The Butterfly Effect

Throughout the game, there are certain choices that will change the course of the story and when that choice is made, it will impact the game's 'Butterfly Effect'. A list of the choices that you make that impact the butterfly effect can be found under the status menu. Decisions that impact the butterfly effect will be accompanied by a 'Butterfly Effect update' message that will appear on the left-hand side of the screen. Choices that impact the butterfly effect are often game-changing choices that can cause the death of a character or cause different situations to occur.

Character Status

Along with butterfly effect changes, you will also get changes in your character's overall status when choices are made. Status updates are the most common change resulting from choices and will be accompanied by a 'Status update' icon appearing on the upper left side of the screen. Character status effects change a character's personal status along with their relationship with other characters. Status updates can cause minor changes to some sequences. For instance, some choice options may differ depending on the relationship that one character has with another.

Quick Time Events

Don't ever lay down your PS4 controller during cutscenes since Until Dawn has a fair share of Quick Time Events (QTEs) spread throughout the story. You can choose from the usual button QTE sequences or motion control QTEs from the start of the game. With the controller, you'll have your standard timed button presses and there is also a new QTE that makes a player stand perfectly still while holding the controller. There are also QTEs that challenge the player to aim the cursor quickly toward a target and press the R2 button to fire or toss an object at the target. Failing a QTE sometimes has no penalty, but it could lead to a story change during chase sequences or a status change during other sequences. Besides actions, some of the choices in the game will be timed much like a QTE. There also 'Don't Move' QTEs where a player must stay as still as possible with controller in hand in order to complete the sequence.

Always keep in mind that, sometimes, not doing anything during a QTE might be the best course of action. The game will teach players about doing nothing near the beginning of the story, but keep it in mind for later as well.

Big bass fishing bill dance.

Character Death

Once a character has been killed off, that character is permanently gone from the story. Character death is usually confirmed with a very gory cutscene. Some characters cannot die until they reach a certain chapter and some characters can be killed off multiple ways. It's up to you to keep characters loyal to each other through choices that affect status. Having characters with low trust toward each other could result in one character not helping out another in a critical time or you yourself might have to trust another character with the choices given to you. Always try to choose choices that make the most sense given the situation. For example, if your friend was in trouble, would you casually take the long way around to help them or the quickest route?

Collectibles

During third person sequences, be on the lookout for objects that glimmer in the background while walking through an area. Characters can pick up objects that might give them one of the three classes of clues that can be found in the game. While examining an object, be sure to tilt the right analog to turn the object over for another possible clue. Some objects might be worth two clues once the object is rotated. Be sure to examine everything that you possibly can most of the time.

Along with clues, characters can find totems that will give foreshadowing of future events. Totems might show the death of a character or hint at possible upcoming dangers. Totems only serve as a warning and are not a definite outcome. It's up to you to make the correct decisions to avoid negative outcomes yourself.

Episode Select

Once the game is finished for the first time, you will unlock an episode select in the main menu for that save file. All collectibles (totems and clues) will be kept in the main menu. The butterfly effect will remain outlined in the menu until you start to play other episodes then it will start to erase some of the butterfly icons. The episode select allows you to start any episode from the beginning and you can select another episode by pausing the game and choosing it during gameplay. The episodes will keep all your decisions from your last game locked-in as choices but you can start from one chapter and KEEP PLAYING through the other chapters to change the butterfly effect. You cannot go to an early episode and make a decision that will affect a much later episode however. The only way to start over to where your decisions effect much later episodes is to start from an early episode and play ALL the way through each episode in order up to the part that you want to change.

You can also start a 'New Game' from the main menu to play through all episodes again. Be forewarned that starting a new game will erase all data and start a completely new save file. You will lose all totems and clues. Once a new game is started, you will not have access to the episode select until you beat the game again.