The best part of the game is the abandonment of “war roles”; with Salim, the reluctant Iraqi soldier, and Jason Kolchek (Paul Zinno) – an almost stereotypical, Iraqi hating U.S. soldier armed with a gun, a southern drawl and a “hooah” to complete the look – able to forge quite the admirable bromance, should you make the right choices and keep them alive. Together, they come to understand that there is more that unites them than divides them. Yes, one is a white American Christian and yes, the other is a devout Islamic Iraqi, but in the face of adversity – in the form of vampiric space aliens – they live the same and they die the same. This is a message for life: we are all human. In spite of being the third in an anthology of horror games, the underlying message is one of positive, unifying forces, despite all of the dangers present in this world we inhabit. This message, combined with the design, structure, acting and story of the game, makes it the best in the series so far. If you are looking for a fun way to spend a few hours with friends – complete with teamwork, panic and a tremendous amount of scares, then you should give House of Ashes a go. Though it will be a lesser experience, you can still enjoy this game on its own.
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Nov 3, 2021