Until Dawn EP14: Total Buzzkill

By Shamus Posted Thursday Jan 12, 2017

Filed under: Spoiler Warning 56 comments


Link (YouTube)

Chris sees some freaky stuff on a Ouija board, gets ambushed by a psycho in a clown mask, saws his friend in half, and walks through a madhouse where doors open and close on their own.

Ashley: OH NO I SAW A SPOOKY THING!

Chris: Now, let’s not be too hasty.

Apparently the killer transferred digital footage into 35mm black and white film? I get that our killer is probably insane, but nobody’s THAT insane. A hope they AT LEAST edited the footage digitally before transferring to film, because otherwise that’s going to give me nightmares.

 


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56 thoughts on “Until Dawn EP14: Total Buzzkill

  1. MichaelGC says:

    Is the gravity different in North America? I’m just wondering if those giant white globular floating dustmotes are an artistic choice or an actual real-world phenomenon. We don’t get those in the old countries: in Europe at least, large masses like that tend to fall to the ground and settle, all proper and in accordance with the laws of Newton, like.

    (You can see them best from about 16:30 in today’s episode, although they crop up a fair amount all over the game. As well as immunity to gravity they seem to be mostly unaffected by the passage of air, although I assume that’s just a limitation of the engine.)

    1. tmtvl says:

      Well, in the U.S. there ARE a lot of massive spheroids (obligatory fat ‘murricans joke).

    2. SlothfulCobra says:

      You get a lot of floating specks like that, especially in old and dusty areas. All that makes the difference is whether the light is catching it right.

      Finer specks are probably harder to do with a game engine too.

    3. Philadelphus says:

      That’s why gravity was invented in England, after all.

      ;)

  2. guy says:

    So the killer likes dolls, seems to be able to move a mannequin around and can open and close doors remotely, as though they have wires attached. And all this is happening isolated in a forest. Shamus thinks the killer must be Dr. Strange to pull off all this stuff, but going by this information I think we can derive the true identity of our killer.
    https://imgur.com/a/1Ruf1

    1. Christopher says:

      They needed all that ZUN cash to get Until Dawn out the door, but I suppose they had to compromise on their original vision a little.

  3. SlothfulCobra says:

    Before that reel-to-reel film, I was already wondering about the 8 by 10 glossies pinned up on the wall. Who prints photos out on those anymore?

    Rutskarn mentioned a lack of serial killer games, so I decided to put together a list:

    -Party Hard
    -Hitman
    -Condemned
    -the Sniper Elite series
    -Hotline Miami 1 & 2
    -Postal
    -Hatred
    -Dead By Daylight
    -Prototype

    Alternatively, most videogames.

    1. Tintenseher says:

      Any Elder Scrolls game where you can join the Dark Brotherhood. Also, does Sniper Elite really count, since you’re military (outside of the “pretty much all video games” category)?

      1. Leocruta says:

        Now you’ve got me thinking about whether the Morag Tong are serial killers. I’m leaning towards no.

        1. MichaelGC says:

          I’d say one who kills serially is not necessarily a serial killer, so I’d lean even further towards no. Ow! Lost me balance.

          I don’t know all the games in the list above but possibly only Postal and Hatred are certain “serial killer” games, as the term is most-often used. Hitman I’d say definitely isn’t; Sniper Elite’s been mentioned; even joining the Dark Brotherhood doesn’t make you a serial killer, even though it might be a good career move for someone who was. Gosh, what a jolly topic!

          1. Syal says:

            Elder Scrolls counts without joining the Dark Brotherhood.

          2. Rayen says:

            Manhunt was a serial killer game wasn’t it? I never played it just heard a bit about it and it was mostly killin’ dudes.

            1. Matt Downie says:

              I think they were all evil gangsters or whatever. So it was a standard ‘heroic’ narrative, except you killed the bad guys in creepy serial-killer ways, like suffocating them in a plastic bag.

    2. Christopher says:

      From Rutskarn’s description I thought more about something like the Deception series. I’ve only watched bits of gameplay from those, but from what I gathered they’re comedy games where you play some kind of demon from Hell. You set traps for human heroes and then have to run around the stage with remote control of them all, trying to lure humans into a combo of several of them(several launch the victim in one direction) and getting points for either violent, comedic or humiliating traps(say, a huge pendulum axe or a toilet with a bidet).

      Other than that, I remember vaguely hearing about an indie multiplayer game where one guy is like, Mike Myers or something? While the others play the teens.

      1. Cinebeast says:

        Jason Vorhees, actually. The game’s in beta right now. I’ve never actually watched any Friday the 13th movies, but the game looks fun.

        It’s kind of an inspiring story, in it’s own way. The developers started to make a copyright-safe multiplayer game with a big machete-wielding killer, but then the people who own the Friday franchise found out and offered them the rights.

        In this day and age you don’t hear about that kind of generosity very often. Mostly you just hear about Nintendo shutting down fan games and stuff.

        1. Christopher says:

          Yeah, that’s a nice story considering AM2R.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgzrYwKOeok

          I’m somewhat surprised it’s in 3D. For some reason I imagined sprites. Probably because the Angry Video Game Nerd reviewed the NES game at some point.

