Software:The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

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Short description: 2021 interactive drama game

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
The cover art for House of Ashes. In the foreground is the logo of The Dark Pictures Anthology, a skull facing the left side of the image. The skull in question possesses a pair of vampire-like fangs. An image of Rachel King, covered in blood, and a picture of a Pazuzu statue are overlaid on the cranium.
Box art featuring Rachel King, one of the game's five protagonists
Developer(s)Supermassive Games
Publisher(s)Bandai Namco Entertainment
Director(s)Will Doyle
Producer(s)Dom Ireland
Artist(s)David Hirst
Writer(s)Khurrum Rahman
Composer(s)Jason Graves
SeriesThe Dark Pictures Anthology
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release22 October 2021
Genre(s)Interactive drama, survival horror
Mode(s)

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is a 2021 interactive drama and survival horror video game, developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the third instalment in The Dark Pictures Anthology, after Man of Medan (2019) and Little Hope (2020). Continuing the series' premise, the game features a cast of five playable protagonists and a multilinear narrative influenced by player choices. Its decision-making scenes can significantly alter the trajectory of the plot and change the relationships between the main characters; some lead to the permanent death of the protagonists.

House of Ashes is inspired primarily by the novella At the Mountains of Madness (1936) and the films Predator (1987) and The Descent (2005). Set during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the plot follows five characters—four Americans working for the US Armed Forces and one Iraqi Republican Guard—who fall into a subterranean Akkadian temple after an Iraqi ambush. They must find a way out of the ancient structure and cooperate to outmatch the vampiric creatures that infest the area. Ashley Tisdale was marketed as the game's leading actress, marking the third time Supermassive Games cast a high-profile actor to portray a character for the series.

Staple mechanics of The Dark Pictures Anthology, such as quick time events (QTEs) and "pictures", collectable items that allow players to see visions of possible future events, appear again in House of Ashes. The game also introduces new features, including a more interactive camera system, a handheld light source for easier navigation, and three difficulty levels to manage QTEs. Jason Graves, a long-time collaborator with Supermassive Games, returned to compose the game's soundtrack, having created music for the earlier games in the series.

The game was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 22 October 2021, to mixed reviews. Several critics deemed it an improvement from the previous two instalments in the anthology, and points of praise included the replay value, action sequences, multiplayer modes, B movie–like tone, and likeability of the Iraqi character. Critiques were directed towards the game's pacing, scare factor, facial animations, texture and animation glitches, and handling of the Iraq War invasion. House of Ashes' sequel and the final game in the anthology's first season, The Devil in Me, was released on 18 November 2022.

Gameplay

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is an interactive drama and survival horror game.[1] Developed on Unreal Engine 4 by Supermassive Games,[2] it is presented from a third-person perspective and set during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[3] Players take control of five protagonists, enlisted in the armed forces of their respective countries, who fall and become trapped in an underground Mesopotamian temple, where bat-like monsters awaken to hunt the characters.[4] A core element of the gameplay involves the management of relationships between the characters, and their allies and enemies. Players can choose to be courageous and ensure the creatures do not kill anybody, or to continue alone and be concerned with their own personal safety.[4][5] Facing a common foe, the Iraqi and American characters must decide whether they should ignore their differences and become allies to survive the attacks. Characters often quote the proverb "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", one of the story's recurring themes.[4][6]

Inspired by feedback from fans, House of Ashes introduces two gameplay features absent from Man of Medan (2019) and Little Hope (2020), previous entries in The Dark Pictures Anthology. The camera is no longer fully fixed and has been replaced with a controllable, 360-degree one.[7] Because many scenes involve "spookier" and more spacious areas, Supermassive found it appropriate to give players total control over the camera, which would aid in exploration and allow players to appreciate the cavernous locations.[7] House of Ashes is the first game in the series to feature difficulty levels, such as "Forgiving", "Challenging" and "Lethal", which affect the game's quick time events (QTEs).[1] To further adjust difficulty, players can choose which buttons to press for specific types of QTEs[1] and customise the speed at which the prompts appear.[8] The remainder of the features are consistent with those of the other two instalments. The game's developers said players would immediately understand House of Ashes' mechanics if they have played Man of Medan or Little Hope.[3][5]

A screenshot of one of House of Ashes' gameplay mechanics. The scene is set in a dark underground cave. On the right side of the image is Rachel, holding a grappling rope and standing on a cliff ledge. Separated by a wide gap, her ill companion Clarice is on the other side of the chasm, which is on the left side of the image. Two circular buttons are presented on the screen; the first button, which reads "HELP", is by the left side of the chasm, and the second button, which says "ABANDON", is by the right side.
Rachel (right) contemplates on whether she should abandon her infected ally, Clarice (left). The decisions to help and leave her are shown alongside an illustration of the heart and brain, respectively.

Players must make several choices that can have long-term consequences on the narrative's progression and the character's perceptions of each other. In these scenarios, there is a limited amount of time in which they can choose an action or a line of dialogue with which to respond.[6] They may choose to say or do nothing when they are prompted to make a decision.[9] An anatomical drawing of the brain and heart accompanies every choice in House of Ashes, indicating that the player character may choose actions based on either rationality or emotion.[10] Their decisions can influence the characters' assigned personality traits, such as "Abrasive" or "Commanding".[11]

To track the narrative branches in one playthrough, the game's menu has a butterfly effect system called "bearings", which lists all consequential courses of action associated with each branch and their eventual outcomes.[3][6] The story is interspersed with cutscenes featuring an omnipresent observer called the Curator (Pip Torrens), who returns from the previous games in the Anthology. He is a keeper of stories who converses with players about the choices they have made[12][13] and provides clues about what will happen next in the plot.[13][14] The survival of all five protagonists depends on these critical decisions,[12] and the game continues without the deceased characters.[15] After Little Hope's limited number of endings due to its use of hallucinations as a plot twist provoked a backlash, the developers incorporated a wider variety of narrative branches into House of Ashes' story.[16][17][18] Consequently, House of Ashes includes over 60 death scenes.[19]

