The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes - Review Thread

Game Information Game Title: The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Platforms: * Xbox Series X/S (Oct 22, 2021) * PlayStation 5 (Oct 22, 2021) * PlayStation 4 (Oct 22, 2021) * Xbox One (Oct 22, 2021) * PC (Oct 22, 2021) Trailer: * The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes - Story Trailer & Release Date Announcement Developer: Supermassive Games Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment Review Aggregator: OpenCritic - 74 average - 49% recommended - 36 reviews Critic Reviews Cerealkillerz - Manuel Barthes - German - 7 / 10 After Man of Medan and Little Hope, Supermassive Games doesn't manage to surpass Until Dawn with House of Ashes either. This is not due to the unfamiliar setting, but to the characters in it. Completely overdrawn and clichéd, the player is rather happy at the beginning if he accidentally gets rid of one. To make matters worse is the technical quality, which from the graphics to the control is hardly convincing. Thanks to a strong last third, House of Ashes still manages to turn things around and brings it to a positive conclusion. --- Cultured Vultures - Nick Meekham - 6 / 10 If you enjoyed the first two games, there is some fun to be had in House of Ashes, but glitches, a predictable story structure and some boring jump scares holds it back from being a truly worthy sequel. --- Explosion Network - Dylan Blight - 5.5 / 10 Unlike the previous two games in The Dark Pictures Anthology, I was pleased with how things played out with the core narrative, but this game had my least favourite cast of characters in all three of the games. --- Game Informer - Marcus Stewart - 7.5 / 10 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 --- GameSkinny - Mark Delaney - 7 / 10 stars 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. --- Gameblog - French - 8 / 10 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. --- GamingTrend - David Flynn - 90 / 100 The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes might not be very frightening, but it absolutely nails a tense atmosphere where every choice really does matter. With gorgeous visuals and a satisfying, well paced story, Supermassive has finally found their footing. --- Hardcore Gamer - Kyle LeClair - 3.5 / 5 The Dark Pictures Anthology still needs to iron out a few things before it can produce a truly classic entry, but thanks to a strong and fun story with a lot of twists, welcome difficulty options and stronger choice-based gameplay, House of Ashes shows the series is still striving to make notable improvements when it comes to crafting scary and entertaining tales. --- Hey Poor Player - Francis DiPersio - 4 / 5 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. --- IGN - Ricky Frech - 8 / 10 The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is Supermassive's best horror game since Until Dawn made it famous. --- MondoXbox - Mirko Rossi - Italian - 5 / 10 The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes is unfortunately a step backwards compared to the previous episodes of the series, at least in terms of the script, atmosphere and technical realization. The affordable price makes it interesting for those who don't want to miss a single chapter of the anthology, but others should turn to the previous chapters or wait for a possible fourth episode capable of bringing the horror series back on the right tracks. --- New Game Network - Alex Varankou - 65 / 100 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. --- PlayStation Universe - Michael Harradence - 9 / 10 The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes is the best entry in the series yet, packed with gripping storytelling, compelling characters, and solid performances. Your choices feel impactful, and seeing your relationships grow or fall apart based on your decisions carries a lot of weight. With tons of collectibles, an improved camera, and solid pacing, House of Ashes will keep you glued to the screen until the credits roll. --- Press Start - James Mitchell - 8 / 10 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. --- Rely On Horror - Steve Summers - 7.5 / 10 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. --- Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Alice Bell - Unscored House Of Ashes gets closer to being a silly 00s survival horror than previous Dark Picture Anthology games, but it's still trying to be too serious for its own good, especially with the paper-thin political theming. --- Sirus Gaming - Adrian Morales - 6 / 10 If you can stick through some wooden voice acting and awkward animation, there is a decent B-movie thriller here that is easy to digest if you’re looking for some video game pulp horror this Halloween season. --- TheSixthAxis - Tuffcub - 8 / 10 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. --- Wccftech - 9 / 10 The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is easily the best of the series so far. There are clear improvements in gameplay, such as difficulty options and complete control over the camera, which help push this forward. The writing also takes strides forward, with an excellent cast of characters, more realistic writing, and a satisfying narrative throughout. Add the already exceptional abilities of Supermassive Games at building atmosphere, and you have a recipe for a great game - something that I firmly believe House of Ashes is. --- WellPlayed - Zach Jackson - 8 / 10 An intriguing premise backed by refined gameplay and an immersive atmosphere makes House of Ashes the best entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology yet. --- submitted by /u/cloudsheep0 [link] [comments]
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