The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Reviews
It's limited, but oh so entertaining. It's a bit sad that the focus on action takes some horror, but at the same time we appreciate that the story and the environments are very different from the previous titles of the anthology.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
House of Ashes maintains the line of the previous installments of The Dark Pictures Anthology saga. The guys from Supermassive Games bet on a deeper story, both in personal conflicts and in the past of the supernatural threat. A real pleasure to play in company.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Dark Pictures franchise continues to produce high-quality narrative horror pieces. For fans of the genre, they are well worth exploring. The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes shows that the developer is learning from player feedback and that there is still room for improvement with each new game. It is expected that Bandai and Supermassive will continue to invest in polishing the experience and strengthening the series with each new game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes will not be the best story told so far, but thanks to its great cinematographic section, scenarios, characters and soundtrack; they make the whole set very worthwhile. In the playable we find improvements, yes, but the best thing is the feeling of being able before the actions of the characters of the plot; where we decide on their fate, like the weaver valkyries of fate. With each installment Supermassive directs its resources to create good films with a somewhat longer duration than normal.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is the most action-packed game in the series, at the expense of reducing the horror part. Players who love the genre and those who want to have fun with their friends should not miss this game.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes lands as the best in the series so far by going in a different direction with its take on horror and improving upon many past gameplay elements.
It’s clear that Supermassive’s Dark Pictures Anthology is improving with every new release. House of Ashes is the best of the bunch so far. Everything clicks, everything works. It’s a damn fine game and worth every penny even at full price. I’m now excited for the future of this series and will be pouncing on the next game. Of course, I’m not done with this one yet. Still got to try to kill them all off because what’s video games without an occasional slice of sadism.
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 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.
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
House of Ashes is the best iteration in the franchise yet. The horror feels more mature and the jumpscares are not as prominent as before. The animations are not always great and next-gen features are yet to be used fully, but suspense and scares are guaranteed. In a dark room on a stormy night, you are ensured to have a sleepless night or two.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
All told, “House of Ashes” is a notable step in the right direction for The Dark Anthology series. Technical issues aside, it crafts a compelling story that’s fun, campy and terrifying in equal measures. Every installment is inevitably compared to the benchmark set by “Until Dawn,” and it’s clear Supermassive Games has learned from the lukewarm reception and criticisms of “Man of Medan” and “Little Hope.” “House of Ashes” comes close to “Until Dawn”-level quality, and for the first time after finishing a game in this series, it has me genuinely excited to see the next entry.
House of Ashes, as this review will show, is the best title in The Dark Pictures Anthology thus far. However, there are a few flaws that prevent it from being perfect. Though it excels in the cinematics department, it struggles to adequately blend gameplay in a way that makes the experience truly immersive.
At the end of the day, if you already liked The Dark Pictures games, you should really enjoy House of Ashes. Its story is unique, complex, interesting, and suspenseful without relying on cheap scares. If you didn’t like Little Hope or Man of Medan, but are still open to enjoying the series, House of Ashes is worth giving a shot.
Thanks to a likeable cast of fleshed-out characters, an immersive atmosphere drenched in evil and a gripping story with a sinister setting, it exceeds expectations and trumps the highs of Man of Medan, Little Hope and in some cases, even Until Dawn.
House of Ashes is definitely the best game in The Dark Pictures Anthology, with major nods to Until Dawn. Although gameplay might have primarily stayed the same, the improved writing and addition of the new camera just show that the series still has room to grow and I'm excited to see what Supermassive Games do next.
The third The Dark Pictures Anthology game manages to up the ante by providing its audience with a whole new world of horrors and frights. If you liked the previous offerings of this series, House of Ashes would make you very happy and if you are a fan of horror stories in general, you must put this on your shopping list right now.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Overall, House of Ashes, while not perfect, (or even scary truth be told) is a good installment in the series as it provides gorgeous graphics along with its interesting premise.
Gameplay-wise, not much has changed since Little Hope. You'll spend much of your time walking about, inspecting objects, talking to people, making decisions, and taking part in quick-time events. The formula works, and the six or seven hour running time means that the rudimentary controls don't outstay their welcome.
Strap in for the best ride in The Dark Pictures Anthology, as House of Ashes delivers the most complete and finest horror story yet.