Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is an arcade first-person shooter Until Dawn spin-off, developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation VR. The game was officially released worldwide on October 13, 2016.
Description[]
| “ | Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is a descent into madness, taking you on a terrifying roller coaster ride of thrills and scares in a fast-paced, arcade-style shooter. | ” |
— SIE Worldwide Studios
|
From the team behind the PS4 horror classic Until Dawn, comes Until Dawn: Rush of Blood for the PlayStation VR. The game is a direct spin-off from Until Dawn, where the player rides on a roller coaster cart while going through a horror-themed carnival amusement park, growing more intense as the player progresses through the game. The game features seven different roller coasters that feature some of the same locations and characters from its brethren, and are quickly loaded by default with handguns, although other weapons are available. The player is obligated to shoot incoming dangers, whether it'd be the Psycho or a terrifying ghost.
Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, introduced Until Dawn: Rush of Blood at Sony's Paris Games Week press briefing on October 27, 2015, and said that "the thrill of the ride won't just come from the track ahead, but from a terrifying world that is out to get you."
Development[]
Towards the end of October 2015, rumors of an Until Dawn DLC started to spread around. Supermassive Games, however, dismissed the rumors and clarified that Until Dawn fans had to wait for an official announcement.
On October 27th, 2015, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood had been officially announced by Sony during a conference at Paris Games Week. Supermassive Games confirmed the announcement later that same day.
On November 13th, the game developers reiterated that Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is in fact not a DLC, sequel or extension, as it is a completely standalone game. It was further explained the spin-off was in development even before the main game.[1]
Gameplay[]
Levels[]
There are seven different levels in the game, each increasing in difficulty and having unique locations and enemies.
The seven levels can be played chronologically in a new story, or can be played individually on a level select menu.
Skill Levels[]
The game and each individual level can be played at one out of four skill levels: Easy, Normal, Insane, and Psychotic. Each of the first three presents an increasingly difficult challenge. Psychotic Mode, the final skill level, is the most difficult and only allows a single life. Completing all four will unlock a 'true ending' for the story.[2]
Weapons[]
During levels, the player may obtain different weapons by shooting a colored box with a weapon. The weapon will be utilized by the respective hand that shot the box.
Scoring[]
In each playthrough, the player will be awarded scores for shooting certain targets and enemies. At the end of each level, the player is then given a rating and score breakdown and is also rewarded with points for accuracy and for every time the player achieves a multi-kill. Hitting valid targets adds a level to a multiplier, which can rise up to a maximum of 8x. The multiplier drops if the player stops shooting, and resets if the player takes damage. The scores the player gets are stored in an online leaderboard.
Collectibles[]
A number of hidden clown collectibles can be found in each level.
Secrets[]
Secret mystery items can be found in some levels by looking at them. The single mystery item provides a short story sequence. The game rewards the player points for finding them.
Routes[]
There are a number of branching routes to be taken, and some of these are hidden. Each alternative route will present the player with hidden secrets, more scoring objects, or additional information to the world. They can be accessed by shooting signs with an arrow flipping to the direction the track goes, or shooting the barriers in front of the alternate path before reaching the diversion.
Trophies[]
A total of 40 trophies are able to be obtained in-game; one platinum, two gold, sixteen silver, and twenty-one bronze.
See Trophies for a full overview.
Plot[]
The game begins in a carnival setting, where an operator named Dan T. (a play on “Dante”) introduces the player to the experience and explains the mechanics. Near the end of the level, the Psycho alters the tracks, diverting the player to a lodge where they are attacked by the Psycho and his minions. Before escaping, the player is forced to inhale gas, rendering them unconscious.
Upon awakening, Dan T. explains that the gas will cause hallucinations. As the game progresses, the player defeats a ghost in a hotel, confronts the Psycho in an abandoned Sanatorium, and destroys him in an explosion. Along the way, the player also kills a giant spider and escapes from Wendigos, while repeatedly hallucinating visions of two girls calling out to them.
The journey eventually leads to a hellish cavern, where Dan T. is revealed to be a monstrous, man-eating creature. The player survives his attacks long enough to knock him into a lava pit, but Dan T. manages to grab the player and drag them down with him. Between levels, scenes set in the real world show the player character hospitalized and under Dan T.’s care. After the final level, Dan T. suggests that the procedure may need to be repeated several more times.
