The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
Survive the ancient Akkadian temple and its vampiric creatures.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is an interactive drama and survival horror game released in 2021. It was developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, serving as the third installment in The Dark Pictures Anthology. The story is multilinear, with player decisions capable of drastically altering the plot and shifting relationships among the five playable protagonists—some choices may lead to permanent character deaths. The game takes place during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and follows four members of the US Armed Forces and one Iraqi Republican Guard as they try to flee an underground Akkadian temple overrun by vampiric creatures. Ashley Tisdale, portraying CIA operative Rachel King, was promoted as the game’s lead actress. Composer Jason Graves, a frequent collaborator with Supermassive on the series, created the soundtrack while under COVID-19 lockdowns in the United Kingdom.
Returning mechanics from the anthology include quick time events (QTEs), two single-player and two multiplayer modes, and collectibles that grant visions of possible future events. New features introduced in House of Ashes are a more interactive camera system, a handheld light source to aid navigation, and three difficulty levels that adjust QTE demands. The game draws inspiration from the films *Aliens*, *Predator*, and *The Descent*, along with H. P. Lovecraft’s novella *At the Mountains of Madness* and the myth of the Curse of Akkad. The creatures were realized through a combination of motion capture and hand animation, while the temple’s design was modeled on ancient Mesopotamian architecture. Military specialists and Arabic speakers were consulted to ensure an accurate portrayal of the war.
House of Ashes was released on 22 October 2021 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, receiving mixed reviews. Many critics considered it an improvement over the anthology’s first two games, praising its replay value, QTE intensity, cinematography, multiplayer modes, and the likability of the Iraqi character. Criticism focused on the game’s pacing, lack of scares, facial animations, texture and animation glitches, and its handling of the Iraq War. The fourth game in the series, *The Devil in Me*, was teased in a post-credits trailer at the end of House of Ashes and launched on 18 November 2022.
Quick Facts
- Title
- The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
- Developer
- Supermassive Games
- Publisher
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Director
- Will Doyle
- Producer
- Dom Ireland
- Artist
- David Hirst
- Writer
- Khurrum Rahman
- Composer
- Jason Graves
- Series
- The Dark Pictures Anthology
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5 / Windows / Xbox One / Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- 22 October 2021
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
House of Ashes is set in the former territory of the Akkadian Empire, around 4,000 years ago in the game's timeline, where a spaceship crash-landed carrying bat-like aliens controlled by a parasite. The disease mutated the aliens into vampires vulnerable to ultraviolet light, hibernating underground for millennia. The prologue takes place in 2231 BC as a Gutian army prepares to invade Akkad, and a solar eclipse allows the vampires to emerge and massacre both armies. The main plot follows five protagonists: CIA officer Rachel King, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col Eric King, U.S. Force Recon Marines Sgt. Nick Kay and 1stLt. Jason Kolchek, and Iraqi Republican Guard soldier Salim Othman. The game's core mechanics include managing character relationships, quick time events (QTEs) with three difficulty levels, a handheld light source for navigation, and collectibles that trigger visions of possible future events. The films Aliens, Predator, and The Descent, as well as the H. P. Lovecraft novella At the Mountains of Madness and the myth of the Curse of Akkad, were the main influences. The creatures were made using motion capture and hand animation, and the temple's design was inspired by ancient Mesopotamian architecture. Military specialists and Arabic speakers were consulted to ensure a faithful depiction of the war.
Reader's Guide
House of Ashes was released to mixed reviews, with several critics deeming it an improvement from the previous two instalments in the anthology. Points of praise included the replay value, QTE intensity, cinematography, multiplayer modes, 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. The game features four gameplay modes: single-player 'Theatrical' and 'Curator's Cut' modes, and multiplayer 'Movie Night' (couch co-op for up to five players) and 'Shared Story' (online two-player). New features include a more interactive camera system, a handheld light source, and three difficulty levels to manage QTEs. The game's 'bearings' system allows players to retrospectively view actions that led to the current state of the game. The fourth game in the series, The Devil in Me, was revealed in a teaser trailer at the end of House of Ashes and released on 18 November 2022.
Did You Know?
- Ashley Tisdale, who plays CIA operative Rachel King, was marketed as the game's leading actress.
- Jason Graves composed the soundtrack during COVID-19 lockdowns in the United Kingdom.
- The game is the first in The Dark Pictures Anthology to feature difficulty levels affecting QTEs.
- The prologue takes place in 2231 BC during a solar eclipse.
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