Reviews VideoGame / Until Dawn

I love this game...but I can't stand Mike.

Apart from Outlast and Resident Evil 7, Until Dawn is my favorite horror game ever. The characters are memorable (even the ones who are assholes), it's intense, the Quick Time Events rarely feel unnecessary (unlike Heavy Rain...*cough* sex scene *cough*), and the acting and Butterfly Effect are both very well-executed for the most part. I'm even currently writing a fanfiction about it.

I give it a 7/10, but it would seriously be an 8 if it were longer and less linear. It would probably be a 9 or even a 10 if it wasn't for the Designated Hero, Michael Munroe, either.

I see a lot of people who think he's their favorite character but I seriously don't understand them at all; I haven't since 2015. He is, to infinity and beyond, my least favorite, both as a person and as a character. He's a womanizer, basically all of the problems in the last few chapters are his fault just because he left Josh tied up in the shed, and his honest/funny meters increase if he shoots Emily. And please don't get me that "he thought Josh killed Jessica" speech everyone else gives me, because that's pure bullshit; he's a Psychopathic Manchild for sure but a weakling physicality-wise. If Josh was seriously as strong/fast as Jessica's attacker (who dragged her through several obstacles almost literally at the speed of light), he'd either break free of his restraints or tank Mike's pistol whip and then break his arm like a toothpick.

But that's not even my main problem with Mike, to be honest. It's that he's badly-written; despite his narcissistic/sadistic personality and stupid decisions, he's still painted (both in-universe and out) as a good guy. Why though? He gets away with a lot of bullshit, has a tendency to make things get From Bad to Worse, and doesn't really seem to be ashamed about any of it.

I mean, that's not to say he has zero good qualities. He has a pet wolf, he'll genuinely comfort Ashley if Chris doesn't shoot her but still dies on the way back to the lodge, and he'll use himself as a human shield if Sam fails a Don't Move in the climax so she doesn't get killed. But those moments are soo few and far between that they're easy to overlook.

I usually agree with Ron the Death Eater entries, but here I'm sorry but I just have to make an exception. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that even Brett Dalton dislikes him.