Until Dawn is pretty much a game summed up into horror elements from such films as The Evil Dead, Saw and Scream. Surprisingly enough, the creative team behind this game executed a well thought out story.
shareThe homages and inspirations were totally obvious (especially The Descent and Saw. Don't quite see the Evil Dead one as much; minus having a super badass lead guy, they're pretty different. And Mike/Ash have different personalities too), but I thought it still felt pretty fresh. I think it was a combo of bringing some fresh elements to the stories along with some unique twists and turns. They also repeatedly subverted a lot of cliches (for example, the cocky douche who wants to get laid as the lead guy or the bitchy Asian girl being one of the most competent characters)
Death Awaits (Horror forum)
http://w11.zetaboards.com/Death_Awaits/index/
Yep, Saw, The Descent and Evil Dead are the homages I saw in this game.
shareMike is very similar to Ash in the original Evil Dead. I also get the Scream and the I know what you did last Winter vibe as well. Similar concept different season.
shareGot a lot of Cabin in the Woods vibes as well
shareAlso:
My Bloody Valentine - Miners
The Descent/The Cave - People trapped underground and turning into cannibalistic creatures
The Thing - Something than can mimic its prey (more than the snow setting tbh)
Also felt there was a little 'Scream 4' reference when playing as Sam. After scaling a wall, Sam said something like 'I beat you. I *beep* beat you' -- kinda like Hayden's character Kirby in Scream 4.
Evil Dead - the predator view point from the woods. As well, as how the creature/entity stalks it preys and quickly makes its way for the kill.
shareThe Shining is a big one not sure why nobody has mentioned it yet.
shareReally don't see much of The Shining in this at all. Outside the snow?
shareNot just the snow, but the two dead sisters haunting one of the characters.
shareRe: The Shining
Well the old hotel and the lodge being built on sacred Indian ground is quite likely a reference to The Shining. Also, IIRC, the game at one time uses an bird angle shot of the bus with Sam just like the famous opening of The Shining.
I honestly don't see much Shining outside an isolated cabin in the snow. And it's not like that's exclusive to The Shining (Curtains, Shredder, Cold Prey...)
Death Awaits (Horror forum)
http://w11.zetaboards.com/Death_Awaits/index/
Josh's descent into madness, as well as the snowy mountain landscape= The Shining and even in the bonus features they specifically mention how The Shining was a huge influence.
To me the game is a combination of mainly The Descent, The Shining, Saw, and My Bloody Valentine.
30 Days of Night may have had some influence as well.
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Also, Larry Fessenden who wrote the game and voices the flamethrower dude has made like 3 or 4 films all about Wendigos, including one called "Wendigo" about a family who go on holiday to a cabin in the mountains only to get menaced by the titular beast. He seems to be obsessed with the bloody things
shareYeah I checked to see other films he's written and almost all of them are Wendigo's. I don't know why. Their not even scary, or that interesting.
shareHaha, I blacked that out because it doesn't happen till the end of the game and didn't want to spoil it, but yeah, it is an obsession with his. Weirdly, I only watched his films for the first time this week inspired in part by watching a LP of "Until Dawn". "Wendigo" bored me to tears, but I really liked "The Last Winter". Haven't seen any of his other stuff. I hear "No Telling" is good, but can't find it anywhere.
shareYou should definitely try "Habit." That's the Fessenden that really got him recognized.
But this one's eating my popcorn!
The biggest homages for me were Saw, The Descent, and The Cabin in the Woods. The Evil Dead too...
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