Never, and I mean EVER, have I been more conflicted about rating a game in my life. "Until Dawn" managed to grab me in ways that few other games have. It sucked me in to the point where I didn't want to put the controller down (and if it weren't for a massive headache I had gotten from playing the game for 5 hours straight, I wouldn't have put the controller down). Based on how much fun I had playing the game and my engagement with the story and my choices, I would LOVE to give this game a perfect 10, but unfortunately, that would indicate that I loved the game in all aspects, and unfortunately, I don't want to be biased. That said, this is one of the few games where I can safely say that the final score the game receives will GROSSLY undersell just how fun it is to play.
"Until Dawn" has plenty of things to like: choices that actually matter, photorealistic visuals, a great soundtrack, wonderful acting, and an outstanding parodic approach to the horror genre. More importantly, it's just plain fun! As silly as the story can get, it's incredibly engaging, and it makes you feel excited for just how much the tiniest choices can impact the way the plot unfolds.
Unfortunately, it's not a perfect experience. While the visuals are mostly stunning, some of the character's faces and animations are a little off-putting. Not only that, but the story starts to veer off into ridiculousness in the second half. The first half is absolutely impressive, but the story loses some of its luster late in the game, and unfortunately just becomes less exciting. Not only that, but from a gameplay standpoint, it has some moments of being unexciting. The game is filled with scripted cinematics, meaning you'll be watching a decent bit of the game instead of playing it. This has been done a lot before, and it can be off-putting for some gamers.
Overall, though, don't let my 8 out of 10 rating for the game raise ANY doubt, "Until Dawn" is a lot of fun and it's a game I feel horror fans and PlayStation 4 owners should absolutely not miss out on. If you have a PlayStation 4 and you've been ignoring this game, you need to stop doing that. Do yourself a favor and play this game. It's a worthwhile edition to any PlayStation 4 collection.
Final rating: 8 out of 10 "Great"