        2. Ilseroth says:

          Actually Dead by Daylight (the other serial killer multiplayer game) added Mike Myers for Halloween last year, so you can definitely get your fill of murdering folks.

    3. Jokerman says:

      Most of these a killing spree games, rather than serial killer… and do military killings, self defense, forced, contract killings count?

    4. GiantRaven says:

      I wish there was an 80s Slasher flick game that played like Hitman. It feels like such a perfect marriage of ideas.

    5. Brainbosh says:

      The first game i thought of was Lucius.
      Although it was more focused on stealth and assassination.

  4. MichaelGC says:

    It’s been said before, but given the holiday hiatus it perhaps bears repeating that this is one of the best play-yer-out tunes we’ve yet had. I initially wasn’t a huge fan of the very-80s-TV-show little sting (is that the right term?) right at the end, but even that’s grown on me now! Top marks.

  5. Tintenseher says:

    This is the best episode of Spoiler Warning since the fission chips one in New Vegas.

    Also, someone did make Guy Fieri in Fallout 4, using only flame-based weapons. There’s also Ghoul Fieri, which makes me giggle madly.

  6. Henson says:

    Okay, so I’m guessing the pig guts were used to fake Josh’s death. There doesn’t seem to be any other narrative reason for featuring a gutted pig, and it just seems an obvious clue given how often this game has made us rewatch Josh’s guts spilling…but it also doesn’t make much sense. I mean, what if Chris had chosen to save Josh instead? Ashley dies horribly, and then Chris unties Josh from the wall. “Oh, hey Josh, I guess this isn’t actually your torso down here, your body is elevated and was never in any danger from the saw. Maybe you’d want to tell me that beforehand?” Unless Josh is the crazy clown killer and wanted to test Chris, but still, not saying anything about a fake torso would be hella suspicious. Maybe choosing to save Josh causes the mechanism to jam, ‘killing’ them both?

    Am I overthinking this? Or is that a spoiler, too?

    1. SlothfulCobra says:

      Maybe they were planning a barbecue but screwed up and didn’t refrigerate the meat, ever thought of that?

    2. Rayen says:

      I think they said that the saw kills Josh no matter what. it doesnt matter whih way you turn the gear it always does Josh.

      1. Tizzy says:

        You’ll note that the lever in the saw trap only has the pictures of Josh and Ash. It doesn’t say kill or save.

    3. Shoeboxjeddy says:

      You’re on the right Track. Or maybe if you look at it a different way, the wrong Track.

      The killer has control over the tracks, the switch is a trick.

  7. KingJosh says:

    Until Dawn 2: Bucktooth’s Revenge

  8. Benjamin Hilton says:

    The Crew keeps calling Chris a douche but I really disagree. I think early on his problem is that he has an off sense of humor, with jokes that keep falling flat and seem ass hole-y. But if you look at his actions it’s a different story. He was one of the few people who wasn’t part of the prank a year ago. He even seems a little sickened by the idea that Ashley thought it was funny at the time, despite the fact that he likes her. And even though he isn’t super fit like Mike, he’s still unhesitant about going further into the basement because Sam might need help.

    1. Christopher says:

      I nominate a poll in the final episode. I’d like to know which characters everyone actually ends up liking the most by the end. I’m not exacty in love with Chris, but I don’t feel he’s anywhere near the bottom of the pile either.

    2. Cinebeast says:

      Yeah, I don’t really get it either. Chris is a nerd and a bit of a doofus, but he’s not an asshole like Mike. And I like Mike! But he’s the biggest jerk of the group by far.

      (Okay, maybe barring Emily.)

      1. Henson says:

        Emily is the worst. Acts terribly, has no endearing or useful qualities. Why the crew voted for her over Matt is beyond me.

        1. MichaelGC says:

          I’m strongly inclined to agree, although Shamus talks interestingly about why he’s not a Matt fan down at the bottom of the previous post. So, in case folks missed it:

          http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=36503#comment-1086805

          1. Henson says:

            Yeah, I did miss that. Interesting, though I don’t see it the same way as Shamus. And even if Matt has a dickish nature that the player can either endorse or resist, Emily’s dickish nature is loud, unapologetic, and unavoidable.

    3. Mike Munroe says:

      I think it’s noteworthy that by this point in the story, his overt jokeyness is completely gone. He makes a few sarcastic comments here and there, but they’re clearly more of a coping mechanism than anything else. He still might seem a little blaze for someone who just saw his best friend cut in half, but other than that he acts pretty realistically like he suddenly got thrown into a very stressful situation and is barely keeping it together. I just think it would have been really easy to make him the “comic relief” character who keeps making jokes at inopportune moments, even as things get increasingly and more obviously out of control, making him much more of a caricature for the sake of cheap humor.

      I like Chris, dammit.

    4. Rayen says:

      I also agree with this sentiment. Of the asshole teenager BS the characters have thrown out so far, he has throw out the least. I really don’t understand the beginning where everyone was piling on him. Is there some part in the future that makes him irredeemabke?

