BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes /Xbox One

The Dark Pictures Anthology up to this point has been fairly average and I found the original Man of Medan to be extremely disappointing with Supermassive Games and their previous output being far superior. I'm pleased to say that House of Ashes is a return to form and hits many of the same notes that Until Dawn did with notably the story here being far more fleshed out than within the previous two titles. I managed to beat this in one sitting and that's partly because it's not long at all at just over five hours, but it had me gripped for the most part, other than a lull towards the end, but it was much more magnetic to me in capturing my attention than either of the prior games.What makes it better other than the story? The setting is more interesting with it being set in Iraq and things alter which I will not spoil here. The environments are more expansive, although this can be to the detriment in at least one section, and the characters are more engaging and captivating where you begin to care about them in a way that wasn't the case in Man of Medan or Little Hope. The technical performance is much better and there were no crashes at all as I experienced many in Little Hope. This is likely explained in that it's optimised for the hardware but it's probably also down to lazy support with patches in the prior games. Another welcome improvement is that it's not heavy on jump scares at all and is more about the overall atmosphere and leans much more heavily on the overarching narrative than cheap shocks.---Summary--- (Scored out of 10)Graphics -9- Looks great on Xbox Series X and almost like a movie. There are some instances of pop in and odd facial expressions but this is rare.Sound -8- Good voice acting and the standard soundtrack returns. The narrator continues to be a highlight.Gameplay -7- Heavy on quick time events and dialogue but that's what these games generally are as a narrative driven choose your story experience.Lifespan -7- It's not very long but unlike the others I will gladly go back to play this again.---Verdict---House of Ashes is an excellent return to form and I can absolutely recommend it with no hesitation. It's not frightening and if that's your primary motivation I can see you being disappointed but if you like a good story and characters with horror vibes, as Until Dawn, then you really should enjoy this. Hopefully Supermassive Games will pick up from this with their season one finale in the Dark Pictures Anthology which is expected later in 2022.

Pros:- Engaging story: "House of Ashes" has a well-crafted story that keeps players on the edge of their seats. The plot revolves around a group of soldiers who stumble upon an underground temple while on a mission in Iraq. As they explore the temple, they unwittingly unleash an ancient evil that threatens to consume them all.- Good graphics: The game features impressive visuals that are both realistic and immersive. The underground temple is beautifully designed, with detailed textures and lighting that add to the eerie atmosphere.- Variety of gameplay: "House of Ashes" offers a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and action, which keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting. There are also several different endings depending on the choices made by the player, adding replayability to the game.- Multiplayer mode: The game has a multiplayer mode that allows up to five players to play together. This mode adds an extra layer of fun and excitement, as players work together to survive the horrors of the temple.Cons:- Limited character development: While the game's story is engaging, the characters themselves are somewhat one-dimensional. There isn't much depth to their personalities, which can make it difficult for players to empathize with them.- Repetitive jump scares: The game relies heavily on jump scares to create tension, but after a while, they can become predictable and repetitive.- Clunky controls: The controls can be frustrating at times, especially during combat sequences. The camera angles can also be awkward, making it difficult to see what's happening on the screen.Overall, "The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes" is a solid horror game that is worth playing for fans of the genre. While it has some flaws, the engaging story, good graphics, and variety of gameplay make it an enjoyable experience.

We have played all games in this anthology so far and this is the best one yet. It’s a decision based game we found enjoyable and engaging enough that we played it through three times to see the different outcomes.

Good graphics but completed very quickly

Whatever choices you make, the end will vary.