REVIEW : The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes (PS5)
The Dark Pictures Anthology games have become a beautiful ritual for me: I appreciate the horrific experience, have a nice time, and eagerly anticipate the next one. Since the first game of the year, Man of Medan, I’d given up hope that Supermassive Games would ever match the success of Until Dawn, but with Little Hope, I discovered that the studio still has a few tricks up its sleeve, even if I’m not willing to take a chance. House of Ashes is the most recent instalment, featuring new people, a new tale, and a new environment… and it delivers exactly what is required and expected.
In other elements, such as film, this anthology of Supermassive Games can be compared to many other horror sagas, which know how to satisfy in their way without reaching the heights of quality seen in other huge productions. If you’ve loved the previous games both alone and with others, don’t be afraid to try this one: House of Ashes expands on some of the ideas introduced in prior instalments, although not excessively. Some of the things that make the experience more distinctive and improved this time around have even escaped my notice.
House of Ashes is set in 2003, amid the Iraq war, depicting the US and Iraq fight. A group of American soldiers and a soldier from the other side are the protagonists, and their paths will cross unexpectedly. A landslide traps the characters underground in what appears to be a massive temple dating back thousands of years. What appears to be a once-in-a-lifetime find turns into a nightmare: something more frightening than war awaits them down below.
Without giving too much away about the plot, which is one of the most intriguing aspects of the game, we take command of the major characters and make decisions. We must accept their interpretation and decide in the discussions and complete action, always with implications for our acts. Although not all of the options taken become crucial, or the events vary substantially, Supermassive already has this section under control in its games. It always gives the feeling that it is, and it is fun.
However, I still have the same issue as in prior instalments: it’s tough to make decisions for all people when you don’t know them at all, especially at the beginning of the game. It would help if you took control of their brain without understanding their personality. With time, it becomes easier, although the initial sense of alienation is unavoidable. Perhaps a presentation of the more notable characters might be beneficial with their key behaviour points highlighted.
The main aim in House of Ashes is to keep everyone alive (or whoever we wish) even though they will do all in their power to kill them. We will have to overcome different risks to make the appropriate decisions or avoid failing in the Quick Time Events sequences that will be played at the end. We can change the game’s difficulty to make these sequences more or less straightforward in this way. I played on the usual difficulty and hit almost all of them, but a few (the key ones) got away from me because I wasn’t paying attention or didn’t expect it. You must play attentively since you never know when danger will strike…
I’ve missed a little more interaction in House of Ashes, where we may sit and watch for long periods. The QTE sequences are often short, and the game might offer more in this area. Filling in the history of sequences without halting is detrimental. Of course, that’s just a simple excuse for the player to press buttons, but perhaps a middle ground can be established so that the user feels more in charge of the situation.
As a result, House of Ashes contains a lot of extended sequences, discussions, and exploration parts where nothing happens. I believe it is past time for Supermassive to include some new mechanics into its anthology that promote more active participation or improve existing sequences. The only difference from prior instalments is, coincidentally, one of my favourite features: the fixed cameras.
Suppose you’ve played any of the previous games. In that case, you’ll recall that the moments you take direct control of the characters and explore the environments always feature a fixed camera system. Moving across the stages becomes very directed and cinematic as a result of this. You may or may not enjoy it, but Supermassive has a remarkable ability to employ extremely powerful planes that constantly challenge the player’s perception. The lovely collides with the terrible and overbearing. It is utterly lost here due to a free camera system, which makes no sense.
Because the characters in House of Ashes are military, the camera is placed on their shoulders to direct the weapon and flashlight while exploring recesses or bigger regions in search of things with which to interact or doors that will transport us to the next scene. And losing those well-measured fixed planes is pointless if we can’t shoot or react in any manner during these exploring sessions owing to the game’s mechanics.
If we know we can’t shoot in the game, why point the gun at a tiny passageway as we walk forward if an attacker appears? Furthermore, in these instances where the settings are cramped, the camera travels slowly and does not allow entirely realistic movements. I appreciate that many gamers would rather have complete control of the camera than being led by these fixed shots, but I believe that this is a decision that will cost us more than it will gain.
The story will end in around 7 hours, with more or less success on our part, depending on how many important characters we have managed to keep alive. There’s always the option of replaying the story to view different endings, make different choices, or gather all of the collectables strewn across the stages. Because some places are much larger than in previous instalments, it will be necessary to kick them more thoroughly this time.
And I’ve enjoyed myself. House of Ashes is a graphically and technically impressive game that understands what works and executes it flawlessly. Everything could be better if certain decisions were made, and some modifications are not wholly beneficial. Despite having a lot of space for improvement, it’s a formula that works. This time around, the tale is engaging and reminiscent of other great horror classics, and it’s entertaining to play trained troops in the story.
But the experience is as expected, and while it falls short of what I witnessed in Until Dawn, I would venture to say that it is the Dark Pictures instalment with which I have had the most fun thus far.
REVIEW : The Eternal Cylinder (PS5)
