With House of Ashes hitting shelves, Bandai Namco and Supermassive Games have crafted a perfect jumping on point for the Dark Pictures series that brings the latest series entry together with Man of Medan and Little Hope.
MAN OF MEDAN
Until Dawn attracted its fair share of praise. Even among those who found fault with it, there was a general acceptance that Supermassive Games had created something deeply compelling in the realm of cinematic, very narrative-focused games (it is, it has to be said, an underpopulated realm). It was a happy day, then, when the studio finally released the first title of its follow-up anthology series - The Dark Pictures: Man Of Medan.
It's not a sequel, but it very much builds on the successes of Until Dawn - a winding tale that has you pick your own narrative line through a very deadly horror story. The game follows four teens and the captain of the boat they've hired on a trip to the rumoured site of a sunk WWII ship. When a boat full of pirates show up with a storm hot on their tail, you need to guide one of the characters through a series of events that promises life-changing decisions and supernatural horror. If one of the characters dies as a result of your decisions, they're dead. But each character is playable and has their own storyline, so you could always try again from another point of view.
Things get particularly interesting with multiplayer modes. Play online with a friend, or offline in 'movie night' mode, which has you each taking a character and passing the pad. Will you co-operate, or will you try to maximise your own chances of survival, potentially at the expense of your friends? Your choices might well haunt you...
LITTLE HOPE
Following Man of Medan, Little Hope creeps towards you from the shadows, whispering that you're going to die and promising more mystery, darkness and extremely tough decisions.
The game follows another Hollywood-voiced cast of 20-somethings just trying to make it through the night. Trapped in the town of Little Hope - a spot renowned for its witch trials (of which you'll be seeing a lot) - you'll alternate between your five characters and try to make the choices that will get them through the dark alive.
Every decision you make on behalf of one of your characters will weight the scales, tipping events towards one of many endings. It's tense stuff, and there's a constant feeling that someone's looking over your shoulder saying 'oh, you're doing THAT?'
If you're looking for a sound night's sleep, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a game that will linger in the back of your mind as you turn out the lights, look no further...
HOUSE OF ASHES
Supermassive Games' wildly successful series of horror games returns with House of Ashes, promising more scares, creeping unease and a healthy dose of extra action.
With the Iraq War coming to an end, Special Forces sniffing out weapons of mass destruction turn up something even more sinister - an ancient and forgotten Sumerian temple hiding a nest of unearthly creatures. To survive in the darkness below the earth, they'll need to forge an alliance with their enemies from the world above.
You can see from the description above that this entry to the series is ready to make a bit of a departure from the last two games. The combination of armed soldiers and physical monsters means the series is primed for some action, with the game throwing up opportunities to flee and fight the nocturnal nasties alongside the usual gameplay mechanics that involve decision-making and branching stories.
As well as giving you more agency when you face down monsters, House of Ashes also gives you more licence to explore the subterranean world that you're trying survive. The camera gets freed up, allowing you to explore the secrets of vast levels at will.
As with previous games, you can also play online with up to five friends, sharing the story and cooperating to try to survive the dark.
