The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

Supermassive is back with an enjoyable adventure that we recommend playing with friends, although we also feel the core of the experience –the story– isn’t strong enough.

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.

House of Ashes is limited, but oh so entertaining. It's a bit sad that the focus on action overtakes some of the horror elements, but at the same time we appreciate that the story and the environments differ a lot from the anthology's previous titles.

House of Ashes is the most ambitious episode in Supermassive Games' The Dark Pictures Anthology yet. But having a well crafted story and great characters is not enough when many elements of the game -like the new, free camera or the many technical issues- are problematic thus keeping it from achieving greatness.

House of Ashes is a fun horror romp. There's nothing subtle to be found here and the game is all the better for it, with exciting set pieces and a fast-paced story. It has its issues, both technically and with not really having anything interesting to build into its Iraq War setting, but it's still a hoot to play.

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.

After the crummy Man of Medan and the better-but-not-quite-there Little Hope, The Dark Pictures Anthology has finally started hitting its stride with House of Ashes.

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.

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.

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.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is the perfect game to curl up with this Halloween if you are looking for a scary game to play alone or with friends. However, there are too many stretches where you can put the controller down and forget it is a game at all. For anyone who enjoyed previous titles from Supermassive Games, House of Ashes is more of the same.

House of Ashes is not a bad game but it will not mark the spirits despite a neat universe and a beautiful atmosphere. Like the previous chapters the game is too short, especially since it takes time to get started, and it suffers from inequalities. The movements are too rigid, the camera angles suffocating and especially the choices seem illusory which removes salt to the experience. In the end we come out with the impression of not having had an impact on the story, even worse of not having really played... Pity!

With House of Ashes, Supermassive Games takes a more action oriented that some may regret. It is also less horrific, but still relies on effective dilemmas to guide its story. As for the graphics, they can be beautiful as well as a bit overdone and suffer from a sometimes strange facial animation. And although it still needs to be improved, we welcome the switch to free camera, as well as the 3 difficulty levels proposed for the QTEs. Still as cinematic as ever, the title offers us an adventure around a Sumerian legend with an undeniable replayability and which is perfectly suited to multiplayer games with friends.

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.

The promise of the Dark Pictures series remains fresh, then, but the systems supporting it are staring to creak with age. [Issue#366, p.119]

It does look nice on PS5. Keeping the squad alive is a tense affair and the creature design is a highlight in the face of so much else that turns out to be toothless. [Issue#8, p.86]

The best location in the series and an improved camera do not hide the sometimes blatant weaknesses of House of Ashes.

There's a lot to like in House of Ashes. It can look great (but also a bit ropey at points), the acting is largely excellent, and your actions (or lack of) can really impact the story. Yet, the game element is lacking, which in turn makes the gameplay sequences where you're in proper control end up lacking in scares. This is a fun time, especially if played in a group or online with a friend, but I was more afraid of button prompts than the monsters.

At the end of House Of Ashes’ seven or so hour run time, I felt similar to if I’d just watched a low-budget action film - something more akin to Dog Soldiers than the game’s intended influences. It was a good time but I don’t really feel like I need to play it again in order to get everything I’m going to get from it. The game ranks firmly above Man Of Medan, but below Little Hope, and I hope that the next chapter in the series leans back towards the horror aspects rather than the action.

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

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.

I feel torn about House of Ashes. I’ve been overly negative here, but it isn’t by any means a bad game, it just didn’t gel with me in the way that Little Hope, for example, did.