The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Reviews
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
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.
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 best thing I can say about House of Ashes is that its story didn’t make me feel betrayed in the end. There is no “it was all a dream” twist that creates a dozen plot holes, and it doesn’t pull away from the supernatural elements at the last second to reveal that the characters were hallucinating. Rather, it uses its monsters to connect together its themes and create a closed loop that only the best horror stories can effectively execute. For once it feels like The Dark Pictures bit off exactly as much as it can chew, and House of Ashes is so much better off for it. This is where I would recommend newcomers start with the series, and it's a great indicator that the anthology is just going to keep getting better.
In many ways, The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes is significantly better than its predecessors. One can even say that it's the most thrilling and action-packed offering from Supermassive Games. Unfortunately, it's also plagued by technical and design issues, as well as a borderline ridiculous twist.
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.
House of Ashes has its flaws, especially on a technical level, but it is clear that things happened since Man of Medan. More intriguing, richer and better staged than its predecessors, the third installment of the Dark Pictures Anthology easily manages to rise to the top. And we can say Supermassive Games is on the right track. We are already looking forward to discovering how they will manage to surprise us on the next episode.
Review in French | Read full review
Supermassive has an incredible talent for creating gripping narratives of a horror persuasion, and despite some technical bumps in the sand, my retrospective opinion on House of Ashes still remains the same: It’s a bloody good creature feature. I often thought that House of Ashes would make a better film or television series because of its layered narrative, but then I remembered the fun I had weaving my own outcome, navigating the sheer scale of the game, and using parkour mechanics over nearby obstacles.
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.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is far and away the best Dark Pictures game so far. It blends intriguing characters, compelling drama, and a killer twist to offer up what can only be described as the most honed experience Supermassive has put out in this series so far. It's got a few minor issues here and there – namely relating to the diversity of its cast and how much each of them plays into the overall story – but it's a horror experience that no fan should miss even if they weren't fans of Man of Medan or Little Hope.
An intriguing premise backed by refined gameplay and an immersive atmosphere makes House of Ashes the best entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology yet.
There’s an immediate familiarity for House of Ashes in the Dark Pictures catalog, but this entry is as thematically complex and consequently engaging as any game in the series so far.
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.
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.
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
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
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is yet another excellent offering from the masters of horror at Supermassive Games. While not every facet of its choose-your-own-adventure style narrative works, its compelling cast of characters and immense replayability will keep you coming back for more. I’ve played through the game twice in the past week, and I’m already dying to return to the underground with four friends to experience Movie Night mode. If that’s not a testament to the game’s lasting power, then I don’t know what is.
House of Ashes might not offer anything groundbreaking for horror fans, or those used to Supermassive Games, but it doesn’t really need to. Those interested in this knows they are getting a cinematic, horror game that is just as fun watching, as it is playing. It won’t win anyone over who’s expecting a groundbreaking experience, but for those wanting a bit of some B-Horror action in their life, especially with Halloween around the corner, this might just be the game for you.
Despite some aesthetic grievances, House of Ashes is most definitely The Dark Anthology’s strongest showing. An immersive experience that doesn’t market an engaging display, but rather an engrossing narrative that will shock you into disbelief. The bloody, the brutal and the absolutely jarring set pieces that manage to manifest and unfold over your journey will leave you with goosebumps, and some toe-curling scenery.
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