Summary
The Dark Pictures Anthologywas a series of horror games created by Supermassive Games which followed the same formula asUntil Dawn, in which the two playable characters at the beginning of the game are killed off to set the tone for the deadly delights to follow. Death is always a possibility, as just one single slip-up can cost a character their life, and unlike other games,there are no second chances.
The first season has officially concluded with the release ofThe Devil in Me,and a second season follows, beginning with thesci-fi space horrorDirective 8020. Before players delve into this new round ofDark Pictures, it might be the perfect time to revisit the earlier titles, and fondly remember which among the bunch was truly the greatest. Each game shined in its own way, but there are definitely those that couldn’t hold a candle to others.
After the success ofUntil Dawn, Supermassive tried their hand at anon-rails shooterin the form ofRush of Blood. It was a bit of mindless fun, but rather scary as the use of VR technology placed players right in the action. It follows that Supermassive would do the same with the Dark Pictures Anthology, in the form ofSwitchback. The player finds themselves onboard a series of rail rides very aptly named the Inferno after losing consciousness while riding on a train.
Armed with a series of guns and charged with numerous tasks, there is some mindless shooting fun to be had withSwitchback. VR has a way of making games even more fun than if it is played on a classic monitor, thanks to the controls that put players right into the action, while also serving to make games like this far more scary. But still, a spin-off shooter could never hope to compare to the main entries in the franchise.
The first season of theDark Pictures Anthologyrounded off with a whimper rather than a bang withThe Devil in Me, which delved into a story revolving around real-life killer H.H. Holmes. A recreation of his famed murder hotel has openedup on a remote island, and the crew of a failing ghost-hunting show have received an exclusive invite which would just be the ticket to saving their show. Of course, things go horribly awry upon arrival, with their host being a no-show, and the crew facing off against traps and a masked killer who fancies himself as H.H. Holmes himself;f.
Of course there is no way that he actually could be the killer, but players get a glimpse of him during the game’s prologue, as they play newlyweds in the 1890s who arrive at his hotel. The happy couple become his victims in a scene that could be from a lauded slasher horror movie, and this is the moment this game truly shines. Unfortunately, the rest of the game never quite surpasses this peak with a twist that was not necessarily loved by many players, though it was highly unpredictable. The game did boast a very famous star in the role of Kate (Jessica Buckley) who has had her time in other horror productions such as the movieMen. It is not the strongest entry in theAnthology, but a must-have experience for players of the series thus far.
The game that started it all,Man of Medanwas asea-faring horror game experiencethat took players below the waves and above them, all the way to the tetanus-riddled ghost ship, the SS Ourang Medan, which was in fact a real ship. Setting off on board a boat for a diving expedition, the group run afoul of pirates who return to hijack their ship and take all onboard prisoner. They force them on board the Medan to help them find the rumored Manchurian gold onboard, but this treasure hunt becomes a fight for survival against strange and terrifying creatures.
Man of Medanis expert at ramping up the scares from subtle glances at the corner of screens, leaving players to wonder if they actually saw something, to full-blown jumpscares as each player has their own monster to contend with. Unfortunately, the game does show its hand rather early, as explorative players will find clues that point to the Manchurian gold being a chemical weapon that can induce vivid hallucinations, which is the culprit of these supposed monsters.
House of Ashestook players to the desert during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where a squad of American soldiers have infiltrated a village rumored to be holding a hidden weapons cache. Iraqi soldiers arrive on the scene, and a brief shootout leads to the ground quite literally opening up and swallowing them whole, dropping them down into an underground city players got to see during the prologue several thousands of years prior. Strangecreatures that appear to be vampiric in natureaccost them at every point, with a surprise twist at the even revealing their nature to be more extraterrestrial.
This was the first game in the series which posed an actual tangible threat that wasn’t brought on by survivors' guilt or a hallucinogenic material leaking. Instead, players had way more gameplay on their hands as they had to combat the actual creatures with melee weapons and guns, though they proved quite resilient against most damage, unless struck in the heart. Their fight for survival forged unlikely bonds, such as that between Jason and Salim, and maybe even rekindled old romances, such as that between Rachel and Eric. This all depends on the players' choices, of course, but one thing is for certain–House of Ashesis one of the most exciting and fun entries in the series thus far.
Little Hopewas the second entry in theDark Pictures Anthology.It was rather polarizingat its time of release, as most felt disappointed at being faced with another game that revealed the threat was not a tangible one, but time has since been kinder to the game. Many can now look back and appreciateLittle Hope’smore serious, grounded, and tragic story that would have been cheapened if the ghosts and other spooky events were actually real.
The twist that Andrew was the bus driver and had killed all of his passengers was an absolutely brilliant one in hindsight, as the one or two clues of this twist were so subtle they would only make sense after the shocking reveal. It’s an unrelenting look into survivors' guilt and loss, and just how deeply it can affect people, and the damage it can do if the person doesn’t face it. Depending on the player’s choices throughout the game directly influence the ending: arrest, suicide, continued blame, or self-forgiveness. It’s a poignant message that is an important one for everyone to hear and learn.
