The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Reviews
I really enjoyed my time with House of Ashes, as I have done with the Dark Pictures titles thus far. Much like horror movies, they won’t be for everyone and there are certainly characters here too that fall into many of the known tropes we come to expect from the genre, but it’s setting, character choice, technical improvements and replayabilty makes it all a fun horror experience. I’m still aboard the Dark Pictures train and I can’t wait for the next entry that will hopefully hit us around the same time next year.
House Of Ashes is the grandest yet of the Dark Pictures Anthology. It's technically audacious, with big storytelling and compelling character design. And while it's a relatively short game, there's plenty of fun to be had by trying to engineer different outcomes.
We take a look at Supermassive Games' new horror thriller, House of Ashes, and see how it stacks up to the previous Dark Pictures games.
House of Ashes is, in some ways, the best game in The Dark Pictures Anthology yet, but the series still feels like it has unmet potential.
The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes certainly changes things up for the anthology, with a cliché over the top story and a new tone that returning fans may not enjoy. But the strong cast and some interesting choices help prod the adventure along, even as its awkward new camera and dated visuals try to get in the way.
That basically sums up The Dark Pictures: Episode 3 - House of Ashes. It's a cheesy action-horror movie, except you can help characters survive (or die) with your button presses. It's not my favorite of the lot, but I was relatively engaged. It's an enjoyable enough B movie and feels like it would thrive the best as a multiplayer party game. If you've enjoyed the rest of the franchise so far, you'll enjoy House of Ashes because aside from some quality of life changes, it's largely in the same mold.
House of Ashes is by far the best entry into The Dark Pictures Anthology yet. Supermassive Games has outdone itself in terms of visual design, storytelling and pacing, and the result is a game that’s absolutely dripping with foreboding atmosphere. The story, playing out over six thrilling hours, keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish – and with so many possible outcomes, chances are you’re going to want to jump straight back in. For horror fans, this is an absolute must-play.
House of Ashes brings a refreshing change in the horror genre, introducing trained soldiers instead of teenagers in an interesting setting with deeper relatiotinship problems and challenges.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
In flicking back through my notes on House of Ashes, I find that I have been more negative on it in this review than I remember feeling from my time playing it. It is a highly enjoyable experience and hard to put down. It might not be as spooky as I’d like from a horror game, and it might not play the way I think it should given the type of horror the developers were aiming for, but ultimately, holding the lives of a bunch of delinquent characters in my hands and deliberately letting them fall to their proverbial (or perhaps literal) deaths will never fail to be a (ghoulishly) good time.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is, in my opinion, the best part of the anthology, but Supermassive Games still hasn't come close to the barrier put up by Until Dawn. Fans of adventure games will not be disappointed, especially those infatuated with the brand The Dark Pictures.
Review in Polish | Read full review
A selection-driven fictional game series inspired by mean and entertaining horror films has two main tasks: to show the players the impact of their choices on storytelling and to scare them. So when such a product has faced serious weaknesses in presenting horror and even the right use of jump scares, it is simply to be accepted that it failed to achieve artistic success at all.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Not a bad title. It is a very entertaining movie and you can see the effort behind its development, because despite its weaknesses it manages to be interesting. The close-ups of the faces of the characters and their animations are a sweet to the pupil, the performances are remarkable and it is respectful of the suspension of the disbelief it presents. The particular thing about House of Ashes is that its strengths are very high but its low points are too noticeable. If anyone is a fan of cinematic experiences this is a game worth trying. The solid parts of his speech, the world in which he takes place and his dialogues are rewarding, however he could have done more to be memorable. As a work, he is just like King Naram-Sim: buried by the weight of his ambition in those Sumerian ruins.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Another entertaining entry in this prolific series, one that doesn't really move the needle as much as reusing the old mold to tell a different tale.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
House of Ashes is the best episode of The Dark Pictures Anthology to date, the story was exciting and unexpected and some of the changes that have been applied have added additional depth to the experience, some of the drawbacks of previous episodes still exist but the overall level of experience has improved significantly.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is a game with a good narrative, but that's the only thing that keeps the title interesting. The gameplay, as well as other mechanics, could have been improved, as they are points that make all the difference in an annual series.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Despite the awkward character interactions and development, House of Ashes is the best in the Anthology and the best since the game that started it all. The game gave a feeling of confidence from the developers and felt that it flowed harmoniously to the end. There was no feeling of the story being rushed, and so much content to discover to find the truth. The ending of the game also gave a sense of unknowing what could be out there rather than making it feel like it’s all in our heads. This entry is worth picking up and playing through and shows that there is no roadblock in what Supermassive and Bandai are trying to do.
House of Ashes is the best game of The Dark Pictures Anthology thanks to its interesting story and its excellent artistic and design section, all despite some problems that are already a constant in the saga.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is the best version of this series ever. Supermassive Games has stepped in the right direction with this game and makes us hopeful for the future of this series.
Review in Persian | Read full review
House of Ashes offers an engaging story and does a wonderful job in creating a ghastly setting, leaving you in a world full of dark and frightening secrets. If you are a fan of survival horror genre, House of Ashes won't disappoint you.
Review in Persian | Read full review
It also gave me a glimpsation of the future games of The Dark Pictures Anthology. Stories that make the action horror element a little more prominent suit Supermassive.
Review in Turkish | Read full review