The third entry in Supermassive Games’ The Dark Pictures Anthology series, House of Ashes, is now available, continuing the franchise’s tradition of spine-chilling horror. This latest installment introduces a new story with terrifying monsters that will live up to the series’ usual standard of fear.
As the third game in the anthology, House of Ashes follows Man of Medan (2019) and Little Hope (2020), expanding on the interactive drama experience the series is known for. Set in an ancient temple, House of Ashes features a fresh set of monsters, distinctly different from the disfigured demons of Little Hope and the fused skeletal horrors of Man of Medan.
In this article, we’ll explore the premise of House of Ashes, examine some of the new gameplay features, and take a look at the terrifying creatures you’ll encounter in this latest chapter.
Story & Gameplay Explained
Starring Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical), Moe Jeudy-Lamour (Ted Lasso), Paul Zinno (Future Man), Alex Gravenstein (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) and Nick E. Tarabay (The Expanse), House of Ashes follows a group of American and Iraqi Army soldiers who get pulled into an ancient Sumerian temple deep beneath the desert during the events of the Iraq War.
Players who dare to explore the House of Ashes will have to regroup, chart the ruins and forge new connections to survive while fending off some seriously spooky monsters. And because this is a Supermassive Games joint, every character that you play can die or survive depending on your actions, with the game offering multiple endings.
House of Ashes will also feature online and local multiplayer modes so that, thankfully, you don’t have to endure the horrors of the temple alone. New features for this entry in the series include changes to the game’s camera (which is no longer fixed), and scaling difficulty on the quick time events you need to complete to survive.
The Monster of Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
While the characters who meet each other in the temple can potentially become enemies due to their military allegiances, the main threat is the House of Ashes monsters; large winged beasts with sharp claws that lurk in the shadows of the temple. Called Pazuzu by the ancient Sumerians, they look a lot like bats and seem seriously formidable, able to decapitate the survivors with ease and pull them into the depths of their domain. Players will have to control their breathing, complete quick-time events and stay stealthy to avoid the creatures in their quest to survive.
Warning – spoilers ahead!
The intrigue of the The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes monsters is a major plot point. It therefore goes without saying that if you want to find out for yourself during gameplay, don’t click below to read on. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
[su_spoiler title=”IF YOU’RE SURE YOU WANT TO KNOW, YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE MONSTERS.” style=”default”]Over the course of House of Ashes, you will eventually find out that the monsters are face-tearing, blood-sucking vampires. And as if it could get any worse, they’re alien vampires at that. The creatures that became the vampires were infected with an alien parasite that mutated them into the abominations seen in the game. Players will also face human enemies that have been reanimated and turned bloodthirsty by the alien parasite that afflicted the creatures.
[/su_spoiler]
