Among Ashes [PC] | REVIEW

In a horror genre saturated with familiar tropes, Among Ashes does something a little different by weaving together a unique combination of modern and retro horror. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve seen the whole ‘game within a game’ thing done before, but it is wonderfully utilised here to help deliver a chilling narrative and clever puzzles that’ll keep players on the edge of their seat from start to end.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Set in the festive season of 2001, Among Ashes puts players in the role of a young man that is spending the evening chilling out and playing games, all whist chatting with friends on an MSN knock-off. Come on, you can’t deny that it captures the essence of the early 2000s perfectly, right? Whilst things start off with the player blasting through an FPS that could’ve easily been developed by id Software, the night takes an interesting turn when your friend Mark sends a link to an unfinished game known as Night Call. From the outset, it’s clear that this isn’t an ordinary gaming experience, and with the game’s creator posting a vague yet haunting message on a forum to go along with it, it helps set the tone for the eerie experience that’s ahead of you.

Ok, so that sets up the player’s story, but how about Night Call? Well, it sees you assume the role of a police officer responding to reports of a woman screaming in a secluded mansion. Upon arrival, you’re greeted by a peculiar housemaid and her enigmatic employer, who insist that nothing is amiss. I know a survival horror game when I see one though, and after you discover the corpse of a woman, you soon find that the house is overrun with vicious creatures. So far, so survival horror, with Night Call rarely doing much that’ll veer away from what you’d have already seen before in the genre.

That’s the whole point though. Night Call is meant to be inspired by the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill (and even gives little nods to them within its storytelling), so it’s no surprises that its gameplay loop and storytelling shares some similarities. However, as you progress, you’ll soon find that it holds dark secrets, and when the horrors of the game start leaking into the ‘real world’, the suspenseful and sinister tone of Among Ashes REALLY ramps up. I don’t want to give too many plot details away here, but with the story delivered through Night Call, your interactions with Mark, and the discoveries you make in your own home, it makes for an enthralling experience that’ll keep players fully hooked in with its many spooky turns.

“Among Ashes succeeds as a refreshing take on the horror genre, delivering a unique mix of psychological tension and nostalgic homage that’s a lot of fun to experience.”

You’ll be switching between playing through Night Call and navigating your home as you play, and it makes for a really effective experience where the puzzling intertwines between both worlds. Solving a challenge often requires observing subtle clues in your apartment or deciphering cryptic hints sent by Mark (which are sometimes disguised as ‘bug reports’ for the game… very clever), whilst you’ll also come across some more traditional puzzles that simply take some logical thinking to solve. It’s all very clever and helps make Among Ashes feels fresh, which complemented the game’s unique vibe that already sets it apart from similar releases in the horror genre.

Exploring both worlds within the game is equally enjoyable, with Night Call’s mansion bringing with it plenty of wonderfully crafted (and nostalgic) locales to explore, and the player’s home more realistic in design but bringing with it some subtle (but undeniably creepy) changes the further you progress. There were PLENTY of times where I was caught out by a jump scare, whilst the number of times I could spot some subtle yet unsettling change around me helped set a disturbing atmosphere where I was ALWAYS waiting for something to spook me. It does a good job of creating this tense atmosphere, and it’s all thanks to the creative level design and the scares that it brings.

Oh, and the Christmas vibe? I loved it, with it certainly helping make Among Ashes the ideal horror game to play this holiday season.

Check out some screenshots down below:

However, whilst the exploration and puzzles are impressive, the combat of the game was just a little bit naff. True to its retro inspirations, the controls are intentionally clunky, but this design choice often leads to frustration rather than nostalgia as you find yourself awkwardly trying to line up shots or facing off against bullet-sponge foes where your limited ammo makes each showdown feel like a chore. I just found combat tedious, which is a shame because the other aspects of the game are so finely crafted. And sure, you can run away from enemies, but when you find yourself stuck and caught in a battle? It could often just feel underwhelming.

Thankfully, the puzzles and set pieces do more than enough to make up for it, whilst Among Ashes’ shorter length means you won’t be frustrated by the combat for too long. It took me around four-hours to beat, which felt like the ideal length to maintain an engaging pace. Don’t get me wrong, I would’ve been happy to uncover more of its world (especially with its many cool surprises), but with some spooky puzzles and dramatic set pieces wrapping everything up, it certainly felt like it finished with a bang.

It looks great too – both with its retro design in Night Call and with the more realistic surroundings in your home.The pixelated environments and deliberately low-resolution character models perfectly capture some of the survival horror titles of that era when playing Night Call, whilst the more detailed textures, impressive lighting, and effective shadow effects in the real-world balance things out to draw a line between what’s ‘real’ and what’s ‘virtual’. And the sound design? It’s top notch, with the eerie noises of the ‘things that go bump in the night’ sure to keep players on their toes when exploring both worlds. It’s effective design that all adds to the allure and unease of Among Ashes.

Developer: Rat Cliff Games
Publisher: Rat Cliff Games
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2430900/Among_Ashes/