Connect with us

Editorials

How The PlayStation Camera Ruined The Scariest Moments of ‘Until Dawn’

Published

on

No matter if it’s a game or a film, If there’s a jump scare then I’ve probably jumped out of my seat and screamed due to it. Despite loving the horror genre, I’ve never had much of a resolve when it comes to withstanding these scares. However, one of the most high-profile horror titles in recent years didn’t have much of an impact on me, despite scaring plenty of others, and it’s due to a pretty glaring design flaw that most people didn’t experience.

I’m talking about Until Dawn, Supermassive Games’ breakout hit of 2015. While I adored the campy tropes and characters that made the story instantly relatable, there was one problem: I just didn’t find the experience all that scary. Endearing and fun? Sure, but the whole thing fell flat when it came to actually delivering the gasps of the horror movies it was trying to emulate.

Like a lot of the genre, Until Dawn relies on sudden appearances and characters jumping into frame in order to rile up the player during some of its important events. No matter what your personal opinion is on jump scares, there’s no denying that they’re effective (even if the reactions are sometimes unearned). However, nearly every single jump scare in Until Dawn failed to make an impression on me due to a very specific reason.

You see, if you owned a PlayStation Camera you were given the option to enable a setting that would allow the device to turn on during key moments. It would proceed to film your reaction to shocking reveals, and in turn you could watch these scenes back with friends or family. So, if you jumped out of your chair or screamed your lungs out during a particularly scary moment, it’d be permanently available.

Now, the intention of developer Supermassive Games is pretty clear here. One of the reasons why horror games have seen a resurgence in popularity over the past decade is thanks to the genre’s popularity among Let’s Play videos. People love watching players get spooked (be it genuine or exaggerated). So, they decided to put their own spin onto it where these moments could be shared later on social media. After all, we’re living in a connected world that allows clips to spread like wildfire across the globe, and there’s an added desire to make sure there is a virality to your product, as it can sometimes be the difference between a game recouping its development costs or being a financial failure for the company.

The idea is quite genius in theory, but the execution was off the mark, to say the least. See, the biggest issue with what Until Dawn did was that the PlayStation Camera emits a bright red light to indicate that it’s turned on. This is a problem since the device would stay off until about 15 seconds before a scripted moment that Supermassive Games deemed scary enough to be a recorded moment. This wound up ruining the factor that jump scares require to be interesting: surprise.

So, if you looked back at my saved videos of Until Dawn, you’d just see me blankly staring at the screen as moments (I probably would’ve been terrified by had I not been inadvertently warned about) occurred. It not only impacted the overall horror experience (if a horror game fails to actually scare or unsettle then does it really succeed at its goals?), but it accidentally created some hilarious videos where I just couldn’t be less engaged with moments that the developer had singled out as important.

What doesn’t help is that horror games are often played in a very particular setting. People want to create a spooky mood for such a title, and that often means turning off all of the lights. This allows them to focus purely on the television and to become more immersed in the experience. Well, at least until a bright red light comes on to warn you that a jump scare is imminent.

Now there are certainly ways that I could have circumvented this issue. I’m certain that some black masking tape would block the light entirely and then my experience wouldn’t have been hindered, but how many players are actually going to go out of their way? Plus, I like knowing when my PlayStation Camera is on, as the light is there for a good reason.

 

So, what could have Supermassive Games have done to fix this experience? There are a few tweaks that could have at least made it less predictable. For example, if the light turned on during random intervals it could almost be used as a meta aspect, where players would get anxious during dull moments. If you’re expecting something bad to happen, and nothing comes immediately, the tension is raised. Conversely, they could have also just had the PlayStation Camera’s red light on the entire time. That way it never spoils anything and doesn’t distract the player since it’s just a constant in the room rather than ruining an elaborate atmosphere they tried to create beforehand.

It really goes to show that ideas need to really be tested before they’re shipped, as something that was intended to be a cool bonus feature can have negative impacts on the overall product for some. Thankfully, most players didn’t own a PlayStation Camera at the time, let alone turned on the feature, but my playthrough of one of the best horror games in recent memory will forever be somewhat lackluster because of it.

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

Published

on

leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

Continue Reading