A big thank you to BANDAI NAMCO for making this review possible and to help get the spooks flowing during the Halloween season with their third edition to their critically acclaimed The Dark Pictures Anthology series titled House of Ashes starring Ashley Tisdale.
Like the previous titles, House of Ashes takes players to a remote part of the world where terror awaits and decisions are made with consequences and affect the outcome of the game’s main story. This time players are not adrift on a ghost ship in the Pacific or a fog enveloped ghost town in New England but trapped underground in a crumbling Assyrian temple in Iraq during the latter half of the Iraq War in 2003 where ancient horrors await.
Returning fans of the game will be glad to know that the controls for the game are the same as the previous two games. The usual mechanics of the game is still there and thankfully have not changed like the quick time events, picking up and inspecting items and collectibles, and finding ancient tablets that show premonitions.
One issue I’m having is with controlling the camera in tight areas, for example when you’re in a building or narrow halls the camera seems to become difficult to control and makes it hard to really see anything. Another thing you may notice while playing is that this one seems more cinematic than the last two games.
Overall House of Ashes should be liked by new and returning fans of the Dark Pictures game series. At the time of writing this, I’ve encountered more thrills than scares, but that’s not really a bad thing. Returning players may recognize some faces, be enthralled with a new story, and be as entertained as they were from the previous games. With good sound design, graphics/art, and storytelling the game ranks high. The lack of atmospheric scares the previous games gave makes it feel more like an action thriller than horror but that should not deter you from giving this game a go, House of Ashes is a 10/10!
The Dark Picture’s Anthology: House of Ashes is out now on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and PC.
