The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes |OT| Do What Comes (Super)Naturally

[Billfisto]

So, any guesses as to who was it that told

Spoiler: Late Game Spoilers

Rachel that "she'd never be happier than she was today" (or whatever the specific line was) in the Little Hope diner in the flashback towards the end of the game?

Seems like a weird detail to include if it didn't have some further meaning.

 

[Vault Boy]

Spoiler

There are already a few crossover characters in this game. The Iraqi General, Joey and Clarice all showed up on Little Hope

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Character/actor spoilers:

Spoiler

Those are the same character models (and probably voice actors?), but not the same characters, which I think is what that poster was asking.

But while we're on that topic, Jason and Joey in this game are the 2 prologue character models in Man of Medan, and Nick is the same as one of the main character models in that game.

 

[SnatcherHunter]

Spoiler

There are already a few crossover characters in this game. The Iraqi General, Joey and Clarice all showed up on Little Hope

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Yea! I love that scene! Where have I seen the

Spoiler

General before? Was it in MOM?

 

[SnatcherHunter]

Character/actor spoilers:

Spoiler

Those are the same character models (and probably voice actors?), but not the same characters, which I think is what that poster was asking.

But while we're on that topic, Jason and Joey in this game are the 2 prologue character models in Man of Medan, and Nick is the same as one of the main character models in that game.

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Oh!!!! I knew they also looked so familiar!

But what about the

Spoiler

car crash in Little Hope? Rachel and Eric affected Little Hope crash right?

 

[Khanimus]

Yeah I didn't mind man of Medan but little hope. I didn't even finish. I'm always up for these games though. I wish they would do a buddy pass like it takes two.

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Little Hope was a big frustration, because on PS4 (or rather on PS5) it kept crashing on us at the exact same spot (after meeting the guy in the abandoned bar). Apparently running the game at 4K or with HDR was what was doing it. Thankfully we still have our older 1080 TV hooked up in the bedroom with our PS4 Pro hooked up in there, but the crash was so bad, it outright corrupted the save so we had to do that whole intro again 3 times.

 

[Ducayne]

Visually, does this feel subpar to previous episodes? Have this on Series X and was looking forward to it looking better than previous games. Also lots of pop in on cuts, low res assets, etc.

 

[Guru_Godzilla]

Visually, does this feel subpar to previous episodes? Have this on Series X and was looking forward to it looking better than previous games. Also lots of pop in on cuts, low res assets, etc.

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Really? I actually had the opposite opinion that it was the best looking one. I guess I'd have to see the others on the PS5.

 

[Magoo]

I never got to play as him in our two player playthrough but Salim is easily the MVP. I've never felt safer hiding behind my wife as she took care of business.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

Really enjoyed this one. Almost made it out with everyone alive but...

Spoiler

I lost Nick when he was bombing the cocoons when it did one of those heartbeat checks for only the second time in the game for me and I wasn't ready for it and once that X button prompt popped up on the screen I just instinctively hit it and failed. So close.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

So I just entered

Spoiler

the Star Chamber

. How much is left of the game?

 

[Angie]

So I just entered

Spoiler

the Star Chamber

. How much is left of the game?

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1 hour left.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

1 hour left.

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Thanks. Made it out with Jason and Salim alive. Messed up one of those heartbeat QTEs when Nicky planted bombs. At least Salim got to go home for the birthday party :p

 

[Angie]

Thanks. Made it out with Jason and Salim alive. Messed up one of those heartbeat QTEs when Nicky planted bombs. At least Salim got to go home for the birthday party :p

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The one that you messed up seems very common to happen lol
I got lucky, and I managed to save him.

 

[tophu]

Really enjoyed this one. Almost made it out with everyone alive but...

Spoiler

I lost Nick when he was bombing the cocoons when it did one of those heartbeat checks for only the second time in the game for me and I wasn't ready for it and once that X button prompt popped up on the screen I just instinctively hit it and failed. So close.

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I did the same exact thing, lol.

Good game overall, really enjoyed it.