House of Ashes includes elements of exploration and allows players to pick up collectables while searching and moving through locations,[20] and a new light source mechanic aids players in underground navigation and inspection by illuminating dark paths that lay ahead.[1] Several scenes in the game, including combat-heavy ones, make use of QTEs that can lead to penalties like a protagonist's death in case of failure to provide a precisely timed input.[6] Many types of QTE involve pressing specific buttons—either once or repeatedly—to trigger actions from the player character, such as dodging an obstacle[6] or keeping calm when hiding from a threat.[21][22] Another type is the moving of a reticle onto a target to shoot it.[23] The game displays a notice whenever players are about to perform a QTE, illustrating the type of action the QTE is intended to perform.[24]

The eponymous "pictures" mechanic from its predecessors makes a return. Pictures, which have either a black, white, or gold frame, trigger a vision of possible future story branches to help players make decisions.[25][lower-alpha 1] In line with earlier games in the series, 50 "secrets"—items that are scattered throughout House of Ashes—provide background information and context to events that happened in the temple and preceded the main plot.[26] Secrets consist partly of journal entries from the 1940s that, when picked up, activate a cutscene where the author's voice recounts a contemporaneous archaeology mission that occurred in the temple.[1][26]

Another holdover feature present in House of Ashes is the set of four gameplay modes with which the game could be played. The "Theatrical" and "Curator's Cut" modes are single-player, while "Movie Night" and "Shared Story" are multiplayer.[8][27] Customers who pre-ordered the game gained early access to the "Curator's Cut", a version of the story that shows mostly the same scenes that are viewed from the perspective and control of another protagonist.[4][lower-alpha 2] "Shared Story" and "Movie Night" offer the option to control the characters with another person; "Shared Story" acts as a two-player version of the game and "Movie Night" accommodates up to three more players.[6][29] The multiplayer concept was inspired by live streamers' collaborative manner of playing Until Dawn (2015), another game by Supermassive, which prompted the developers to incorporate such a feature in their following releases.[29]

Synopsis

Setting and prologue

A bronze head artefact, with the beard depicted prominently. The artefact is believed to illustrate the Akkadian god-king Naram-Sin, or his grandfather Sargon of Akkad.
Most of the game is set in Akkad, formerly ruled by the king Naram-Sin (mask pictured). He features prominently in the prologue.

House of Ashes' plot unfolds within the former territory of the ancient Akkadian Empire that existed in Mesopotamia around 4,000 years ago.[11] In the game's timeline, it was the site of the crash-landing of a spaceship that carried thousands of large, bat-like aliens controlled by a parasite that gestates within the host's body.[30][31] The disease caused the aliens to mutate into vampires[30][32] that are vulnerable to ultraviolet light; they have hibernated underground for millennia, occasionally venturing to the surface to feed on their victims' adrenaline.[30][33]

The prologue takes place in 2231 BC in the temple, located in Akkad.[11] As a Gutian army prepares to invade Akkad, King Naram-Sin orders the mass sacrifice of Gutian prisoners in the city temple to help them win the battle. During the assault, a solar eclipse allows the aliens beneath the temple to slaughter both forces. Two survivors, Akkadian general Balathu and Gutian soldier Kurum, ignore their differences and work together as they flee into the temple catacombs. An alien quickly overwhelms Balathu and Kurum, presumably killing them.[34]

Following the prologue, the game cuts to a scene of a library owned by the Curator. He introduces himself to the player and provides information about parts of House of Ashes' gameplay, including the decision-making system[35][36] and the pictures system.[37]

Characters

A photo of actor Nick Tarabay at the 2014 Florida Supercon
Nick Tarabay (pictured 2014) voices Salim Othman.
A photo of actor Ashley Tisdale doing a video for Allure in 2018
Ashley Tisdale (pictured 2018) voices Rachel King.

The game's five protagonists include Rachel King (Ashley Tisdale), a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative working for the US Armed Forces, and her husband Eric King (Alex Gravenstein), who is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force . Rounding out the ensemble cast's four-American tally are Sergeant Nick Kay (Moe Jeudy-Lamour) of the Marine Corps, Rachel's paramour; and US Marine First Lieutenant Jason Kolchek (Paul Zinno), the squad leader of callsign Mailman 2–1. Republic Guard lieutenant Salim Othman (Nick E. Tarabay) is the sole Iraqi protagonist.[35][38]

House of Ashes centres around two main character dynamics: Rachel's relationship with Eric and Nick, and Jason's relationship with Salim.[6] After a year apart, Rachel and Eric have grown distant,[35] leading to her affair with Nick, which can cause serious issues between the three throughout the game.[39] Haunted by memories of ordering the shooting of an unarmed civilian at a checkpoint, Jason is searching for his purpose in life, having enlisted in the military after the September 11 attacks in an attempt to do so, motivated by Islamophobic sentiments. Salim, a father who wishes to reunite with his son after escaping the temple, may help Jason turn their initial animosity into friendship as part of the story's core theme. With this, he can make Jason empathize with Iraqis, especially Salim's reasons for joining the war, and overcome his prejudices.[20][40][41]

Main plot

Eric arrives at Camp Slayer in Baghdad to debrief a team of Force Recon Marines led by Rachel about a mission to raid a village in the Arabian Desert. He tells her, Jason, Nick, and the others that there might be a facility underneath the village that stores chemical weapons by Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.[35][42] Meanwhile, Salim returns home and searches for his son, carrying a birthday gift for him, but his commanding officer Cpt. Dar Basri forces Salim to intercept Eric's raid, spearheaded by Jason.[43][44] Salim's squad ambushes the US troops when they arrive, but several sinkholes plunge everyone into the ancient Akkadian temple, now buried beneath the sand.[43]

The five protagonists are separated during the fall. The Iraqis and Americans are frequently attacked by the aliens and certain reanimated humans who succumbed to the parasite inside the temple.[lower-alpha 3] Rachel and Jason can catch the infection later in the game.[45][46][47] Throughout House of Ashes, the protagonists learn about the temple's history and about the remains of a failed British 1940s archaeological expedition. Led by Randolph Hodgson and Lady Bradshaw in a supposed search for Alexander the Great's tomb,[48] the entire expedition team perished after encountering and studying the monsters;[49] Hodgson tried but failed to destroy the temple with dynamite.[50]