    5. SpiritBearr says:

      Just pointing out. Chris was supposed to have been a part of the prank (and presumably Matt and Jessica then completely new to the Mountain) but the game made a great job of making sure there was no reference to it outside of Chris being stuck in the Twin’s ghost story.

      1. Benjamin Hilton says:

        Was he supposed to be part of it? In the beginning he is passed out with drunk. I can understand that he may have been included had he been awake, but it’s also possible that he wouldn’t have been included. I don’t remember any part where the game explicitly states one way or another.

  9. Rayen says:

    I starting to wonder if the cast is trying to keep people alive, i mean i haven’t played Until Dawn but so far we’ve had 2 (unconfirmed) deaths? They fell down holes. Are they dead are they not? I mean i was thinking i was going to sit this season out but other the beginning with two girls over the cliff and josh’s cart ride, i haven’t been skeezed out like i am with most slasher horror movies.

    I don’t know if i want this to continue or not.

    1. Christopher says:

      Josh seems to be doing his very best this time to have nobody die, which I appreciate. If you’re playing this game for the first time, some characters will almost certainly perish. Josh has been doing very well so far to have no avoidable deaths.

      1. Tizzy says:

        Indeed. I am only a bit further into the game, and I’ve racked up way more confirmed deaths than Josh has. He clearly knows what he is doing.

    2. lurkey says:

      Yeah, I’ve been wondering if someone replaced Josh with a Carebear, because nobody is bloody dead yet! >:-/ I hope he’s just saving them for more gruesome deaths in near future, not *shudders* trying to get “everyone alive” ending.

  10. Jay Allman says:

    Am I the only one who kept thinking of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein between 3:20 and 6:20?

  11. Daemian Lucifer says:

    What do you mean “alternate reality where Chris is a fan of Guy Fieri”?He already is a fan.Why else would he talk about the guy so much?

  12. Daemian Lucifer says:

    That was the worst opening ever.You shouldve left it on the cutting floor.

    1. Christopher says:

      I figured these kinds of jokes were something the commenters came up with, but now I see we have to split the blame with the Spoiler Warning cast. At least half the blame is theirs.

      1. lucky7 says:

        I saw what you did there.

    2. Daemian Lucifer says:

      Damn!I forgot the “room” in “cutting room floor”.Now my sentence looks all mangled.

      1. MrGuy says:

        Don’t apologize for cutting it down to size. We’re sharp enough to figure to piece it together.

  13. Ninety-Three says:

    The actions of the teens seem implausible here, and very convenient to the writer. I feel like most people in this situation would either conclude that ghosts are real and exhibit significantly more panic than these kids, or they would start tearing things apart looking for hidden wires. Instead they take some kind of nonsense middle ground where one asserts that it’s probably fake, but doesn’t look for any evidence (as soon as the creepy doll did its thing I shouted at the screen “Grab it and take it apart!”), and the other thinks that malicious ghosts are physically manifesting, but isn’t worried enough to walk away.

    I know, I know, “movie logic”, but this same logic grates a lot more in a videogame where the scene of the kids acting implausible is stretched out to five times the length it’d be in a movie.

    1. MichaelGC says:

      Aye right, and it’s one place where the ‘walk around incredibly slowly’ mechanic isn’t doing the game any favours. Because they’re searching for Sam, right? (At least I think they are – Chris mentioned it a couple of times. Other Chris.) So in a film you’d be able to have them rushing from one discovery to another, and there’d at least be some explanation for why they didn’t linger to investigate.

      But given the game’s default ‘leisurely amble,’ there’s no real way to get across that they’re in any sort of hurry. (If indeed they are – I’m certainly prepared to be contradicted, here!) They could talk about it, but that’d just make it even more jarring when Ashley sets off at a snail’s pace each time. Or I guess they could make the whole section a cutscene, thus throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

  14. MrGuy says:

    I think the game where you play as the killer would be a Hitman game where you’re going for maximum score by setting up all the elaborate trap kills instead of shooting dudes.

    Think about it. Someone running around wiring up implausible Rube Goldberg traps, constantly changing appearance, hiding in perhaps implausible places but nobody ever seems able to find him, with no goals other than to run around a kill a bunch of targets. And, of course, there are no witnesses.

    Best level ever.

    1. PeteTimesSix says:

      I mean you’ve basically just described Blood Money there.

      The amount of pianos you can drop on people in that game is ridiculous.

    2. Shoeboxjeddy says:

      Yeah, I can think of three games like that. Hitman, that Naughty Bear janky game thing, and that Japanese trap series Deception.

      Orcs Must Die also allows for the “sequence of inescapable traps” style gameplay.

      1. Syal says:

        Ha, I’m going to refer to all tower defense games as “serial killer games” from now on.

    3. Henson says:

      Slightly unrelated, but back in Elementary School, my friend and I used to design trap dungeons for our teachers. They’d be lured in with homework, and then wander from rooms full of spikes to rooms with really annoying noises.

      I wish I still had some of those looseleaf blueprints.

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