The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

The opinions of the critics regarding the story of The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes are varied, but there are several positive aspects that stand out. CGMagazine praises the game's focus on choices and consequences, which not only affect the outcome of the game but also build the characters' traits and relationships with each other. TheGamer commends the well-constructed and satisfying story, exploring themes of war and human behavior without falling into archetypes and cliches. ZTGD describes the story as the best one in the Dark Pictures series so far, with good tension and interesting themes of trust and struggle. However, there are also some negative aspects mentioned by the critics. Hooked Gamers feels that the story falls flat during interpersonal relationships and could have delved deeper into political issues but never committed to it. Xbox Achievements mentions that while the characters are complex, they lack room for growth. Digitally Downloaded states that the characters and their relationships are not compelling enough to fully connect with the story. VG247 criticizes the story for being largely cliche and the attempts to touch on difficult subjects as surface level. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the story of House of Ashes is a mixed bag. While there are positive elements such as the focus on choices and consequences, well-constructed narrative, and interesting themes, there are also shortcomings in terms of character development, depth in interpersonal relationships, and missed opportunities in exploring political and social commentary. However, the majority of critics seem to appreciate the story, with some even considering it the strongest in The Dark Pictures Anthology so far. It is worth noting that the game's conclusion is generally praised as satisfying.

The opinions of the critics regarding the gameplay of The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes are varied, with both positive and negative aspects highlighted. In terms of positives, several critics praised the choice-based narrative system and the impact of player decisions on the outcome of the story. CGMagazine and COGconnected mentioned that the choices made by the player have stakes and can lead to the end of a character's journey. TheGamer also noted that the cause and effect of choices are better understood in this entry. The addition of a fully controllable camera, as mentioned by TheXboxHub and Press Start Australia, was also seen as an improvement, enhancing the sense of exploration. The inclusion of exploration sections, secrets to discover, and the ability to shape the story through dialogue choices, as highlighted by COGconnected and Screen Rant, were also praised. On the other hand, there were some negative aspects mentioned by the critics. Several reviewers, such as Hooked Gamers, Xbox Achievements, and Gamers' Temple, felt that the gameplay relied heavily on quick-time events (QTEs) and lacked interactivity. The slow movement speed, clunky controls, and camera angles were also criticized by critics like GamingTrend, Twinfinite, and Hardcore Gamer. Some reviewers, such as Digitally Downloaded and NME, felt that the gameplay mechanics did not fully align with the horror theme of the game. Additionally, the exploration sections were described as hindered by slow movement speed and lackluster puzzles, according to TheGamer. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes offers an improved gameplay experience compared to previous entries in the series. The inclusion of a fully controllable camera, choice-based narrative system, and the ability to shape the story through dialogue choices were seen as positive aspects. However, there were some criticisms regarding the heavy reliance on QTEs, slow movement speed, and clunky controls. Despite these negatives, the game was praised for its tension, immersive set pieces, and the impact of player decisions on the outcome of the story.