Salim explores the temple alone as the surviving marines regroup, using steel debris from a fallen truck to fight the vampires; Rachel is separated from Eric after a stand-off with Dar and falls into a blood-soaked pit. While the US forces search for ways to signal for help, she comes across an infected Clarice, abducted by the vampires earlier. Together, the two climb out of the pit, but due to Clarice's worsening state, Rachel must choose whether to abandon her or have her continue forward to medicate the illness.[51] Regardless, Rachel reunites with her allies in the temple, after which they are promptly assaulted by the vampires.[52] As they escape towards the catacombs below them, the Americans encounter Dar, now joined by Salim.[53]

Salim suggests they unite to fight the monsters, to which the others reluctantly agree.[54] The vampires continue their attack in the catacombs, separating everyone and killing Dar.[53] After the assault, Salim encounters Jason and suggests to form an alliance with him. The two explore the temple[55] and go deeper into the alien spaceship's remains, where they find the partially preserved remains of either Balathu or Kurum.[56] Nick, and possibly Rachel and Eric, follow afterward. Once the survivors flee from another close encounter with the creatures, they further explore the spaceship and learn about the vampires' origin.[57]

The survivors talk about a gigantic nest of hibernating vampires they found in the spaceship and incinerate it with explosives. As the cocoons burn, they escape to the surface to await extraction by a rescue team,[58] but a total solar eclipse allows the aliens to attack the group one final time before the dispatched team arrives. During a post-credits epilogue at Camp Slayer, the located protagonists are transported—and interviewed if found alive—inside the base.[lower-alpha 4] The US military,[61] planning to cover up the entire incident, begins analysis of the vampires.[62]

Development

Design and inspiration

Lovecraft in 1934, facing left and looking right.
The developers looked at the works of H. P. Lovecraft (pictured in 1934) while writing the game's story, and out of all his books, they drew the most influence from his science horror novella At the Mountains of Madness (1936).[63]

House of Ashes is the third game[64] in a series of eight planned for The Dark Pictures Anthology.[65] Its screenplay was written by Khurrum Rahman,[66] while Will Doyle directed the game and Dom Ireland oversaw production.[67] The game was the anthology's first to be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, making use of the next-generation graphics and resolution the new platforms provide.[68][69][70](05:56) Man of Medan and Little Hope received PS5/Xbox Series X/S upgrades in September 2022, which were free for those who already owned the games.[71]

Inspirations for House of Ashes included the films Aliens (1986), Predator (1987), and The Descent (2005); the H. P. Lovecraft novella At the Mountains of Madness (1936); and the myth of the Curse of Akkad.[4][72] Doyle described House of Ashes as a creature feature and an exploration horror game about an ensemble cast of "trained experts", who are "beyond safety" and unable to get backup for a "critical" mission in a secluded location, where they encounter threats Doyle described as "horrible" and "inhumane".[4][72] Like the other instalments, House of Ashes was designed to be a standalone story,[5][73] but Supermassive Games included easter eggs and callbacks to previous and future instalments to create a shared universe within the anthology.[69][74] Character models from House of Ashes' predecessors were reused in the game; Sara Rechena from the Portuguese edition of IGN said the choice was reminiscent of the anthology TV series American Horror Story.[14]

David Hirst oversaw the art team's research into Mesopotamian architecture, dress, and headgear for use in the game, "filling in the gaps where necessary to create a realistic yet memorable look". They created a temple inspired by real-life complexes from the Akkadian time period and aged it to fit within the game's 2003 setting, filling pathways with sand and breaking down the pillars and ceilings.[75] The team spent an extensive amount of time designing the monsters, the most complicated of their kind they had made thus far. Developers combined motion capture and hand animation elements, to make the creatures act lifelike.[4][16] The executive producer Dan McDonald, in an interview with PCGamesN, said Supermassive focused on determining the monsters' physiology to achieve an "otherworldly" effect, which they did using "a bunch of props, stilts, and other things".[16] Doyle also said the monsters' designs were created to be faceless so they would appear incomprehensible and unempathetic, and inhumane enough to "bring out the humanity" in the protagonists.[70](04:54)[76]

Usage of the Iraq War as setting

McDonald said while the game is set during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, they did not want war and politics to be its primary focus, though they attempted to treat the topic with respect nonetheless.[5][18] Because Doyle thought movies depicting the Iraq War tended to dehumanise people from opposing nations, he and his team wanted to include an Iraqi protagonist in the main cast to add nuance and representation.[76] To make the characters more three-dimensional, Supermassive tied several aspects of their backstories, such as Salim's desire to leave the war and go back to his son, to the invasion.[5] During production, the developers consulted military specialists and Arabic speakers to ensure their depiction of 2003 Iraq was "grounded in reality" and the plot's script was of good quality.[5][18]

Supermassive attributed the decision to set the game in Iraq to the country's abundance in myths and folklore the team could incorporate into the story.[18] The developers believed the 2003–2011 Iraq War would make an "interesting" departure point for the development of the five protagonists, allowing them the opportunity for character motivations, relationships and dynamics the developers found compelling, sympathetic and complex.[5][76]

Casting the lead

For Rachel King, the developers wanted to cast someone who could exhibit a "tough" personality but was simultaneously capable of showing a "soft side", and Supermassive Games decided Ashley Tisdale, known for her appearances in the High School Musical franchise, was fit for the role.[77] The project would expand Tisdale's career experiences outside of her usual roles in comedy, so Tisdale agreed to provide Rachel's voice and likeness,[5] making her debut as a video game actor.[38] To comply with social distancing protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, she had to avoid bodily contact with the others while having their performances recorded by motion capture. Their movements were digitally edited in post-production to give the impression of contact.[76][78] In an interview with the developers, Tisdale recounted her experiences while acting for House of Ashes and expressed excitement in her role as a CIA operative in the game:[79]

I'm obsessed with the CIA, and so I was very excited to play a character [like Rachel] because I haven't gotten to do that on TV or movies yet ... I am more known for obviously doing comedy, but this is like, you know what? For me I've always wanted to do an action film, and I am living out my action dreams [acting for the game] because, yes, it is scary, but there's so much action adventure in it, and it's pretty cool—it's pretty wild ... Everyone's really cool; I mean, we all have so much fun and we kind of are just like here kind of killing it.[79]