 

[infinitebento]

ashley tisdales expressions are really peculiar in this game. i feel like her eyes are wandering and her expressions aren't right especially in stressful situations. she always looks like she is looking above or around people's faces vs facing them/speaking to them with direct eye contact. any scene with her character is noticeably wonky

 

[Billfisto]

ashley tisdales expressions are really peculiar in this game. i feel like her eyes are wandering and her expressions aren't right especially in stressful situations. she always looks like she is looking above or around people's faces vs facing them/speaking to them with direct eye contact. any scene with her character is noticeably wonky

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Eric seemed weird to me, too. He kept tilting his head forward and tucking his head in while talking, to the point where it got distracting.

I wonder if covid messed up their mocap sessions or something.

 

[AliceAmber]

Just finished!!! Wonderful game

 

[Septy]

Is anyone else having horrible connection issues? My first coop run was good. But every single coop session after that has been awful. My save literally disconnects when I load it every time. I tried having my friend host and we are disconnecting every few minutes. We just want to get some achievements. We both have a good connection and open nat.

 

[Kaswa101]

Salim best character

 

[infinitebento]

Salim best character

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10/10 loved him the most out of everyone

 

[onhold4u]

Salim best character

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Truly my favorite, I was upset I didn't get the best possible ending with him (since I called for air support) but at least he didn't die. I'll just pretend they eventually let him go.

Definitely my favorite of the three Dark Picture games.

 

[Vault Boy]

Finally completed all trophies after 4 full playthroughs and many partial ones (it could be accomplished more quickly and efficiently, I just had to experiment a lot to get the desired outcomes because online info is sparse at this point). AMA

 

[Deleted member 93841]

So I picked it up for 20EUR yesterday and just finished it. I was a bit skeptical about how good it would be, seeing as I didn't think that highly of either Man of Medan or Little Hope, but this one was just amazing. I actually like it even more than I liked Until Dawn.

There were a couple of small things that annoyed me a bit, but nothing that completely dragged the experience down. The only slightly bigger issues were:

• Sometimes ambiguous choices that don't always make it apparent what exactly the character is going to do/say. A great example is playing as Nick and fighting the vampire together with Salim. I told Salim to hide behind the rock and then picked the choice for telling the other marines that he was back there, thinking Nich would tell them so that Salim can come out without them shooting him. Instead what played out was Nick betraying Salim and Jason ending up dead. That's the only part in the game where I savescummed.
• Some weird graphical problems, like random PS1-level textures that ruined otherwise great-looking scenes.

Other than that, I hope they keep this direction for their next game(s). It was really a return to form for Supermassive games.

 

[IamPeacock]

First time in this thread so don't know what has been posted already, but I can't be the only one who's really impressed by production value.

The visuals are amazing. Playing at 4K, I'm extremely impressed how crisp and good the textures are.

Also the cutscenes, free-roam camera, story all seem improved compared to the first 2 games. Huge step up.

I'm really impressed. Only a few hours in, hoping it keeps delivering until the end.

 

[spyder_ur]

First time in this thread so don't know what has been posted already, but I can't be the only one who's really impressed by production value.

The visuals are amazing. Playing at 4K, I'm extremely impressed how crisp and good the textures are.

Also the cutscenes, free-roam camera, story all seem improved compared to the first 2 games. Huge step up.

I'm really impressed. Only a few hours in, hoping it keeps delivering until the end.

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Absolutely - it was slightly improved in Little Hope but it's on a different level here. The transitions are so much smoother - that drove me crazy in the first one.

 

[hannuraina]

started last night. loving the setting/characters. also great news that the previous ultrawide fixes work for house of ash as well!

 

[IamPeacock]

Absolutely - it was slightly improved in Little Hope but it's on a different level here. The transitions are so much smoother - that drove me crazy in the first one.

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The transitions and the facial expressions in Little Hope sometimes were really off.

 

[PennyStonks]

Got everyone out on the first go! I don't know if I got the best ending, but nothing bad seems to happen to anybody.