Completing the game on Psychotic difficulty unlocks an additional scene from Until Dawn, shown from the player’s perspective, in which two policemen discover the player consuming a corpse.[3] This confirms that the player character is Josh Washington, and that the events of the game take place within his mind. This is supported by all the strange apparitions, including his twin sisters Hannah and Beth, who call out his name and who have appeared several times throughout the game.
Given that many of the sights and elements throughout the game originate from the events of Until Dawn, the game likely takes place in Josh's mind following him being spared by the Wendigo-transformed Hannah.
Characters[]
Original character:
Returning characters from the original game:
- Josh (first-person view)
- Hannah
- Beth
- The Psycho
- The Wendigos
Reception[]
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood received an aggregated score of 72.81%[4] on GameRankings based on 16 reviews, and a 72/100[5] on Metacritic based on 50 reviews. Praise mainly is directed at the line of tense and horror experience. The game allures criticism mostly towards predictable frights/jumpscares and straightforward action.
GamesRadar's Louise Blain gave it a 4/5, calling it "horrifically brilliant." She praised the game's successful and masterful use of scares but criticized the game's boss battles, calling them "misplaced" and "ridiculous."[6] Chloi Rad of IGN gave it a mixed review of 6/10, criticizing its constant use of predictable jumpscares.[7]
Trivia[]
- Dan T. is the name of the character who guides you through the game (see: Gallery). He is portrayed by Larry Fessenden, one of the writers of Until Dawn, Rush of Blood and The Inpatient, who also played the role of The Stranger.
- In 2023, Supermassive Games released a successor to Rush of Blood titled Switchback VR, this time relating to The Dark Pictures Anthology.
- The leaderboard references characters from the original Until Dawn game who appear as other players with scores of their own.
- The scores appear, from highest to lowest, in the following order: Bob Washington, Josh Washington, Chris Hartley, Emily Davis, Mike Munroe, Matt Taylor, Sam Giddings, Jessica Riley, and Ashley Brown.[8]
- This scoreboard was the first source to confirm the surnames of Chris, Emily, Matt, Sam, Jessica, and Ashley.
- In the game, a ghoulish, older design for Hannah in which she still had a bow appears.
- In the game, a Sam doll appears in the vein of the ones present in the dollhouse in Until Dawn, which didn't feature a Sam doll. This doll also has Sam's PS3 beta hairstyle.
- In Until Dawn's 2024 remake, Sam can pick up a snow globe with a carnival ride inside, a reference to Until Dawn: Rush of Blood.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ Gamingbolt: Until Dawn: Rush of Blood Was In Development Before Until Dawn Even Launched
- ↑ Harris, Simon (September 07, 2016) "How Until Dawn: Rush of Blood on PS VR will keep you coming back for more" PlayStation Blog. Retrieved on October 2, 2016.
- ↑ Josh ending
- ↑ "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood on PlayStation 4" GameRankings. Retrieved on October 08, 2016.
- ↑ "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood" Metacritic. Retrieved on October 08, 2016.
- ↑ Blain, Louise (October 04, 2016) "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood Review: "This is the VR ghost train to beat" GamesRadar. Retrieved on October 08, 2016.
- ↑ Rad, Chloi (October 05, 2016) "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood Review" IGN. Retrieved on October 08, 2016.
- ↑ Scoreboard
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
| |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanics | Collectibles | Secrets | Trophies | ||||
| Characters |  Beth |
 Dan T. |
 Hannah |
 The Psycho |
 The Wendigos | ||
| Levels |  Haunted Lodge |
 Nightmare Descent |
 Hotel Hell |
 Psycho Cellblock |
 Ghost Town |
 Mines of Death |
 Final Inferno |
Special Content
| |
|---|---|
|
Meet The Cast · Making a Scene · The Science of Fear · A Thousand Pages · The Score · | |
| Cast & Crew | |
|
Miscellaneous |
Music · Errors · Press Kit Edition · Cut Dialogue · Mods · Concept Art Reward |