The recently released remake of Until Dawn has had one of the worst launches on the PS5 this year, performing even worse than other poorly received games. According to reports, Until Dawn’s player count on PS5 is 28.6 percent lower than expected, signaling a significant issue for the title’s performance. The Until Dawn remake has not met the expectations of PlayStation fans or the developers, with issues including high price, insufficient marketing, and negative comparisons to the original game contributing to its poor reception.
Technical issues and subpar marketing efforts have further marred the launch, resulting in one of the year’s most disappointing releases. PlayStation is charging full price for a remake of a game that many players feel still holds up visually and narratively in its original form on PS4. The remake of Until Dawn, which launched last week on both PS5 and Steam, has failed to resonate with players.
When it first appeared on the market, comparison videos showed that the remake often fared worse than its predecessor. Various technical problems and less-than-adequate marketing seem to have compounded the issue. Several factors likely contributed to the remake’s disappointing launch.
The decision to sell the game at full price has been particularly controversial. With the original game still available and affordable on second-hand markets, many fans questioned the value of paying full price for a game that feels more like a remaster than a fresh, innovative experience. In addition to pricing concerns, Until Dawn’s marketing campaign has been notably lackluster, with few trailers and limited promotional activities beyond official PlayStation channels.
until dawn struggles with poor reception
As a result, many potential players were not even aware of the game’s release. The Until Dawn player community has expressed mixed reactions.
Some fans are excited to see their favorite horror game get a visual makeover, while others are disappointed by the lack of substantial new content and improvements. Common sentiments include queries about the necessity of remastering PS4 games for PS5 and criticism over the game’s pricing strategy. The poor reception of Until Dawn (2024) highlights broader concerns for PlayStation’s strategy with remakes and remasters.
Similar sentiment could affect upcoming titles, such as a potential Horizon Zero Dawn remaster. If PlayStation doesn’t address the issues of pricing, marketing, and actual content enhancement, future titles could face similar challenges. As Until Dawn continues to struggle on PS5, it’s clear that gamers expect more for their money, particularly when it comes to remakes of relatively recent titles.
For now, Until Dawn stands as a cautionary tale for developers considering similar projects. The gaming community has proven that it’s not enough to rely on a popular title’s legacy to guarantee success. High prices, combined with a lack of significant new content and poor marketing, have all contributed to the lackluster launch of Until Dawn on PS5.
Moving forward, developers and publishers will need to take these lessons to heart if they hope to avoid similar pitfalls.
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