General Gaming The Dark Pictures Anthology: House Of Ashes (22 October 2021) - reviews from OpenCritic posted

[Brian]

 

[Mr.Vic20]

I like these games, though I'll admit to liking Until Dawn far more than Man of Medan. Little Hope is enjoyable, so I'm, looking forward to the next one. Its nice to play these as a family on Friday nights. 

[skillzdadirecta]

1 hour ago, Mr.Vic20 said:

I like these games, though I'll admit to liking Until Dawn far more than Man of Medan. Little Hope is enjoyable, so I'm, looking forward to the next one. Its nice to play these as a family on Friday nights. 

Are you liking Little Hope more than Man of Medan?

[Mr.Vic20]

13 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Are you liking Little Hope more than Man of Medan?

I am actually! It's not that the acting is better or worse, it's just that I find the setting/subject matter more compelling. 

[skillzdadirecta]

3 hours ago, Mr.Vic20 said:

I am actually! It's not that the acting is better or worse, it's just that I find the setting/subject matter more compelling. 

COOL! I actually enjoyed Man of Medan for what it was so I'm sure I'll dig this one too. This seems like the perfect game to play via remote play 

[JPDunks4]

Little Hope seems to be pretty damn buggy on PC at least. 

 

I've been having some nightmarish issues trying to get through a playthrough.

[skillzdadirecta]

Covid has definitely seemed to affect the QC process of a lot games.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

[gamer.tv]

I’m ready for more. Really enjoyed playing through Little Hope with my wife.

[Brian]

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

House of Ashes is a frantic underground horror set beneath the Iraq War (Eurogamer)

Quote

Set in Iraq during the latter days of its most recent US invasion, this third standalone horror chapter is a claustrophobic monster story with a modern war backdrop: The Descent by way of Zero Dark Thirty. Its cast of characters is led by CIA operative Rachel King, played by Ashley Tisdale, who arrives in Iraq as part of a bungled raid to find chemical weapons. Another playable character, Salim Othman, is a local Iraqi soldier.

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

Iraq doe.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

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)
  

Developer: Supermassive Games
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
    
Review Aggregator: 

OpenCritic - 74 average - 51% recommended

Critic Reviews

GamingTrend - 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.

PlayStation Universe - 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.

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.

God is a Geek - 8.5 / 10

A tense, action-packed tale that feels completely different from what you've come to expect from The Dark Pictures Anthology so far.

The Games Machine - Italian - 8.1 / 10

House of Ashes marks a change of pace compared to the previous episodes of the Dark Pictures Anthology, proposing a horror story that also focuses strongly on the action. The plot, which incorporates elements of films such as Aliens, Predator and The Descent – Descent into Darkness, does not shine for originality, but it is still enjoyable and sufficiently articulated.

GameSpew - 8 / 10

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.

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.

GamesBeat - 4 / 5 stars

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.

Hey Poor Player - 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.

Hobby Consolas - Spanish - 80 / 100

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.

IGN - 8 / 10

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is Supermassive's best horror game since Until Dawn made it famous.

PC Gamer - 80 / 100

Great monsters, stunning locations and a quality mystery makes this one of Supermassive's best.

Press Start - 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.

Shacknews - 8 / 10

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.

TheSixthAxis - 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.

WellPlayed - 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.

Digital Chumps - 7.5 / 10

House of Ashes doesn't offer a new unique tale that I found with Little Hope or Man of Medan. I did enjoy my time playing through another The Dark Pictures Anthology tale, but it hasn't left an impact on me as a player as Little Hope did. Choices often felt inconsequential, and few and far between. Character development for all of the characters outside of Salim was underwhelming and disappointing, even though the backdrop of the Iraq War in 2003 was ripe for compelling character development.

Game Informer - 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

Rely On Horror - 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.

SECTOR.sk - Slovak - 7.5 / 10

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.

Gaming Nexus - 7.4 / 10

While House of Ashes takes a minor departure from pure survival horror, it manages to maintain its roots and tells a somewhat compelling narrative with a solid cast of characters. It's ultimately held back by a few technical issues and story loopholes that don't quite make sense.

Spaziogames - Italian - 7.2 / 10

House of Ashes gives the impression of playing the same Supermassive game with a new story. The passage to next-gen systems looks irrelevant to a series that doesn't know how to evolve its formula. It has a better story than Little Hope, but presents the same issues already seen in the other two chapters.

Cerealkillerz - 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.

GameSkinny - 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.

Hardcore Gamer - 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.

IGN Italy - Italian - 7 / 10

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.

IGN Spain - Spanish - 7 / 10

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.

Metro GameCentral - 7 / 10

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.

Worth Playing - 7 / 10

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.

New Game Network - 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.

Cultured Vultures - 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.

Destructoid - 6 / 10

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.

GamesRadar+ - 3 / 5 stars

A lackluster military versus monsters soap opera that just about redeems itself with an extravagant final third and unmatched co-op mechanics.

Sirus Gaming - 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.

IGN Middle East - Arabic - 5.8 / 10

The new installment in the series got its horror stripped down to a level that probably won’t make you hesitate to play it alone at night, it will get you through a story that escalated fast to uncover a big lore that was weirdly shortened to end the story. Even though it was fun sometimes, House of Ashes is a broken mirror of what it could have been.

Explosion Network - 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.

GameMAG - Russian - 5 / 10

House of Ashes is the third and the worst instalment of The Dark Pictures, which makes us think that the whole anthology will end prematurely.

MondoXbox - 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.

Eurogamer - Recommended

Knife-edge thrills delivered by a compelling cast for a truly impressive horror.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - 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.

[skillzdadirecta]

Was getting this Day one regardless of reviews. Love their games and just finished A Little Hope over the summer.

[Moa]

As a fan of the series I really liked this one and felt like it was the strongest in the series. These games tend to have significant third act problems but the ending in this one was really the highlight. I’m my play through we kinda goofed and lost a major character early, so there are probably some story beats we missed, but what we did get of the story and characters felt much more interesting than the previous games.