I liked Jason, Nick, and Salim the best. Jason and Nick look the best,too. Graphics wise id say Jason(consistent) = Nick(less but more convincing shots)> Eric> Salim>Rachel

Spoiler: ending stuff

Really liked the last act with the ark. Love that the parasite is what really is the vampire, but humanity bases vampires off the bat creatures.

The next game being Saw has me really hype. I think it is interesting that the logo is a V(some medical tool), but it is #4 in the series. Big brain stretch but maybe a hint at Until Dawn retroactively dark pictures #1?

Next game looks hype

 

[Vault Boy]

There was some discussion and interest earlier regarding the character models from the game. A user on Reddit was able to find the names of most of the real-life models. Note that for the most part these are indeed professional models, not actors, so the voice acting as well as the performance capture is done by different people in almost every instance except for the lead/"name" star of the cast. For the models below, their faces are scanned in and then they're out the door to continue being beautiful.

The Curator - Tony Pankhurst

Spoiler

Eric - Dawid Kocieda

Spoiler

Jason - Jack Green

Spoiler

Joey - Jonathan Burteaux

Spoiler

Nick - Tom Weston

Spoiler

And last but certainly not least...
Salim - Luis Augusto is the name according to Reddit, but I haven't been able to find a single additional image based on that name. And that's a real shame because, well, hello there!

Spoiler

Not present: Clarice, Dar.

 

[Aztechnology]

Really enjoying this. Playing the game with 5 people in an Airbnb staycation in town. Got a projector setup as the TV in the unit is awful and just having a great Holloween weekend. Love the setting. On Ps5. Controls are awkward and texture issues are a very real thing. But hey, it is what it is.

 

[Aztechnology]

Salim best character

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I got lucky and got Salim as my character (Random). Sadly even though I'm awesome. My buddies girlfriend

Spoiler: Early/mid game spoilers?

is playing Jason, killed the Shepard running away early on, because she's evil. So when I helped nick kill the vampire, afterwards he said they wouldn't hurt me. My guy puts his gun up then immediately is aiming the gun again at them, super jarring and Salim kills Eric. So they aren't liking me a whole lot right now. It was such a weird juxtaposition because Salim clearly believed Nick, and I know put his gun up. But then just immediately has them in a shoot out. So the only thing that makes sense is Jason killing the civilian

 

[spman2099]

ashley tisdales expressions are really peculiar in this game. i feel like her eyes are wandering and her expressions aren't right especially in stressful situations. she always looks like she is looking above or around people's faces vs facing them/speaking to them with direct eye contact. any scene with her character is noticeably wonky

Click to shrink...

There is a notable disparity between the quality of the different character models. Oddly enough, Tisdale easily has the worst one of the cast. Even weirder, Joey seems to have the best model?

Salim best character

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Easily the best character in any Dark Picture game. I think he is the only character who is genuinely likable. Though that does have a down side as half of the fun of these games is that I usually don't care if anyone dies (which makes for some very enjoyable sessions with friends).

 

[IamPeacock]

Completed first playthrough.
They really raised the bar on this one.

Disappointed that I managed only to lose one man (Eric). Wished I lost some more so I'm more motivated to replay the game.

At the end of the trailer of the next game, I saw that it's the finale of season one.
Does this mean we're getting a season two?

 

[Rayder]

If playing on a PS4 Pro, here's a neat trick......set the console's video options to force 1080p....you will get a MUCH smoother framerate. At the full rez setting, it's very much 30fps, but at the 1080p setting, it looks to be hitting 60fps, and I didn't see any screen tearing while playing that way either, just much smoother action. Night and day difference.

One other thing I'm noticing (again, playing on a PS4 Pro) is a huge color saturation disparity between SDR and HDR. SDR has strong color saturation, but HDR has very weak color saturation. I've not seen this issue with any other games except for the Dark Anthology games. Just wondering if anyone else has ever noticed this issue.

Anyway, I rate these games; House of Ashes > Little Hope > Man of Medan. They just seem to get better with every release. Evil in Me looks like it could be really creepy, judging by the end of game trailer. Looking forward to it.

 

[Cthulhu_Steev]

Completed first playthrough.
They really raised the bar on this one.