Supermassive Games promoted Tisdale and Rachel as the House of Ashes lead.[80] As observed by Kimberley Wallace from Game Informer, every game in the series follows this trend. Apart from House of Ashes' Tisdale, she noted that Shawn Ashmore and Will Poulter starred in the series, playing characters in Man of Medan and Little Hope respectively.[5]

Music and sound design

A photo of Jason Graves taken during the Game Developers Conference in 2016.
Jason Graves (2016) reprises his role as composer for The Dark Pictures

The soundtrack was composed by Supermassive Games's long-time collaborator Jason Graves, who previously worked with them on music for other games in The Dark Pictures Anthology. Before the series' inception, he composed music for Until Dawn.[81][82] Graves began composing music during the early stages of development, which happened to be during the UK's COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. The score comprises string and percussion instruments, including hand drums and distorted guitars, as well as flutes and synthesisers.[82][83]

The game's sound director Barney Pratt used a combination of film- and game-music editing techniques to create a cinematic, immersive atmosphere for House of Ashes. Pratt's team wanted the score's style to be shaped by the plot and gameplay,[82][84] so a percussive, Sumerian-style composition was used for the prologue. It progresses to a horror-themed orchestration of other instruments,[84] with the synthesisers added after the game's twist to evoke the image of highly advanced technology.[83] In these scores, Pratt made use of the game's "signature sound" that could convey a wide variety of emotions, ranging from "unnerving" to "dramatic". He also planned the signature sound to be subtle and encompass a vast range of "time zones, cultures, and locations", in line with the story's "consistent element[s]".[83][84] Graves started working on this sound using a sample of a dove's coo, which he used as the basis for the other arrangements.[83]

Prelude and release

House of Ashes was first revealed in a post-credits teaser trailer at the end of Little Hope,[85][86] which was released on 30 October 2020.[87][88] Supermassive Games and Bandai Namco Entertainment published another teaser trailer on 19 May 2021[89][90] then officially revealed the gameplay the next week.[90][91] Two story trailers provided glimpses on the game's plot; one trailer premiered at E3 2021's Summer Game Fest on 10 June[92][93] and another at Gamescom 2021 on 25 August.[94][95] The Gamescom trailer contains an advertisement for the game's "Pazuzu Edition" and a link to a fictional US military website that gave further details about House of Ashes' lore.[95][96] The Pazuzu Edition, the name for the game's collector's edition, included the Curator's Cut, a collector's box, an art print, a set of stickers, a figurine of one of the vampiric creatures, and an eclipse-shaped button.[97]

In early September 2021, Supermassive and Bandai Namco made a playable demo of the game available to the public.[98][99] On 7 October, the companies released a character trailer introducing the main cast.[100][101] House of Ashes was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 22 October 2021.[102][103] Its release was accompanied by a trailer that includes live-action scenes of the Curator.[103]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(PC) 73/100[104]
(PS4 & XSXS) 74/100[105][106]
(PS5) 72/100[107]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid6/10[108]
Game Informer7.5/10[20]
GameSpot8/10[11]
GamesRadar+3/5[15]
Hardcore Gamer3.5/5[109]
IGN(EN) 8/10[110]
PC Gamer (US)80/100[24]
Push Square7/10 stars[111]
Shacknews8/10[22]
VG2473/5 stars[23]
VideoGamer.com4/10[64]

House of Ashes received "mixed or average" reviews on Metacritic.[112] The prevailing verdict was that despite narrative and technical flaws, it was the best game of the anthology so far[lower-alpha 5] and, while not as good as Until Dawn, was the closest Supermassive had gotten to replicating its quality and acclaim.[lower-alpha 6] The gimmick that House of Ashes featured, to many, was a unique, refreshing new addition to the anthology.[lower-alpha 7] Recommending the game for readers, Ian Higton of Eurogamer wrote: "It's been a delight to see the Dark Pictures Anthology surprise players with unexpected twists and turns with every new instalment, and House of Ashes is no exception".[3] In VentureBeat, Dean Takahashi found that while the anthology formula had become too familiar, House of Ashes improved upon the series in many ways.[6] Edge added that the promise of the anthology remained fresh, but the "systems supporting it are starting to creak with age".[115]

Gameplay and technical elements

Positive comments about the gameplay revolved around the replay value,[20][116] the QTEs' intensity,[3][24] the updated mechanics such as the new QTE adjustment settings,[lower-alpha 8] and the multiplayer modes.[lower-alpha 9] The collectables were warmly received, lauded for their associated cutscenes[1][108] and utility in guiding players to best decisions,[6][24][114] and some critics deemed the action setpieces intense, well-choreographed, and worthwhile.[6][41][108] Regarding the game's branching story and butterfly effect elements, Sisi Jiang of Kotaku and Donovan Erskine of Shacknews found them well-executed. Jiang wrote the game remained cohesive despite the dozens of possible outcomes, though Erskine did not feel the same way and wrote there was an intrinsic disadvantage in its several dialogue options.[22][41] Rock Paper Shotgun's Alice Bell wrote that the narrative branches often led to incongruous dialogue.[114]

Frustration and confusion arose from the characters' slow walking pace,[20][22][113] as well as House of Ashes' simultaneous efforts to be a video game and emulate the cinematic experience of a horror film;[15][41][118] Tom Orry of VG247 thought it diminished the game's interactivity.[23] The butterfly effect system was a point of critique for the GameSpot critic Richard Wakeling. The head and heart imagery did not properly guide him in making the most appropriate choices, and he believed the character traits system was unclear on how each trait would affect what decision,[11] an opinion present in Higton's review.[3] Meanwhile, Takahashi questioned the use of reticles to insert QTEs into combat, writing it was a "clunky way" to fight.[6]

