 At the end of the Iraq War, Special Forces hunting for weapons of mass destruction unearth something far deadlier – a buried Sumerian temple containing a nest of ancient and unearthly creatures. To survive the night below they must forge a brotherhood with their enemies from the world above. | ” |
House of Ashes is the third installment of The Dark Pictures Anthology series. It is an interactive horror game under development by Supermassive Games and will be published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for a multi-platform release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and, for the first time, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 22, 2021.
Plot
Iraq, 2003. As the conflict draws to a close, CIA field operative Rachel King joins an elite military unit on a raid of a suspected underground chemical weapons facility in the shadow of the Zagros Mountains.
Arriving at the coordinates, the unit is ambushed by a local patrol led by Sergeant Salim Othman. During the battle, an earthquake opens sinkholes in the ground, pitching both sides into the ruins of a buried Sumerian temple. In the darkness beneath the Arabian Desert, something evil is awakened. Savage and unstoppable, a nest of ancient and unearthly creatures has a new prey to hunt.
Horrific discoveries and impossible decisions face the survivors as they strive to navigate the underworld and escape the terrifying threat. Will they each prioritize their own survival, or put aside their fears and their personal rivalries to fight together as one?
Gameplay
House of Ashes will be the first game in the anthology with a difficulty setting: Forgiving, Challenging and Lethal. Fixed cameras will be entirely replaced by a 360-degree camera and the flashlight can be toggled, allowing players to explore dark places in search of secrets and new paths. The Moral Compass has been redesigned and resemble Until Dawn's Butterfly effect.
Development
The first footage of this game appeared in Little Hope's gold framed picture, as well as a short teaser after the game credits.
On May 19, 2021, a teaser trailer was released, promoting the first gameplay reveal on May 27.
The release date was announced on June 10. The game will release on October 22.
On September 3, 2021, a 40-50 minute demo of the game was released to various content creators and game reviewers.
