Nearly a decade since its launch,Until Dawnfinally released a remake, so longtime fans can enjoy the story once again with improved visuals. Developer Ballistic Moon made sure to stay true to the originalUntil Dawnstory, and also add new things to still give it a refresh.
Meanwhile, somechanges made in theUntil Dawnremakehave received mixed reactions from fans, especially when it came to the story. While a number of people have welcomed these alterations because they brought something new to the narrative horror experience, the absence of the iconic “O Death” intro song has raised some eyebrows.
Until Dawn Remake’s Opening Soundtrack Criticisms Explained
The originalUntil Dawnopened and closed with the haunting American folk song titled “O Death,” performed by Amy Van Roekel. The song sets the tone as it describes a dialogue between a dying person and death, making it the perfect theme for a choice-based game where characters are on the verge of death if wrong decisions are made. Developer Supermassive Games also featured different renditions of “O Death” inThe Dark Pictures Anthology, which also features a series ofchoice-based gamestackling supernatural and psychological themes.
The original title of “O Death” is “A Conversation With Death.” BothUntil DawnandThe Dark Pictures Anthologyuse reprised versions of “A Conversation With Death” that span different music genres, hence the choice of tweaking the title of the song.
In theUntil Dawnremake,Ballistic Moon went for a different opening songtitled “Out of the Shadows” by Mae Stephens. Just like “O Death,” the track also tackles the topic of death, but with a specific focus on the person either defying their fate or embracing their demise. While it’s equally haunting and also sets the tone forUntil Dawn, many fans were surprised and disappointed that “O Death” was changed, noting that the new soundtrack is allegedly inferior.
It’s pretty common for video game remakes to have a different soundtrack from the original, mostly due to licensing issues preventing certain songs from being featured. The cost of licensing music for video games may vary, and the price could scale up depending on the number of copies sold after release. The originalUntil Dawnwas one of the best-selling PlayStation 4 titlesat the time, so it’s possible that the licensing cost for “O Death” might have been out-of-budget.
Ballistic Moon has not released a statement addressing why “O Death” wasn’t used in theUntil Dawnremake. While it is possible that the cost of music licensing might have been the issue, there could be other factors at play, like simply choosing a different track to set the remake apart.
Until Dawn Still Has Time to Bring Back “O Death”
Recently, new information came out that anUntil Dawnsequel might be in the works by Firesprite, a Sony-owned studio. There had been rumors in the past that a sequel might be on the horizon afterUntil Dawn’s strong sales, but this is the first time that a developer was connected to the rumored project. Likewise, theUntil Dawnremake may have teased fans about a possible sequel through its new epilogue dialogue, which hints at a potential continuation of Sam and Josh’s stories.
Considering the negative reception of “Out of the Shadows,” the rumoredUntil Dawnsequel could make it up to fans by featuring a brand-new version of “O Death.” This would continue the tradition that Supermassive Games started with the originalUntil Dawnup untilDark Pictures. Plus, it’s a good way to tap into the nostalgia of longtime fans, since “O Death” cemented its place as aniconic horror game song.
Until Dawn
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