The debate over which horror game is the best of all time is a difficult one, with several qualified contenders. There are all-time masterpieces like Silent Hill, but Until Dawn is unquestionably among the finest. This first-person horror game was intended for the PlayStation 3, but the makers quickly converted it to a third-person perspective and switched it to the PlayStation 4.
The gameplay is really terrifying, owing to the narrative’s resemblance to a predicament found in horror slasher films. Remember all the times you grumbled and shouted at the protagonists’ poor choices? Now it’s time to put yourself in a comparable pressure situation and see how you fare. There are numerous unexpected turns in the game, as well as some defining do-or-die situations, but the Wendigo creature terrified us the most.
The game was aided by a talented writing staff, and the flawless voice cast ensured that the storey was serious. The notion of Wendigo, on the other hand, was not created by the authors.
The horrific antics of the Wendigo have been around for decades, and this monster has been a part of mythology. In this video, we’ll go into the murky depths to tell you all you need to know about the Wendigo monster from both the game and legend. Turn off the lights and join the ugly man-eating monster’s dark, terrifying realm!
The Mythology of Wendigos
The Wendigos are creatures from mythology and legend, and the idea of a nasty monster existed long before the game did. The indigenous peoples living around the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River were the first to conjure up the concept of a monster, or winter spirit. As all mythological monsters, the characteristics of Wendigos vary, but they all have something in common.
They are deadly, aggressive, and they have an insatiable hunger for human flesh. Thus, an encounter with a Wendigo is no less than a death sentence because the person either gets eaten or gets converted into a Wendigo. But how did such a brutal concept of a monster come up in the first place?
The Wendigos represented the perils of selfishness, and thus served as a warning to those who engaged in horrible crimes that were considered prohibited. It is thought that a person becomes a Wendigo after doing unspeakable atrocities, such as cannibalism due to famine.
In a way, the monster defined what was moral and acceptable social behavior and it promoted people to stop giving in to greed or selfishness. According to the lore, someone could also become a Wendigo if he dreamt of one, or if he was cursed by a shaman. Over time, the idea of such a brutal monster became quite popular. We saw it becoming a part of popular culture, and it was everywhere, from films to literature. Stephen King explored the monster in his novel Pet Cemetery, and Rick Yancy’s The Curse of the Windigo also offers a spine-chilling tale of this mythical creature.
However, it is interesting how the portrayal of the Wendigo varies from the indigenous people to the one seen in pop culture. The North American pop culture has drawn a few parallels between this monster and mythical ones like vampires, and werewolves. It comes across as a combination of all these mysterious entities, but it is very different from the depiction of the natives.
The Native American legends suggest that the Wendigo doesn’t have a set physical form at all. It appears to be somewhat human-like, but if required it can grow into a giant. The monster is crazed with uncontrollable hunger, and when it grows too desperate it can even chew up its own lips. If you consider this appears to be the authentic one, then it is a far cry from the snow demons and antler-attached beasts that are usually shown in pop culture.
The original concept of the Wendigos is incredibly enigmatic since, according to Native American traditions, no one has ever seen one and lived to tell the tale! A towering humanoid monster with clawed fingers and lengthy limbs has been described. It can grow in height, while devouring a victim, and its eyes are out of their sockets.
The monsters have been associated with greed and gluttony and that explains the idea of them growing with every meal. They have extremely tough skin, and the only possible way to repel them is fire! Wendigos are nocturnal by nature, and it is known to lure the victims out using its enchanting voice.
There is a particularly creepy version of how the Wendigo hunts its prey. It is said that the monster engages in a firm handshake and makes the victim run alongside it. Eventually, the footsteps of the human victim would simply vanish in the snow, and this is a hint that the Wendigo has devoured him.
Is it possible to get away from the Wendigo? If the horror stories are to be believed, one’s chances are few in such a position. These creatures, on the other hand, are afraid of fire and their vision detects movement. As a result, there’s a slight possibility the Wendigo would miss the victim if he stayed stationary in one location. If the victim is spotted there is simply no getting away.
The creatures are extremely fast and they can also climb trees and walls using their clawed long fingers. The gory, uncomfortable stories about these monsters also helped in the preservation of nature. The natives would avoid hunting and deforestation in the mountains because they believed that it could bring them great misfortune.
The fear of a deadly curse was very intense and this helped preserve the natural resources of the region. Eventually, the European explores started to exploit the wealth and the local tribes believed that their rampant excavations into the mountains for minerals let the Wendigo spirits to be released.
