It is unavoidable that all releases by Supermassive Games will always be compared to the developer's unexpected hit Until Dawn. This is the fate that The Dark Pictures Anthology has to deal with. Released in 2015, Until Dawn takes gamers to a snowy mountaintop where a group of naïve teens must survive the night against unimaginable horrors. Like titles such as Life is Strange, Until Dawn goes easy on the gameplay and instead draws gamers in with a gripping narrative and top-notch cinematics.
Despite the fandom that Until Dawn earned itself, none of the titles in The Dark Pictures Anthology have managed to find similar levels of critical acclaim, though this is not due to a lack of effort on Supermassive Games' part. It is quite clear that games in The Dark Pictures Anthology are expensive products with a significant effort put into them. House of Ashes, the latest entry in the series, features big Hollywood names such as Ashley Tisdale. The core problem, as House of Ashes highlights, is that the anthology has failed to find that sweet balance between movie-quality cinematics and immersive gameplay.
House of Ashes Lets Players Put Down the Controller
Although many may argue that gameplay is the most important aspect of a game, there have been many games that have managed to be successful despite implementing minimal gameplay elements. Titles like What Remains of Edith Finch and Detroit: Become Human feel more like playable movies, and do not invite button mashing as action games do. However, such games are still able to compel gamers through the clever implementation of minimal gameplay elements, and an artful synergizing of gameplay and narrative.
Until Dawn leans into this genre of narrative-centric gameplay. The game is comparable to a campy teen horror movie, and though there are blood-chilling enemies lurking, the game does not expect players to engage in direct combat. Instead, interactivity is implemented through quick-time events and the inclusion of collectibles. Despite this, players are never made to feel like they do not have control of the game because there is plenty of opportunity for exploration. Furthermore, the choices players make under pressure have the potential to monumentally alter the narrative. Any character in Until Dawn runs the risk of dying, and nobody is protected by plot armor.
In House of Ashes, players follow a group of American soldiers who find themselves in a series of underground caves in Iraq while on a mission. Things take a dark turn when they realize that they are trapped with devilish monsters. Unlike Until Dawn, opportunities to directly control characters and explore feel far more limited, as there are plenty of opportunities to simply put the controller down and watch the admittedly high-quality cinematics.
It is quite clear that the game aspires to provide a cinematic experience, and there is nothing inherently wrong with that. However, when that product is sold as a game, it is somewhat of a letdown to discover that there is an awkward lack of gameplay.
House of Ashes Features Gameplay That Feels Pointless
Until Dawn is a game with minimal gameplay. However, what is there is used in a narrative and horror-enhancing way. The game makes full use of all the DualShock 4's features in a creative manner. QTEs have been given a somewhat bad rep in the world of video games, but their implementation in Until Dawn ups the suspense and ensures that players are always tense. One wrong button press in the heat of the moment can spell the end of a beloved character. The most memorable moments of gameplay occur when the wendigos are around and players have to keep the controller as still as possible in the middle of terrifying scenes. It is a unique gameplay mechanic that grows more difficult the more scared players are.
House of Ashes also features minimal gameplay elements, and that is not a bad thing on its own. The problem that arises is that the gameplay does not seem to synergize with the narrative and horror elements. Consequently, House of Ashes feels like it is trying to be two things at different times. Sometimes it tries to be a game, and at other times it tries to be a movie. The two aspirations never seem to cross in a pleasing manner. Furthermore, the implementation of QTEs in House of Ashes does not feel as engaging as it did in Until Dawn.
The lack of congruency between gameplay and narrative is most obvious with House of Ashes' collectibles. They are scattered throughout the underground caves and can be found during the few moments players have to control characters. To engage with the collectibles involves accessing a chart hidden in the pause menu, which requires one to slam the brakes on the flow of the story. Rather than integrate these elements into the story naturally, players are forced to engage with them as an aspect presented separately from the narrative.
Supermassive Games has what it takes to craft an incredible experience like Until Dawn once again. It is simply a matter of mixing the existing elements in the right portions and sprinkling a bit of horror on top.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
