The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

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

House of Ashes offers cinematic horror and surprising character moments amidst the conflict of the Iraq War.

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

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

House of Ashes doesn’t make any great leaps in gameplay or structure, but in terms of narrative, it relentlessly swings for the fences. There are times when the writing doesn’t quite land, but the awkward moments rarely stick around for long thanks to the game’s expert pacing. It’s a fantastic horror social experience, just in time for Halloween, and it’s enough to get me back into the deep lore and hidden secrets of the Dark Pictures Anthology.

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

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

All told, “House of Ashes” is a notable step in the right direction for The Dark Anthology series. Technical issues aside, it crafts a compelling story that’s fun, campy and terrifying in equal measures. Every installment is inevitably compared to the benchmark set by “Until Dawn,” and it’s clear Supermassive Games has learned from the lukewarm reception and criticisms of “Man of Medan” and “Little Hope.” “House of Ashes” comes close to “Until Dawn”-level quality, and for the first time after finishing a game in this series, it has me genuinely excited to see the next entry.

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.

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.