Some critics were not sufficiently scared during their gameplay[20][64][117] despite the claustrophobic setting.[11][108] Reasons cited included the creatures were shown early, there was no sense of danger when controlling a character,[11] the QTEs made threats less intimidating,[15] and jumpscares fell flat.[117] On the positive side, Wakeling wrote the jumpscares were well-timed, the peril in QTE-filled action sequences elevated the set pieces, and the ambiguity in whether QTEs were inconsequential or life-altering heightened the scare factor.[11] Jiang felt otherwise: "[it] created a feeling that these interactive moments were just kind of there to force me to press buttons."[41] The lighting, music score, and sound design—which consisted partly of heartbeats and clicking noises—was considered successful in building suspense and elevating tension.[lower-alpha 10] Higton and Empire's Matt Kamen highlighted the slow-burn, persistent dread throughout the game, praising it for effectively showcasing the Lovecraftian and Mesopotamian premise.[3][113] Opinions on the creatures' design were varied, ranging from threatening and creepy[6][20] to underwhelming[15] and laughable.[111]

Critics welcomed the new-generation graphics[6][113] and deemed the camera an improvement from the previous instalments'.[6][22][117] Game Informer's Marcus Stewart praised its 360-degree controllability for making the exploration aspect of the game more engaging,[20] and others wrote it enhanced the claustrophobia House of Ashes wanted to evoke.[23][41][110] However, Stewart, along with a few more, took issue with the camera as not being at its best in confined spaces[lower-alpha 11] and being hard to move at times.[1][110] There were moments where immersion occasionally took a dip for some, often because game textures glitched, characters talked over each other,[1] or facial animations tended to stay stiff.[20][108][110] Referencing Rachel's animations, Kamen likened it to an "uncanny valley" experience,[113] while McLevy called her motion capture's budget "shitty".[119]

Story

Although noting some awkward moments in the dialogue, critics found the game generally well-written[6][39][110] and an effective balance of camp, fun, and horror.[1][24] The major parts of the story's appeal for them were its genre-savvy approach to survival horror,[41] its way of building tension,[41][110] and its comical B movie tendencies.[1][115][119] One critique was that the theme felt heavy-handed, with the "enemy of my enemy" phrase invoked too often.[23][108][111] Pacing was a recurring point of criticism, and reviews cited certain sections of the story they believed were a drag.[23][41][113] Cass Marshall of Polygon, while calling the pacing "excellent", wrote that more time should have been spent on the game's lore.[39] Play's Jess Kinghorn noted that future games in the anthology might benefit from runtimes closer to traditional films to balance the cinematic aspirations with giving players enough to do.[118]

Marshall praised the cast as "strongly characterised",[39] and Kamen called it the anthology's best and most complex thus far.[113] Higton and Jordan Devore of Destructoid wrote that some characters who seemed annoying at first might become more likeable to players later in the game.[3][108] On the other hand, for IGN's Ricky Frech, the characters remained the weakest part of the anthology and could have been less derivative.[110] The love triangle dynamic between Rachel, Eric, and Nick was criticized as being out of place given the context of constant danger,[20] akin to a soap opera forced only for drama.[11][114] Reviewers thought Salim and Jason's interactions more interesting,[3][11][114] highlighting their competency, pragmatism, and willingness to cooperate.[20][108][114] Praise abounded for Salim, due to his backstory as a father and his nice attitude towards his aggressors;[20][23] many ranked him as the game's most-likeable character.[lower-alpha 12] Jason also received some praise from critics, who cited his potential to develop camaraderie with Salim and abandon his anti-Arab racism.[20][114] Overall, the cast's acting was deemed strong enough to sell the drama[20][22][23] and better than the performances for Man of Medan and Little Hope;[3] Kinghorn called the performances serviceable, but wished some of them had gone bigger, notably Tisdale's Rachel earning the nickname "Queen Bitch" from her subordinates, but Kinghorn was "ultimately left not buying it".[118] Takahashi was more reserved with his praise and said it was not memorable.[6]

House of Ashes' handling of the Iraq War received extensive commentary, and some critics wrote that it provided a balanced portrayal of both sides of the conflict.[11][24][113] To them, the game did not reduce Iraq to being a setting for a "jingoistic shooting game" filled with jumpscares,[11] and it avoided focusing on Americans and portraying them as valiant heroes while dehumanising Arabs as violent rebels.[11][113] They wrote that Salim, thrust into the conflict against his own will, was made empathetic and not villainous for being Iraqi,[3][11] and Higton argued that even Jason could be a three-dimensional character.[3] He and Wakeling concluded that it made his relationship with Salim the game's best and players willing to ensure Salim survives, perhaps him the most out of everyone.[3][11] For Marshall, the way the Americans were portrayed as flawed and antagonistic effectively delivered the game's horror-tinged themes of anti-imperialism. However, they contended there was too much time spent showcasing the Americans' animosity towards the more nuanced Salim, writing there should have been additional Iraqi representation.[39]

Some felt in spite of the character development, the political commentary was handled superficially,[23] confusingly,[15] or pretentiously.[119] Stewart considered the lack of thorough commentary an advantage that prevented the game from ineptly handling sensitive issues any further.[20] Meanwhile, Jiang acknowledged the clear efforts to deliver critiques on the Iraq War, but they concluded that it still perpetuated harmful mentalities associated with the war on terror and unintentionally acted as imperialist propaganda. In their view, Americans were still associated with imagery meant to instill a sense of familiarity and comfort—pictures of diners and a cross-shaped necklace—with Iraq cast as a mysterious Other. They deemed the game's critiques ineffective for a variety of reasons, citing one scene where Jason compared fighting the vampires to fighting Iraqis, as well as the contrast between Salim and Dar's characterisation. Salim, wrote Jiang, was humanised partly by having a son who aspired to study in London, while Dar was portrayed as an unreasonable militant willing to prolong conflict in the name of nationalism. They further wrote, "[Salim] survives because he's a Good Minority with western education and connections. In contrast, Captain Dar [...] is portrayed as the Extremist, Unreasonable Minority [...] while [he is] meant to bring some moral complexity to the narrative, he ends up reinforcing the idea that the Iraqis should have been nicer when Americans invaded their country."[41]

Accolades

Year Award Category Result Template:Ref heading
2021 Gamescom Awards Best Multiplayer Game Nominated [120][121]
Best Sony PlayStation Game Nominated
2022 NAVGTR Awards Outstanding Camera Direction in a Game Engine Nominated [122]
Outstanding Direction in a Game Cinema Nominated
Outstanding Game, Franchise Adventure Nominated
Outstanding Lighting/Texturing Nominated
Outstanding Sound Editing in a Game Cinema Nominated

