some of the other releases of 2024! One of those titles, called Concord from PlayStation even ended up being shut down after its release due to really poor player performance. This low player count continues to be a real concern for Sony which may signal trouble as their projects may become less attractive.
PC Problems
PC gamers have had issues as well. Games that are switched over from PlayStation to PC have issues, a pretty disappointing fact of the whole thing. Players who got Until Dawn early on have spoken about the issues they had with graphics and audio.
The game also includes a new ending. That really only helps players who already owned the PS4 version. PC gamers, don't have that to make it worthwhile. Overall, they really didn't have an incentive to even get it in the first place!
The release date for the game didn't help much either. Lots of horror fans were busy with the Silent Hill 2 remake, which was well promoted. That may explain why Until Dawn had lower sales since Silent Hill 2 hit a much higher number of peak players with over 23,000, also through data from Steam DB.
Price Point and Player Count
Another big issue that didn't help was the cost! This remake cost $59.99! That's a bit high. Players also couldn't get any discount, unlike other games where you could upgrade your PS4 copy to PS5 for just $10!
Making this game less likely for anyone to buy! A huge portion of PS5 owners already have Until Dawn since it's part of the PlayStation Plus library! And then there's the low frame rate. The remake is only at 30 FPS while the older version looks and runs great.
Visually, there is something very wrong! While it has improved graphics the blue tint, what some consider the unique part of the original, is completely missing! Making things brighter took away some of its charm and mysterious style. All these issues may have helped keep sales lower than the producers of Until Dawn had initially expected!
A Big Mistake?
All things considered, Until Dawn's remake was probably a poor decision. It struggled with things like a really expensive price tag, had a really bad release with technical problems, and maybe there wasn't enough marketing to attract more customers. That shows why there is worry for these studios as they look at future remakes, particularly for titles from Supermassive Games that worked so hard to make the first version such a hit! It would be unfortunate to lose that awesome feeling!