The Tryst with Cannibalism
The Wendigo monster’s stories are linked to the cannibalism taboo. According to legend, if one travels too far into the woods, starving would become unbearable. He’d be tempted to devour his companion’s flesh at this point, so he’d invite the Wendigo’s spirit to possess him.
Thousands of years have passed since the legends surrounding this creature began, and cannibalism is not uncommon among some woodland communities. The terrifying legends surrounding the Wendigo aimed to warn people that such behaviours were illegal and may result in death. The practice of cannibalism could potentially turn one into a Wendigo and this was supposed to be a deterrent!
The harsh winter conditions often brought about cases of extreme starvation for the tribes. It was supposed to be a gentle reminder that even in the worst of situations one simply shouldn’t end up resorting to cannibalism. However, we believe that if someone is beastly enough to indulge in cannibalism he wouldn’t care much about the threat of transforming into a monster!
Cannibalism is also mentioned in the original Wendigo mythology. According to legend, a Cree Native American was exiled and had to flee to the woodlands with his family. After a while, the man returned to town, looking desperate and panicked.
He told everyone that his family died from starvation, but when the authorities went to check, they were shocked to find the remains of his dead family members. They had clearly been eaten, and this man was sentenced to death for his crimes. Even while dying, he kept pleading that he was helpless because the Wendigo possessed him and forced him to kill them all.
The Wendigos in Until Dawn
Let us walk you through the terror of the game Until Dawn now that you have a mini degree in Wendigos. These monsters were a big element of the game, but first let’s go through the basics. It was published in 2015, and horror aficionados praised it for its unique interactive horror experience.
Until Dawn was developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony for PS 4, and the story was something everyone was familiar with. You have seen such situations in so many slasher flicks before, and the game allows you to control eight young adults in the Blackwood Mountains.
It has been a year since the mysterious disappearance of twin sisters, Beth and Hannah. The group of friends arrives in the mountains at the cabin that belonged to their friend Josh, whose sisters had disappeared. They have no clue that something else is lurking in the wilderness! It is a serious threat to their lives and the choices you make decide their fate. They have to explore the haunting surroundings and search for clues that will help them solve the mystery.
The advent of the Wendigo is both terrifying and exciting. You may witness Makkapitew, the fiercest of the Wendigos, hunting after Hannah and Beth in the prologue. It later assumed the appearance of a guy named Gordon, or a reporter, before possessing Hannah. Throughout the game, Hannah is the deadly Wendigo that preys upon the group. She had a horrible past after her trip went wrong.
She fell down a cliff along with Beth, but she survived the fall. Unfortunately, she was way too weak and starved over the days. Finally, she gave in to the temptation of consuming Beth’s corpse – the defining moment that turned her into a Wendigo. There are numerous scary sub-plots in the game that dive deeper into the tale of the Wendigos.
After becoming imprisoned in a mine with the other miners, a guy named Billy was converted into one. He resorted to cannibalism to survive, and when he was finally rescued, he was hailed as a miraculous hero.
They were taken to the hospital to be examined, but the transformation began soon and the survivors turned violent and attacked the doctors. The game depends so heavily on decision-making that you can get as many as over a thousand different endings to the story depending upon your actions.
The story is action-packed and dramatic, yet it occasionally takes a pause to put you through a psychological exam. Playing the game in full volume in a dark room is an experience in itself, and the appearance of the Wendigos only spice things up! The graphics are terrific and the taste of reality will give you sleepless nights for days to come.
Is there going to be Until Dawn 2
Until Dawn was a huge hit, with both reviewers and fans praising it. Following the game’s success, it was expected that Supermassive Games would release a sequel. They did make a rail shooter for PlayStation VR called Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, but a genuine sequel is still in the works.
However, the developers have a few good reasons for not picking up on the project yet. For starters, the multiple endings of the game make it a complicated job for a sequel. From where would they pick up the story? Who finally survived the murderous Wendigos?
The developers have suggested that if they go ahead with a sequel it might be a different story altogether with different characters that are not connected to the original. Meanwhile, Supermassive Games have worked in the first part of The Dark Pictures, and it used some of the similar mechanics as in Until Dawn. They also worked on the game Little Hope, and the quality of their projects has been as fine as ever.
The Inpatient, a fascinating prequel to Until Dawn, was disclosed by the creators, but it didn’t exactly get the cash registers ringing. It was a little sluggish for someone who liked Until Dawn, and we hope that a decent sequel is in the works for us in the future!