Autorin: Franziska Behner
The third part of the anthologies convinces with graphical improvements and an exciting story. What hidden organic weapons with bats have to do is learn in the test.
Shortly before Halloween it is finally time: The third episode of The Dark Pictures: Anthology also appears in Europe. With House of Ashes, you wonderfully enter the earth this time, because an old Sumerian temple is waiting to be discovered by you. As part of a special unit, which is actually at the end of the Iraq war in search of hidden weapons layers, their literally stumbles in an ancient and deadly secret.
Instead of a weapon camp, you will find old creatures in the underground temple system, which have not seen a sunlight for a very long time. They resemble bat mice, but are much bigger and above all deadly. Even a vehicle falling down to you only adds to light damage. You have to find other ways to defeat them and if everything helps nothing: run! But she should always be on the hat, because it seems to have more of these quirters where they can count ...
The enemy of my enemy ...
In addition to the bloodthirsty creatures there is another danger, people. So your special unit is not trapped down there in the Sumerian temple: opposing forces make life even just as difficult. With this aspect, the developers are aware of the developers: You always meet your human adversaries and could even decide to take an alliance with someone. After the motto: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Alone, hardly anyone believes against the monsters. Whether it s really smart to bend with the enemy, we do not reveal - find it the best itself! Thanks to numerous dialogue options, death sequences and narrative strands, the playback value is extremely high.
Dialogues, dialogues, dialogues!
The heart of all Dark Pictures episodes are the dialogues of inclusive numerous variants. If you have already played a part of the series, you already know it: every decision counts. For example, you are particularly nice to a team member, this person could be particularly well minded and actively help you - as well as relationships can turn into the opposite. The nicest conversation line is not automatically the best to survive! Often you only notice some file later, what an answer can do at the beginning. Our tip: Also silence can be gold.
Similar much, if not even more influence have the numerous quick-time events in the game. Pretty much every exciting situation is connected to the fast and / or rapid pressing of keys. Jumping about obstacles to use weapons or tear loose: There are many moments in which you should be careful. But not always the correct execution ensures survival, sometimes mistakes are also real life skates. What also has noticed us positively while playing: ethical decisions can also be made by actions or exposure. This creates a well-functioning momentum in which only one action changes the life of humans - or ends.
So that the latter does not happen if possible, there are numerous hints again. These guilds that you can watch about found stone panels show a possible scenario. Whether it really arrives, however, depends on your decisions in the game - so it is true as a possible future, which you can change quite. Also, the curator who watches you as an impartial observer has a tip between the individual chapters of the game on request - but it is usually so encrypted that you probably can not do much at the first game run.
Very much action!
It could have been so scary: bloodthirsty creatures, an old spilled temple and a special unit that bangs around your survival. But the makers of House of Ashes drift over time and further in action genre, where the grusel factor unfortunately piece by piece in the background device. Since the creatures of bats are very similar and orientate themselves with their sonar, the use of Schleich mechanics and a focus on silence may have been good. Such dimensions were used, for example, in the escape moments in which their heartbeat must be controlled by pressing the key. For our taste but overall a little too little, as the action-rich moments and often seemingly endless ammunition supplies of some figures of the gruselate atmosphere slightly too much bubbles.
Nice stones!
House of Ashes looks really good compared to the predecessors. That makes so many little bug and here and there for some facial surfaces again. Overall, the Motion Capturing is far from the best: the figures do not work so wood, facial expressions and gestures seem mostly suitable and the inner conflicts of the characters are well recognized. Also in terms of synchronization here was taken care that the speakers (by us mainly tested in German) fit well to the roles. There is also a lot of fun to control with Ashley Tisdale through the adventure - many of you may know you still from High School Musical.
By the way, the graphics are really pretty: especially the different stones and walls in the temple look really great. Unfortunately, this high level does not pull through completely, but makes a harmonious impression. In between, you can also see small movies, partly consisting of real photographs. They reveal you more about the origin of creatures and who has already tried to decipher their secret.
Conclusion
The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes actually makes everything better than his predecessors, but simply can not make a proper horror mood. But those who place the idea of a horror games and instead can make friends to combat mysterious bat creatures in an action-rich game, Ashley Tisdale and their team have a lot of fun. Especially in the film evening mode, the Dark Pictures games he is hit - there it does not matter if it is a bit more or less scary!
The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes
Per
Motion capturing well implemented
Many comprehensible dialogues & decisions
Difficulty adjustments possible
Exciting story with many turns
Well implemented conflicts
Free camera, open areas
Contra
Partly open story questions
Object response often a bit difficult (control)
Rather action as horror
Little innovative monsters
4/5 stars
Buy House of Ashes now!
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