Sales

House of Ashes sold 27% fewer physical copies in the United Kingdom upon its debut compared to Little Hope. The game entered the UK boxed charts at number six, with 48% of boxed sales from PS5 users. The PS4 and Xbox versions, respectively, comprised 36% and 16% of physical sales at the time.[123] House of Ashes dropped to number 21 on the week of 30 October, denoting a 52% decrease in sales.[124] The October 2021 issue for the GSD Top 20 Games chart, which weighs downloads and physical purchases, placed House of Ashes at number 11.[125]

Sequel

The series' next game is The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me, which is the final game in The Dark Pictures' first season.[126] The first trailer was shown at the end of House of Ashes and depicts an automated human-like mechanism created from a rotting corpse.[127] The trailer is about a minute long and features a voiceover monologue about the "art" of serial killing.[128] A gold picture found in a chapter of House of Ashes previews a scene from The Devil in Me, showing a man being incinerated by an explosion caused by a mannequin.[74]

The Devil in Me follows a five-person crew of documentary filmmakers who tour a replica of H. H. Holmes' "Murder Castle" and are subsequently stalked by a malevolent force.[129] The game was released on 18 November 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.[130]

Notes

  1. "Black" pictures allude to a possible character death, while "white" pictures foretell an event associated with a positive outcome. A "gold" picture does not show events from the current game but gives premonitions of a scene for the next game in the anthology.[25]
  2. In January 2022, the "Curator's Cut" became available for players who purchased but did not pre-order House of Ashes.[28]
  3. One of the vampires is named "Ancient One", who is either Balathu or Kurum depending on player choices in the prologue.[10]
  4. During the epilogue, the extraction team may fail to discover two characters. Rachel can get confined within a vampire's cocoon with no-one alive to direct the team towards her.[10] If the US troops had not called for close air support, Salim can safely return to his son at home instead of being arrested as a POW by the US military,[10][59] interacting with other survivors for the final time before leaving Target LZ.[60]
  5. Cited to multiple reviews[1][3][11][22][111][113]
  6. Cited to multiple reviews[1][23][108][110][114]
  7. Cited to multiple reviews[3][24][108][110]
  8. Cited to multiple reviews[1][20][113][117]
  9. Cited to multiple reviews[15][24][108][110][113][115]
  10. Cited to multiple reviews[1][20][22][41]
  11. Cited to multiple reviews[3][20][24][115]
  12. Cited to multiple reviews[3][15][20][108]