Disappointed that I managed only to lose one man (Eric). Wished I lost some more so I'm more motivated to replay the game.

At the end of the trailer of the next game, I saw that it's the finale of season one.
Does this mean we're getting a season two?

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I think they planned 9 or 10 they were going to use (after looking through three-times as many horror genres) when they first started talking about the anthology, could be just making that up though because I can't remember where I read it!

 

[Het_Nkik]

Did this game have the Curator's Cut as a pre-order bonus in the US like the other two games? I pre-ordered and picked up the game from Best Buy and never got an email with the DLC code like I did for Little Hope. I've called Best Buy and it seems iffy on if they'll be able to help me but I honestly can't remember if the game page listed the pre-order bonus in the first place. I'm pretty sure I remember it being there.

I know my friend who got a PAL copy got an email with the Curator's Cut DLC, so I'm only asking about the US version. I don't want to wait a year or however long they usually take to release the Curator's Cut to play the B-side stuff.

 

[Aztechnology]

Such a blast. My buddies girlfriend ended up killing 3 of us (She played as Jason) just from various choices and failures at various cutscenes. So they finally "killed" me as Salim (As I said earlier after an earlier incident they kind of had it out for me) even though Salim is the best. which was sad as I thought I'd make it. But I absolutely loved it. I'll probably play it again on my own later. The setting was incredible, and just played out quite well. It's almost better that it did play out the way it did with only two of our crew surviving.

Also kind of cool that Jason, who at first was my least favorite character aside from the Jarhead Asian guy just because he was an ass. Turned out to be my second favorite character by the end.

 

[Angie]

Also kind of cool that Jason, who at first was my least favorite character aside from the Jarhead Asian guy just because he was an ass. Turned out to be my second favorite character by the end.

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Supermassive is really good at this.

They did the same in Until Dawn that most people hated the all characters at the start of the game, and by the end we cared for them.

 

[carlsojo]

Tried to play Little Hope after this and wow Ashes is just wildly better.

Jason and Salim 5eva

 

[Christor]

Played this with my gf last night and we finished it in one sitting (we got too hooked lol).
Lost

Spoiler

Rachel

on my first play through.
Salim and Jason were definitely the best. And the plot was very engaging for the both of us.

 

[Jacob4815]

What is the resolution on Performance Mode (Ps5)?

 

[Wrexis]

I'm not finished yet, but I got distinct Gigeresque vibes from the temple or whatever it was towards the end of the game. Just me?

Spoiler

I mean, were they supposed to be aliens?

EDIT: Oof. This game is going places. That's a yes then.

 

[futurevoid]

Anyone playing on the Series X and getting some seriously elevated black levels when using HDR on a C9 OLED? If I switch on Dolby Vision it's mostly fine but I'm curious why HDR isn't working right?

 

[IamPeacock]

The visuals, story and the new 3rd person free roam camera are making me actually wanting this game to be a new Resident Evil or some other horror game.

 

[Chaystic]

Am I the only one who's getting tired of the supernatural elements? I hope the next one is more realistic.

 

[pahlke1]

Booted up Man of Medan and missed the free camera immediately. In the tight areas of the ship it can be so easy to have your character miss the zone where the pickup is registered causing a lot of unnecessary adjusting

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Am I the only one who's getting tired of the supernatural elements? I hope the next one is more realistic.

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But House of Ashes is the only one with supernatural elements? I want more supernatural stuff in their next games.

 

[VisionaryQuest0]

Am I the only one who's getting tired of the supernatural elements? I hope the next one is more realistic.

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Wasn't the first one

Spoiler

secret chemicals

and the second one

Spoiler

just a guy going crazy

?

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Wasn't the first one

Spoiler

secret chemicals

and the second one

Spoiler

just a guy going crazy

?

Click to shrink...

Yes to both. Both were 'it's all in your head lololol'

 

[OHRye]

Did a full play through of this last night. It was pretty enjoyable, only took me 5 hours, made it with 2 people alive. Could have been 3, but I let my buddy pick the last few choices lol.