Virtual reality has this weird habit of making you feel like a total badass one second and a terrified toddler the next. If you’ve ever strapped on a headset and loaded up an until dawn vr game, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Supermassive Games took their cinematic horror hit and, instead of just porting the walking simulator mechanics, they turned it into a literal rollercoaster ride through hell. It’s called Until Dawn: Rush of Blood.
It’s messy. It’s loud. Honestly, it’s a bit gross. But even years after its release on the original PlayStation VR, it remains a masterclass in how to use jump scares without feeling like a cheap carnival trick—well, even though it literally takes place in a carnival.
Why the Until Dawn VR Game Pivot Actually Worked
When people first heard that the follow-up to the choice-heavy Until Dawn was going to be an on-rails shooter, the collective internet groan was audible. We wanted more butterfly effects. We wanted more branching paths where Sam or Mike could die because we failed a "don't move" prompt. Instead, we got a target gallery.
But here is the thing: it actually fits the lore.
The game is framed as a descent into the fractured mind of Josh Washington. Because of that, the surrealism isn't just a gimmick. It’s a narrative device. You aren't just shooting cardboard cutouts of wendigos; you are navigating the psychological trauma of a character we already know is spiraling. It’s smart. It’s localized. It’s incredibly effective at making you feel trapped because, well, you’re strapped into a mine cart.
You can’t run. You can only aim.
The Mechanics of Fear
Most VR games struggle with movement. "Motion sickness" is the phrase that kills sales. Supermassive bypassed this by putting the player in a seat. Since your real body is sitting on a couch and your virtual body is sitting in a cart, your brain doesn't freak out as much. This allowed the developers to crank up the speed.
The tracking on the old Move controllers was never perfect—let’s be real, those glowing orbs were tech from the Stone Age—but in Rush of Blood, the slight jitter actually added to the tension. When a masked freak is sprinting at you and your virtual gun is shaking because your real hand is shaking, the immersion is peak.
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I remember the first time I hit the "Psycho" level. The giant saws. The pigs. It’s sensory overload. The game uses spatial audio to make you turn your head, only to realize that the sound was a distraction for something crawling on the ceiling above you. That’s the beauty of an until dawn vr game; it understands that horror isn't just about what you see, it’s about what you think you’re about to see.
Comparing the VR Experience to the 2024 Remake
With the recent release of the Until Dawn remake on PS5 and PC, there’s been a lot of chatter about which version is the "definitive" way to experience the Blackwood Mountain mythos.
The remake looks stunning. The lighting is overhauled. The character models actually look like the actors now instead of slightly waxier versions of Hayden Panettiere and Rami Malek. But it lacks the visceral, "in-your-face" threat that the VR spin-off provides. In the flat-screen version, you are a director. In the VR version, you are the victim.
What You Lose in Translation
- Agency: In the main game, you decide who lives. In Rush of Blood, you’re just trying to survive.
- Exploration: VR is linear. You don't get to find totems or clues at your own pace.
- The Butterfly Effect: While there are some secrets, the "choice" system is almost non-existent compared to the 2015 original.
However, what you gain is an elevated heart rate. According to a study by the University of Westminster, horror gaming can burn a significant amount of calories due to adrenaline spikes. Playing this specific until dawn vr game feels like a cardio workout for your soul.
The Technical Hurdle: Hardware Limitations
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. To play Rush of Blood today, you basically need a legacy setup. While it is playable on PSVR2 via some workarounds or backward compatibility (if you have the adapter for the PS5), it was designed for the original PSVR.
The resolution is low.
The screen door effect is real.
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But strangely, the grit helps. The grainy texture of the PSVR lens makes the dark corners of the levels look even more ominous. It’s like watching a horror movie on an old VHS tape; the lack of clarity makes your imagination fill in the gaps with something far worse than what the developers actually rendered.
The Inpatient: The Other VR Prequel Nobody Mentions
Everyone forgets The Inpatient. This was the other until dawn vr game that tried to be a psychological prequel set in the Blackwood Sanatorium in the 1950s.
It was... slow.
It used voice recognition so you could actually speak your dialogue choices aloud. In theory, that sounds amazing. In practice, it often felt like you were talking to a wall. While Rush of Blood leaned into the "fun" of horror, The Inpatient leaned into the "dread."
It’s worth playing if you are a lore nerd. You get to see the origin of the wendigo outbreak. You see how the miners were treated. But as a "game," it’s a bit of a slog. It lacks the replayability of the rollercoaster. If you want a thrill, you go for the guns. If you want a history lesson, you go for the sanatorium.
Real-World Tips for Playing Until Dawn in VR
If you're going to dive into this, don't just sit down and play. You have to set the stage. VR is 90% atmosphere.
- Wear over-ear headphones. Do not use the crappy earbuds that came with the headset. You need to hear the floorboards creak behind you.
- Play in a swivel chair. Even though the game is on rails, you'll want to be able to whip your body around when things start screaming.
- Have a spotter. Seriously. Not just for safety, but because watching someone play this game is almost as funny as playing it yourself.
The jumpscares are scripted, but the timing is randomized just enough to catch you off guard on a second playthrough. There are multi-path junctions in the tracks. Choosing the "left" or "right" path can lead to entirely different encounters, meaning you haven't really seen everything until you've cleared each stage at least twice.
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Moving Beyond the Jump Scares
Is it a perfect game? No. It’s a product of its time.
But it represents a moment when developers weren't afraid to take a massive IP and do something weird with it. Today, most VR tie-ins feel like "experiences"—short, 20-minute tech demos that cost $30. Rush of Blood is a full-featured game with boss fights, scoring systems, and legitimate terror.
The legacy of the until dawn vr game isn't just about the scares; it’s about the proof of concept. It proved that you could take a cinematic, choice-driven brand and translate the feeling of that brand into a completely different genre.
Actionable Steps for Horror Fans
If you actually want to experience the best of this universe, follow this path:
- Start with the 2024 Remake: Get the story. Learn the characters. Understand why the mountain is cursed.
- Track down a PSVR1 and Rush of Blood: It’s cheap now. You can usually find the disc for under ten bucks at used game stores. It is the definitive VR horror experience of that era.
- Ignore the scores: Don't worry about getting the "S" rank on your first go. Just focus on not dropping your controllers when the giant spider-lady lunges at your face.
- Check out the "Hidden Agenda" app: If you like Supermassive's style, this isn't VR, but it uses similar tech to bridge the gap between movies and games.
The horror genre in VR has evolved—we have Resident Evil Village and Phasmophobia now—but the sheer, unadulterated joy of a haunted house rollercoaster is something Supermassive nailed on their first try. It’s loud, it’s obnoxious, and it’s still the most fun you can have being absolutely terrified in a headset.
Just remember to breathe. And maybe don't play it right before bed. The wendigos in your peripheral vision tend to linger long after you've taken the headset off.