The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

In 2015, Supermassive’s “Until Dawn” proved, against all odds, that the little known developer was to be a major player in choice-based narrative games. This sort of sub genre had been gaining popularity over the last few years from the rise of Telltale games and whatever mess David Cage was working on over at Quantic Dream, but this dark horse of a game, which had originally been developed as a PlayStation 3 game that required the Wii-like PlayStation Move to play, would come to eclipse all of the rest, providing a memorable story full of twists, turns, and stomach turning choices. Supermassive had clearly found the perfect niche, as the campy, “cabin in the woods” style horror thriller proved the perfect backdrop for the style of game they were developing. When they announced the follow up project as “The Dark Pictures Anthology,” hopes were very high. Yearly releases of shorter horror experiences in the style of classic anthology series was the perfect next step for the developer. It seemed that they had struck a golden idea, and all that remained was to mine it. Unfortunately, the first two titles didn’t quite hit the mark. 2019’s Man of Medan suffered from a predictable plot and unmemorable characters. Worse, the 2020 follow up, “Little Hope,” held amazing potential through its haunting set up, which fizzled away with one of the most aggravating endings in recent gaming memory. When they announced the third title would take place in 2003 Iraq, starring a cast of largely U.S. marine’s, it was hard to hold out hope that this would be the game to change the trajectory of the series. Apparently Supermassive works best as an underdog, because House of Ashes is easily their best work since Until Dawn, and spells a bright future for the future installments of this anthology.

Following four members of the United States armed forces and one member of the Iraqi Republican Guard, House of Ashes spends its early set up establishing a raid to look for WMD’s that had been hinted at through new satellite technology. Personally, the early moments of the game are fairly tedious, with an abundance of Bush-era conservatism and unlikable characters. Also introduced early on is the presence of the love triangle, carried between Ashley Tisdale’s Rachel, one of her squad, Nick, and her separated husband Eric. The slow, sometimes grating introductory hours and uninteresting romantic subplot do very little to initially hook the player. However, once the ground falls out from under our five leads and they find themselves stranded in an ancient Sumerian temple, the pace and stakes pick up dramatically.

The characters are somewhat better than in prior Dark Pictures games. There are some more sincere attempts at character development, especially through the character Jason, who’s irritating “America: fuck yeah” attitude is miserable throughout most of the game, but who bonds with Salim, the Iraqi soldier, throughout the adventure, in a predictable, though gratifying, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” plot line. Speaking of Salim, he is easily the most likeable, and most capable, character that has been in any Supermassive game. He portrays thoughtful emotion, troubled inner conflict, and a human sense of comradery and vulnerability that makes him impossible to dislike. Plainly, I would refuse to acknowledge a playthrough that doesn’t see Salim make it to credits. The previously mentioned love triangle characters are, unfortunately, not as memorable. All three come across as fairly bland, and it’s hard to feel any sense of investment in their subplot when every other narrative thread is significantly more interesting. None of these characters are bad, per se. They’re simply outclassed by the rest of the game their story takes place in.

The gameplay itself still follows the standard model that Supermassive has been using for a while now, with “either/or” choices, quick-time event driven action scenes, and slower paced exploration centered around gathering clues that reveal more of the lore and mysteries behind the game. Nothing here is radically different than before, however the inclusion of many new accessibility options help to make this a more welcoming game for those who maybe aren’t as familiar with the controller layout, and would simply rather enjoy a horror themed thrill ride than a frustrating slog at failing to hit the correct button prompts fast enough. While House of Ashes doesn’t make any drastic changes to its foundation, it has continued to polish and refine the same systems that have been at work in these games for years now.

While the U.S. Marine centered story definitely has more gunfire and bravado than any of the past games, the tone still manages to convey a sense of tension and anxiety thanks to the mysterious creatures the cast faces off against. It is reminiscent of Aliens, where helpless soldiers are slowly picked off by a threat much more lethal than themselves. The plot goes big with its back third twists, and unlike the miserable flop of Little Hope, I found these developments to be welcome and surprising. This is my favorite narrative they’ve told since Until Dawn, and is a fun, sometimes campy, sometimes adrenaline pumping horror thriller, and easily the best Dark Pictures Anthology entry yet. Next year’s game, The Devil in Me, is set to be the end of season 1, and looks to be taking on a sort of Saw or Hostel vibe. Hopefully, Supermassive will continue the upward momentum House of Ashes brought to the series, and deliver one more entry with likeable characters, difficult choices, and fun scares.