The opinions of the critics regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes are generally positive. CGMagazine commends the attention to detail in character models and environments, highlighting the well-rendered expressions and sweat. TheGamer praises the visually stunning moments, natural character animations, and movie-quality cinematography. TheXboxHub notes the improved lighting and effects, particularly in the temple, and the enhanced character models on next-gen consoles. We Got This Covered describes the visuals as consistently excellent, with great character models and well-designed locales. App Trigger applauds the game's above and beyond environment, specifically mentioning the awesome ancient Sumerian tomb setting. COGconnected appreciates how the game effectively portrays the enormity of Mesopotamian structures and creates a sense of unease with claustrophobic corridors, while also paying homage to classic monster movies through its cinematography and camera angles. Digitally Downloaded and GAMES.CH both highlight the game's atmospheric and visually immersive qualities, with gorgeous locations, appealing monsters, and the freedom of movement. GameSpew and GamingTrend emphasize the game's incredible visuals, with GameSpew specifically mentioning its impressive appearance on PS5 and Xbox Series X. Impulsegamer praises the game's graphical fidelity, including 4K resolution, Ray tracing, realistic character models, and detailed monster models. KeenGamer describes the graphics as near flawless, with detailed settings, realistic audio, and stunningly rendered demonic creatures. Press Start Australia commends the game's fantastic visuals, well-designed locales, impressive lighting, and detailed character animations, comparing it favorably to Until Dawn's visual fidelity. However, there are some negative aspects mentioned by the critics. Xbox Achievements notes instances of immersion-breaking animation issues, while GAMINGbible criticizes the characters' tendency to talk with their chins tucked into their necks. IGN points out that while the facial capture is mostly great, there are times when the characters' necks look strange, and the environments, although stunning at times, show limitations due to a smaller budget. Noisy Pixel mentions haphazard changes in lighting and consistency breaks between sections. Push Square finds some of the creature designs ridiculous and laughable, while Screen Rant criticizes the jittering glitches in the animation of human characters. TheSixthAxis mentions the exceptional cinematography but does not specify any negative aspects. VG247 states that the game can look great at times but also a bit ropey at points. Gamers' Temple highlights that House of Ashes is not as scary as other horror games in the series, with fewer jump scares, and the overall graphics engine being similar to other games in the Dark Pictures series. Hardcore Gamer finds the visuals lacking, except for impressive monster designs. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes has impressive graphics and visual design. The game is praised for its attention to detail in character models and environments, stunning moments, improved lighting and effects, and consistently excellent visuals. The environments, including the ancient Sumerian tomb setting and the portrayal of Mesopotamian structures, are highly regarded for their atmospheric and immersive qualities. The game's cinematic presentation, including cinematography, camera angles, and freedom of movement, is also appreciated. However, there are some criticisms regarding animation issues, strange character necks, limitations due to budget, haphazard lighting changes, and consistency breaks. While some critics find the creature designs effective, others find them ridiculous. Despite these negative aspects, the overall sentiment is that the graphics and visual design of House of Ashes are impressive and contribute to the game's immersive and atmospheric experience.

The opinions of the critics regarding the Sound Design and Music of The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes are varied. Several critics praised the sound design and music, highlighting its immersive qualities and ability to enhance the overall experience. TheXboxHub commends the soundtrack by Jason Graves, noting that it effectively marks the change in pace and location in the third act. COGconnected also mentions that the game's sound design enhances the atmosphere with low clicking sounds and suspenseful music. Press Start Australia praises the intense score by Jason Graves, describing it as a thrilling soundscape that creates a great and intense experience. KeenGamer appreciates the crisp and impactful audio, particularly highlighting the realistic underground echoes and adrenaline-pumping machine gun sounds. These positive opinions from multiple critics indicate that the Sound Design and Music of The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes successfully contribute to the immersive and thrilling nature of the game. However, not all critics were as enthusiastic about the Sound Design and Music. Xbox Achievements states that the music and audio design are forgettable, suggesting that they do not leave a lasting impression. Gamers' Temple does not specifically mention the music but states that the overall sound is good, indicating that it may not have stood out as a particularly positive aspect of the game. Hardcore Gamer points out several technical issues with the sound mixing, including missing effects and dialogue bits, volume inconsistencies, and stutters. These negative opinions from a few critics suggest that there are areas where the Sound Design and Music of The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes could be improved, such as creating more memorable music and addressing technical issues. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the Sound Design and Music of The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes have both positive and negative aspects. The positive opinions highlight the immersive qualities, the ability to enhance the atmosphere and create tension, and the impactful audio. TheXboxHub, COGconnected, Press Start Australia, and KeenGamer all express positive sentiments regarding the sound design and music. However, there are also negative opinions, with Xbox Achievements mentioning forgettable music and audio design, Gamers' Temple not specifically mentioning the music, and Hardcore Gamer pointing out technical issues with the sound mixing. Despite these negatives, the overall sentiment leans towards the positive, suggesting that the Sound Design and Music of The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes generally contribute to the immersive and thrilling experience of the game.

