The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Reviews
Knife-edge thrills delivered by a compelling cast for a truly impressive horror.
Great monsters, stunning locations and a quality mystery makes this one of Supermassive's best.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is Supermassive's best horror game since Until Dawn made it famous.
A lackluster military versus monsters soap opera that just about redeems itself with an extravagant final third and unmatched co-op mechanics.
Easily the best of the Dark Pictures Anthology series, which finally manages to serve up some interesting characters and effective horror scenes, with an appealingly gothic atmosphere.
House of Ashes doesn't always land but it can be an exciting "check your brain at the door" thriller. Its largely toothless scares will disappoint horror fanatics while inviting a broader audience
House of Ashes doesn’t make any great leaps in gameplay or structure, but in terms of narrative, it relentlessly swings for the fences. There are times when the writing doesn’t quite land, but the awkward moments rarely stick around for long thanks to the game’s expert pacing. It’s a fantastic horror social experience, just in time for Halloween, and it’s enough to get me back into the deep lore and hidden secrets of the Dark Pictures Anthology.
House of Ashes offers cinematic horror and surprising character moments amidst the conflict of the Iraq War.
As much as I feel like this series is stuck in the shadow of Until Dawn for a large part of the audience, collectively, The Dark Pictures Anthology is becoming something memorable in its own right. I’ll keep enjoying these games as long as I can, House of Ashes included.
House of Ashes is not for everyone, but it is still recommended as a purely narrative experience. It has some shortcomings but also has the ability to hook you to the story from the first moment. Logically, the gameplay is practically nil and, in the end, it is a movie made video game. But a very entertaining film.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
It's the less terrifying game in the series, but it keeps you on your toes constantly. Its focus on camarederie and cooperating to survive works really well. Anyway, if you didn't like the previous entries, this one won't probably appeal you either.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
House of Ashes adds little to the Dark Pictures formula, and doesn't seem to progress anthology's overarching plot. That said, it's still a great adventure with some jaw dropping visuals and action-packed set pieces. A solid addition to the franchise.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is another fun horror romp from Supermassive games. The game improves upon its predecessors by finally removing the fixed camera, and I found several of its characters to be endearing and worth caring for. Though it still falls into some of the same issues as past games in the franchise, The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is worth playing if you’re a fan of the interactive horror/drama genre.
There's a lot to like in House of Ashes. It can look great (but also a bit ropey at points), the acting is largely excellent, and your actions (or lack of) can really impact the story. Yet, the game element is lacking, which in turn makes the gameplay sequences where you're in proper control end up lacking in scares. This is a fun time, especially if played in a group or online with a friend, but I was more afraid of button prompts than the monsters.
House of Ashes can be, at times, a rewarding experience; however, the developers, in order to achieve a remarkable result in graphics, have neglected too much the pace and the interaction with the player.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The formula works and is fun, even if it begs for a little more interaction. One of the best installments of the anthology so far.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A tense, action-packed tale that feels completely different from what you've come to expect from The Dark Pictures Anthology so far.
If only House of Ashes were possessed with something malevolent enough to actually scare us; sadly, it commits a litany of sins, none of them original.
Overall, I consider it another fine addition in the series that I’ve enjoyed ever since Until Dawn. Some of it is getting old in terms of being too familiar, but the writing and the storytelling is always superb — for horror game purposes.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is the franchise's best entry yet, acting as a playable horror film. But it still shows room for improvement.