References

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  2. Thang, Jimmy (6 August 2021). "Over 80 Unreal Engine Games Highlighted During Recent Summer Events". Epic Games. https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/over-80-unreal-engine-games-highlighted-during-recent-summer-events. 
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 Higton, Ian (25 October 2021). "House of Ashes Review – The Dark Picture Anthology's Best Entry Yet". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-21-house-of-ashes-review-the-dark-picture-anthologys-best-entry-yet. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Takahashi, Dean (27 May 2021). "The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Takes Horror Under the Desert". https://venturebeat.com/2021/05/27/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes-takes-horror-under-the-desert/. 
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  7. 7.0 7.1 Hornshaw, Phil (27 May 2021). "How House of Ashes's Changes Could Make It The Dark Pictures Anthology's Resident Evil 4". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-house-of-ashess-changes-could-make-it-the-dark-pictures-anthologys-resident-evil-4/1100-6492093/. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 Gábor, Horváth (21 October 2021). "The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes – Kritika" (in hu). MLK Consulting. https://hu.ign.com/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes/71757/review/teszt-the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes. 
  9. Huston, Gabrielle (22 October 2021). "10 Beginner's Tips for House of Ashes". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/house-of-ashes-dark-pictures-beginners-tips-tricks-advice/. 
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Huston, Gabrielle (5 November 2021). "House of Ashes: How to Unlock Every Achievement". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/house-of-ashes-how-to-unlock-every-achievement-trophy-unlock-guide-walkthrough/. 
  11. 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.14 11.15 Wakeling, Richard (21 October 2021). "The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Review – The Descent". Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes-review-the-descent/1900-6417766/. 
  12. 12.0 12.1 Parrish, Ash (10 June 2021). "Until Dawn Devs Are Making a Horror Game Set During the Iraq War". G/O Media. https://kotaku.com/until-dawn-devs-are-making-a-horror-game-set-during-the-1847074117. 
  13. 13.0 13.1 Gina (2 December 2021). "Who Is Dark Pictures Anthology's Curator?". Valnet Inc.. https://www.cbr.com/dark-pictures-anthology-curator/. 
  14. 14.0 14.1 Rechena, Sara (26 October 2021). "The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes – Análise" (in pt). GOATPixel. https://pt.ign.com/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes/105131/review/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes-analise. 
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 Weber, Rachel (21 October 2021). "The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Review – 'Lackluster Military Versus Monsters Soap Opera'". Future plc. https://www.gamesradar.com/dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes-review/. 
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 Lees, Gina (27 May 2021). "House of Ashes' Monsters Aren't Hallucinations This Time: 'These Things Are Real'". Network N. https://www.pcgamesn.com/dark-pictures-house-of-ashes/monsters. 
  17. Marshall, Cass (4 November 2020). "Little Hope Commits the Cardinal Sin of Horror Games". Vox Media. https://www.polygon.com/pc/2020/11/4/21549532/little-hope-review-ending-explained-thoughts-dark-pictures-anthology. 
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Marshall, Cass (27 May 2021). "House of Ashes, the Next Dark Pictures Game, Addresses Fan Feedback". Vox Media. https://www.polygon.com/2021/5/27/22457344/dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes-supermassive-interview-preview. 
  19. "The Dark Pictures Anthology – House of Ashes Joins E3 with an Exclusive Interview with the Executive Producer". Bandai Namco Holdings. 16 June 2021. https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/the-dark-pictures/news/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes-joins-e3-exclusive-interview-the. 
  20. 20.00 20.01 20.02 20.03 20.04 20.05 20.06 20.07 20.08 20.09 20.10 20.11 20.12 20.13 20.14 20.15 20.16 20.17 20.18 Stewart, Marcus (21 October 2021). "The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Review – A Respectable Reign of Mild Terror". GameStop. https://www.gameinformer.com/review/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes-review. 
  21. Lees, Gina (27 May 2021). "House of Ashes First Look: 'We're Not Making Tomb Raider or Call of Duty'". Network N. https://www.pcgamesn.com/dark-pictures-house-of-ashes/gameplay-not-tomb-raider-cod. 
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 22.7 Erskine, Donovan (21 October 2021). "The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Review: As Above, so Below". Gamerhub. https://www.shacknews.com/article/127237/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes-review-as-above-so-below. 
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 23.7 23.8 23.9 Orry, Tom (22 October 2021). "The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Review – Caught Between a Video Game and a Movie". Gamer Network Limited. https://www.vg247.com/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes-review-caught-between-a-video-game-and-a-movie. 
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 24.6 24.7 24.8 Brown, Fraser (21 October 2021). "House of Ashes Review". Future plc. https://www.pcgamer.com/house-of-ashes-review/. 
  25. 25.0 25.1 Huston, Gabrielle (2 November 2021). "House of Ashes: Where to Find Every Picture". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/dark-pictures-house-of-ashes-where-find-every-picture-collectable-locations/. 
  26. 26.0 26.1 Dagny, Nico (24 October 2021). "House of Ashes: 6 Things to Do After You Beat the Game". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/dark-pictures-house-ashes-postgame-content/. 
  27. Urquhart, Colin (8 April 2021). "Why Next-Gen Consoles Need Next-Gen Faces". Gamer Network. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-04-08-why-next-gen-consoles-need-next-gen-faces. 
  28. Wales, Matt (31 January 2022). "Dark Pictures Anthology Owners Can Invite a Friend to Co-Op for Free Throughout February". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/dark-pictures-anthology-owners-can-invite-a-friend-to-co-op-for-free-throughout-february. 
  29. 29.0 29.1 Donnelly, Joe (29 October 2021). "Creativity and Risk Are Driving Modern Horror Games – but Where Does the Genre Go Next?". Future plc. https://www.gamesradar.com/how-horror-games-are-evolving-little-nightmares-dark-pictures-anthology-wraith-the-oblivion-afterlife/. 
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Huston, Gabrielle (6 February 2022). "House of Ashes: The Vampires, Explained". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/house-of-ashes-vampires-creatures-lore-explained/. 
  31. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Strange Aeons. "Mary Hodgson (through Secret #43: Mary's Notes): As I discover more about the musical language of these creatures, my mind spins in wonder at how they came to be here. Did they soar through the skies in the days of the dinosaurs? Did their great empire span the globe while we were still swinging from the trees? They are dead now. Their forms are somewhat like our own, but everything else about them is alien to life as we know it. The console displays what appears to be a constellation of stars: Cetus, as seen from Earth. Did they come here from beyond, crossing great gulfs of space to land here? Were they trying to get home?" 
  32. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Strange Aeons. "Unknown Archaeologist (through Secret #19: Creature Life Cycle): Hunts Victim / Implants Parasite / Parasite Gestates / Host Death / Parasite Takes Over" 
  33. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Enemy of My Enemy. "Unknown Archaeologist (through Secret #46: Autopsy Notes): Autopsy Notes / Specimen contains an inordinate amount of blood in its stomach. / Analysis of blood sample shows high density of adrenaline. / Does the organism feed on fear?" 
  34. Huston, Gabrielle (10 December 2021). "House of Ashes: Cursed (Prologue) – Scene Walkthrough". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/house-of-ashes-prologue-walkthrough-choices-consequences-collectibles-secrets/. 
  35. 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 Huston, Gabrielle (10 December 2021). "House of Ashes: The Briefing – Scene Walkthrough". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/house-of-ashes-the-briefing-scene-walkthrough-tips-secrets-pictures-collectables/. 
  36. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Cursed. "Curator: You are about to make some difficult decisions, decisions that will affect the lives of others. How those decisions play out will become clear over time … I am the Curator; the custodian of tales. My purpose is to keep a record of everything you do, every decision, or every mistake, you make." 