The voice acting in The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes has received a mix of positive and negative opinions from the critics. Several reviewers, such as We Got This Covered and Game Informer, praised the voice acting performances, highlighting the solid performances across the board. They commended specific actors like Ashley Tisdale, Nick Taraby, and Paul Zinno for their standout work. TheGamer also mentioned that the characters and interpersonal drama were well done, indicating that the voice acting contributed to the overall portrayal of the characters' emotions and relationships. On the other hand, some critics expressed concerns about the voice acting in House of Ashes. Xbox Achievements mentioned that the acting often came across as wooden, leaving ambiguity as to whether it was the fault of the actors or the animation. Digitally Downloaded criticized the cast for trying too hard to make the script tense, suggesting that the voice acting may have felt forced in some instances. Press Start Australia specifically mentioned Ashley Tisdale's performance as being a bit flat, which stood out among the generally good voice acting. Overall, the consensus among the critics leans towards positive opinions regarding the voice acting in The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes. COGconnected and Noisy Pixel both praised the voice acting, with the latter mentioning that the actors did a fantastic job with their reactions and voice work. Additionally, Gamers' Temple highlighted the well-done voicing of all the characters, particularly Jason and Salim. While there were some criticisms and mixed opinions, the majority of the critics found the voice acting to be solid, with some even describing it as excellent. This indicates that, despite some minor flaws and differences in performances, the overall quality of the voice acting in the game was well-received by the critics.

In terms of the technical performance on PC, CGMagazine notes that while movement controls and interaction with the map can be clunky, interacting with objects is smooth. They recommend playing the game with a controller, which suggests that the overall experience on PC is mostly positive. Additionally, TheGamer mentions bugs such as missing audio, disappearing character models, and server disconnects, which negatively impact the quality outside of cutscenes. This indicates that the technical performance on PC has some significant issues that hinder the gameplay experience. Moving on to the Xbox Series X, TheXboxHub highlights stability improvements and faster loading times on next-gen consoles. However, they also mention occasional pauses or scene loading issues, which suggests that there are still some minor technical hiccups present. ZTGD echoes this sentiment, mentioning glitches and server disconnects that affected their gameplay experience. While they describe the glitches as not game-breaking, the server disconnects were a major issue. These mixed opinions indicate that the technical performance on Xbox Series X has both positive and negative aspects. Regarding the PlayStation 5, App Trigger mentions that the controls and load times have improved but still need some work. Digitally Downloaded mentions experiencing minor bugs, such as characters jutting about and facing in the opposite direction after cutscenes or conversations. On the other hand, GamingTrend states that the game runs smoothly on PS5 without any performance issues. Impulsegamer also encountered a few glitches but found that they did not disrupt the overall experience. However, Screen Rant reports jittering glitches in character animation, indicating that there are still some technical issues present on the PS5. Lastly, Gamers' Temple and Hardcore Gamer highlight performance issues on the PS4, including frame skips, lowered framerate, frozen items, and moments of frozen movement requiring a restart. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes has a mixed technical performance across different gaming platforms. While there are positive aspects such as smoother interactions on PC and stability improvements on next-gen consoles, there are also negative aspects such as bugs, glitches, and performance issues on various platforms. It is worth noting that the PS5 seems to have a more favorable technical performance overall compared to the PS4. However, the presence of technical issues, even if they are not game-breaking, suggests that there is room for improvement in the game's technical performance across all platforms.

The opinions of the critics regarding the replay value of The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes are varied. Several critics, such as CGMagazine, COGconnected, Digitally Downloaded, GAMES.CH, GameSpew, Noisy Pixel, Screen Rant, and TheSixthAxis, highlight the positive aspects of the game's replayability. They mention that players can make different choices and shape the story, leading to multiple narrative directions and endings. The ability to see how different choices impact the narrative is praised, along with the inclusion of extras, multiplayer modes, and secrets to discover. The overwhelming number of character traits and relationship scores is also seen as a positive aspect by Digitally Downloaded. However, there are critics who express some negative opinions about the replay value of the game. Hooked Gamers mentions that while there are a few key decisions that drastically change the game, most choices are inconsequential and mistakes have little impact in the moment. GAMINGbible states that there is little incentive to replay the game as many decisions don't have significant consequences. They rank the game above Man Of Medan but below Little Hope in terms of replayability. VG247 also mentions that the lack of gameplay and scares may limit the game's replay value. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes offers replay value through its choice-based gameplay and the ability to shape the story. The inclusion of multiple narrative directions, endings, and the impact of choices on relationships and character traits are seen as positive aspects. The game's length and lack of significant consequences for some choices are mentioned as potential drawbacks. However, the overall sentiment leans towards the game having replay value, with critics like Game Informer, NME, and Gamers' Temple highlighting its branching paths, multiple deaths, and collectibles as factors that enhance replayability.