Until Dawn Rush of Blood is the next step of the classic light gun games of the past. Throw in VR though and even the most uninspired level and enemy design can become exciting on its own. Rush of Blood though doesn't falter all that often and even though it does very little with the formula, I couldn't help but enjoy every moment the game had to offer.
Developed by Supermassive Games and out now on PlayStation VR, Until Dawn Rush of Blood uses the Until Dawn license but doesn't do anything with it. If you've played the game then you may notice some characters but other than that it's a structure that could have stood on it's own. The game takes place in the head of one of the main characters of Until Dawn but honestly it adds literally nothing to the horror game that launched last year.
Gameplay is essentially a shooter on rails as you go through seven different levels literally on a track, offering some enjoyable shooting galleries with the occasional jump scare that is executed well at times. A lot of the time though, these scares are telegraphed too easily. What makes the game quite unnerving is in the excellent 3D sound design. As looking around with the headset will always give you something to look at, the sound plays with you as well, giving indications as to where the enemies may be coming from.
The game can be played with either a standard PlayStation 4 controller or the Move controllers and both work really well. It's simple to use and accuracy feels pretty spot on. I never felt like calibration was an issue or that I should have hit targets when I didn't. Everything works really well.
There are only seven levels here and none really break the 15-20 minute mark. However, as each level has a ton of targets to hit to keep your multiplier going, Rush of Blood becomes a rather enjoyable game of chasing the high score after your first completion. With some levels offering multiple paths also, it offers surprisingly good replay value.
The more time you spend playing Rush of Blood, the more the atmosphere gets to you. Because you can't look away from the screen when you think a scary bit is about to happen, it seems to have a greater effect on your fear whether it even happens or not. Suppermassive Games has done an excellent job of keeping the scares fresh throughout its runtime. You don't get fed up feeling like it's a one-trick pony. In fact, the acting and design of even the levels is great meaning it's like the greatest ghost train you've ever been on.
Comfort Level
You spend your entire time playing Rush of Blood in a cart moving along a track. There is no need for sudden movements of your head and everything runs smoothly. I never experienced any discomfort from playing in VR but it is pretty damn scary at times which can lead to a different kind of discomfort.
After it's all said and done, the 90 minute runtime is a great experience of cliché horror moments and threats that warrants multiple playthroughs for those that like to get the best score possible. It's a solid game that acts as a great starting point for horror games on PlayStation VR. I still don't know why they used the Until Dawn name though.
It really is a rush of good! 4/5
★★★★☆
Jason Redmond
Rush of Blood at CeX
Get your daily CeX at