  37. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Cursed. "Curator: Let me give you a few words of advice. Throughout the story, you will encounter certain pictures – pictures, which allude to possible outcomes. I suggest you pay attention to their meaning – they could foreshadow a future best avoided." 
  38. 38.0 38.1 Erskine, Donovan (22 October 2021). "The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes Voice Actors and Cast". Gamerhub. https://www.shacknews.com/article/127281/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes-voice-actors-and-cast. 
  39. 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 Marshall, Cass (27 October 2021). "House of Ashes Is an Ambitious Horror Game That Mostly Pulls It Off". Vox Media. https://www.polygon.com/reviews/22747618/house-of-ashes-review-supermassive-games-story-gameplay-themes-ending-horror. 
  40. Huston, Gabrielle (29 October 2021). "House of Ashes: Brothers – Scene Walkthrough". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/house-of-ashes-brothers-scene-walkthrough-tips-secrets-pictures-collectables/. 
  41. 41.00 41.01 41.02 41.03 41.04 41.05 41.06 41.07 41.08 41.09 41.10 Jiang, Sisi (26 October 2021). "House of Ashes: The Kotaku Review". G/O Media. https://kotaku.com/house-of-ashes-the-kotaku-review-1847938233. 
  42. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: The Briefing. "Eric: Satellite sweeps of the war zone have uncovered what appears to be an underground storage facility. This will, of course, require further investigation. But I strongly suspect it's where Saddam's chemical weapons are hidden. / [Merwin and Nick fist bump each other] / Jason: We got you, you sonovabitch! / Eric: CENTCOM has given the green light to raid the facility and seize any weapons on site." 
  43. 43.0 43.1 Huston, Gabrielle (11 December 2021). "House of Ashes: The Raid – Scene Walkthrough". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/house-of-ashes-the-raid-scene-walkthrough-tips-secrets-pictures-collectables/#badra-mandali-salim. 
  44. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: The Raid. "Salim (in Arabic): Captain Basri! Hello. / Dar (in Arabic): We need to move out now! / Salim: What are you talking about? / Dar: They're coming, Salim! The invaders are flying in! / Salim: Invaders? Captain, the war is over! We lost! / Dar: Nonsense! There has been no surrender! In the name of God, this is our land, man! This is where we fight back!" 
  45. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Bloodbath. "[Clarice convulses and coughs profusely, and something in her throat appears to twitch, causing Rachel to step back] / Rachel: Clarice? What did that thing do to you? / Clarice: Please... Please don't leave me down here alone!" 
  46. Dagny, Nico (26 October 2021). "Hidden Plotlines Everyone Completely Missed in House of Ashes". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/house-of-ashes-hidden-plotlines/. 
  47. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Strange Aeons. "[Rachel drops to the floor and screams] / Eric: There's no more time! [Turns on UV lamp] Maybe we can burn the infection out of her? / Nick: Well do it, she's dying! / [Eric shines the lamp on Rachel, whose mouth begins to smoke. She nauseates and vomits blood along with the parasite, which crawls out of sight] / Rachel: [Coughing] That was inside me! I'm going to kill that fucking thing!" 
  48. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: The Temple. "Randolph Hodgson (through journal entry): September 24th, 1945. When Lady Bradshaw summons you, you go. Mary and I were bound for our honeymoon, but the chance to dine with one of Britain's finest antiquarians was too great for us to miss. When we met, Bradshaw wore a brooch that caught Mary's eye: a Sumerian relic recovered from a dig site in the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq. After dinner, she showed us another find from the same site, a gold cuneiform tablet. She called it the final puzzle-piece in her life's work – a map that pinpoints the tomb of Alexander the Great. If she's right, the tomb lies somewhere on the border between Syria and Iraq [sic]. Lady Bradshaw wants us to lead her expedition. I realise now that our honeymoon will take place in a dusty dig site in the Zagros Mountains [sic]." 
  49. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Strange Aeons. "Randolph Hodgson (through journal entry): They are coming. We must end it here, with fire and gunsmoke. If there is time, my last act will be to dictate this diary onto tape; perhaps, if it is found in the rubble, it can serve as a warning to any who follow us. The bones of this temple are drenched in blood. We have set foot on an uncharted shore and roused something ancient and wicked…" 
  50. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Strange Aeons. "Ellis Van Huyten (through Secret #45: Van Huyten's confession): To whoever finds this. Forgive me. I have sabotaged the dynamite to prevent my colleagues from sealing this temple to the world. Lady Bradshaw was right to bring me here—these creatures are a key to limitless power. There are secrets here that could allow humanity to reach across the stars. Perhaps even achieve immortality itself. Please safeguard this ruin, and do not think badly of me for what I have done. I only serve the future." 
  51. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Bloodbath. "Clarice: Wait! Do you really believe those medicines will help me?" 
  52. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: The Assault. "[Vampires can be heard growling behind a door] / Rachel: [Looking at camera footage] They're breaking through the perimeter. / Jason: You got any bright ideas, now's the time!" 
  53. 53.0 53.1 Huston, Gabrielle (18 January 2022). "House of Ashes: The Horror – Scene Walkthrough". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/house-of-ashes-the-horror-scene-walkthrough-tips-secrets-pictures-collectables/. 
  54. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: The Horror. "Salim: I feel like our uniforms are getting in the way of what could be a beautiful relationship." 
  55. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Enemy of My Enemy, The City. 
  56. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: The City. "[The camera pans to a partially decomposed man. The parts that have been preserved are covered in a strange yellow fluid] / Jason: Holy shit... / Salim: Look at him! / Jason: Check out that armor. This guy is goddamn biblical. / Salim: [Lights up match, causing the preserved man's eye to twitch] Shit! D-did you see that? I think he's still alive. / Jason: That's impossible. / Salim: In this place, everything's possible." 
  57. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Strange Aeons. "Salim: Then a tragedy fell upon them. Their great empire collapsed. Their music felt silent. And they turned on each other. What happened? A sickness? A madness? What turned them from architects into killers? Whatever it is, it twisted them. Now they're creatures of hate. Animals! Dead things! No one left to kill, so they slept and waited... They waited for us." 
  58. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Strange Aeons.. "Salim: The vampire comes from those cocoons. You saw how many there were in that vault. There could be thousands in there. / Jason: So we blow them up. Burn as many of those motherfuckers as we can and head to the surface. What do you think, Sergeant? / Nick: [Loads his assault rifle with magazine] Oorah!" 
  59. Huston, Gabrielle (4 November 2021). "House of Ashes: How to Get the Good Ending". Valnet Inc.. https://www.thegamer.com/house-of-ashes-how-to-get-good-best-ending-save-keep-everyone-alive/. 
  60. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Level/area: Daylight. "Salim: I need to see my boy. [Stands up and reaches for his stake, showing it to the others] A souvenir. / [He heads for the exit but stops when he hears Jason] / Jason: Salim. Wait! [Approaches Salim] Good luck, brother. You wish Zain a happy birthday for me. / Salim: [Shakes Jason's hand] Thank you, Jason. Goodbye, my friend. / [Salim walks out of the house and heads home while the sun sets]" 
  61. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Scene: Epilogue. Level/area: The End. "Miller: And the entities? / Brooks: Like nothing we've seen before. / [The camera pans to a US agent, wearing PPE, taking a parasite out of a vampire specimen]" 
  62. ((Supermassive Games)) (22 October 2021). The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. Bandai Namco Entertainment. Scene: Epilogue. Level/area: The End. "Brooks: So, what'd you make of it all? / Miller: It doesn't matter what I think. Only thing that matters is controlling the flow of information. [Turns around and faces Brooks] As far as the world knows, not a damn thing happened here. / [Brooks and Miller walk out of the room, and the former closes the door]" 
  63. Gonçalves, Aníbal (27 May 2021). "The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes – Primeiras Impressões" (in pt). GOATPixel. https://pt.ign.com/the-dark-pictures-anthology-house-of-ashes/99025/preview/the-dark-pictures-house-of-ashes-primeiras-impressoes. 
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