PlayStation Magazine UK - 12.2019

067

10 SCARIEST MOMENTS ON PLAYSTATION

[Until Dawn’s lightbar

mechanic began]

with an idea to use

the camera to detect

movement in the

room, and have the

game respond to it.

We soon realised

that it was something

that everyone should

benefit from, so we

removed the need for

the camera and based

the mechanic around

the built-in capabilities

of the DualShock 4.”

Pete Samuels

Game producer,

Supermassive Games

dev talk

“Horror has always

been a social

experience, whether

it’s telling stories

[around] the campfire

or screaming in unison

at the multiplex. Our

plans for Movie Night

mode [in Man Of

Medan] came together

after seeing how

people were playing

Until Dawn. People

clearly enjoyed playing

together and we had

some great mails

from people telling us

how they would set

up their own rules for

couch co-op and play

with their partners or

friends. So we wanted

to design a way to

facilitate that style.”

Until Dawn

Far from a mine-or brush with death

S

upermassive’s first original IP was inspired

by teen terror movies and became a horror

classic in its own right. It pits its young

adult cast against not only the elements and

each other but a strange supernatural force atop

Blackwood mountain.

You can choose either to lean into genre conventions,

developing each teen into their respective shlocky

stereotype, or steer their character arcs into

subversions of classic tropes – for better and for

worse. Assertive Emily is a case in point. Many

players see her as one of the frostiest presences on

the mountain, and gleefully direct her to her death.

However, if you keep her alive she quickly proves to

be the teen with the keenest survival instinct and

instrumental in unravelling the mountain’s mysteries.

Delving deeper into the mines, Emily learns that

they aren’t quite abandoned. Her QTE-laden escape

has us on the edge of our seats, especially when she

thinks she’s found a lift to safety. Cornered by her

pursuer, she – and you holding your DualShock –

must stay absolutely still to avoid detection. This

‘don’t move’ mechanic appears exactly when you

want to run most, and Emily’s moment of peril is why

Until Dawn takes the number two slot on our list.

INFO PUBRELEASE SONY 2015 DEV SUPERMASSIVE GAMES HOW TO PLAY PS STORE, PS NOW

Life’s tough for Lara,

but not as tough as

death. We’re wincing.

We’re not sure why, but

death by arrow feels

worse than death by gun.

Seriously, what is it with

Lara being impaled with

extreme prejudice?

What a pain in the neck!

Helios should’ve quit

before he was a-head...

Someone in this shot

is suffering from

wicked heartburn.

Greek gods have a thing

for getting legless, but

not quite like this.

Tomb Raider Trilogy (PS4)

This definitely wasn’t in the brochure

God Of War III: Remastered

Heads up

“Cornered by her pursuer,

she – and you holding your

DualShock – must stay still.”