I have been logging more than a few hours with the new Playstation 4 Horror title Until Dawn. The mix of a branching story where the player decides the outcome and an interesting premise filled with interesting characters has me hooked so far.
As I was playing my wife asked me if all I do is make choices and then saw that I do indeed move the characters around the story but at times in a linear way.
This made me think of The Order: 1886 which was praised for the graphics it offered but drew some ire for what many saw as a limited amount of interactions and more focus on narrative.
While I enjoy both games, I do see that there is a comparison as the focus on both games is a deep and compelling story where the player is along for the ride in many portions of the game instead of controlling the actions constantly.
The emphasis is to give players something new in terms of deeper characters, plots, and a branching experience that in the way of Until Dawn offers multiple storylines and resolutions which will encourage players to replay the game and make different choices throughout.
However there are those who will see this as more of an interactive movie and not a game as those brought up on twitch reflexes may be disappointed although I found plenty of options in both games to hone my game reaction times.
For many gamers the choice will come between complete control and a deeper narrative experience which is more immersive. In the case of Until Dawn, if you do not like the way the story is going, you can change it.
Sony is pushing the gaming experience further and if the goal is to fully bland the lines between gaming and interactive movies and shows, then perhaps The Order: 1886 and Until Dawn are not only a glimpse of what is to come gaming wise, but perhaps an indicator that someday we may see more interaction in our movies and television shows. It has been tried before in a limited way where audiences selected paths for a story to follow at key points and the outcome was determined by a majority vote.
As the Thompson Twins sang in the 80s, Here’s to Future Days, and Here’s To Future Ways as Sony seems to be pushing the entertainment boundaries yet again.
it’s not Sony, But Sony’s Western Dumb Developers who are confused and doesn’t know how to make games, meanwhile the Japanese side is where are the masters of making videoGAMES
Wow, you went full retard dude. 2 games that are interactive and you already think Sony is going this way? What about all other genres?
Never go full retard.
Two of their last three exclusives is a trend and if you read it, its about other entertainment formats.
@gareth
BTW it’s The Order: 1866 not 1886. Also the phrase in your headline should be worded “One and The Same” (according to grammarist LOL).
With all due respect I don’t think it’s intellectually honest to lump The Order 1866 with Until Dawn. While The Order was rife with some quick time events the game mechanics weren’t based on them. At the core The Order 1866 was a corridor shooter with some a few “wide” areas tossed in.
Until Dawn has more in common with David Cage’s titles such as Heavy Rain or Beyond Two Souls.
Sony gives their studios a great deal of leeway. They are not top down with the creative process. As far as I know there isn’t any evidence to support Sony twisting developers arms to make certain types of games.
My 2 cents. 🙂
@gareth
My apologies it is The Order 1886! 🙂 Disregard that please.