Game Review: Ash Pines: The Motel (Xbox Series X)

I’ve played plenty of games like Ash Pines: The Motel. Cheap and short horror-based games played from the top down with pixel art graphics. Quality varies, but for the most part, I’ve always come away satisfied, especially when price points are considered. Ash Pines: The Motel is cheap too, and it is short, but unlike many others, it is not satisfying at all, and ends in such abrupt fashion, it feels like a bit of a joke.

Players step into the shoes of an unknown man who has arrived at a motel late one night. He wants a room, but the place seems to be deserted. No workers, and no guests, at least none that are alive.

There’s a killer on the loose and it’s something supernatural, seemingly linked to a nearby lab, and to escape you’re going to have search for clues and discover the truth to what happened at the motel. Except that’s not how it plays out. Instead, Ash Pines: The Motel appears to be a ‘part one’, wrapping up with very few answers and with a ‘to be continued’ message.

It’s just about the destination though, right? The journey is just as important!

Yes, that’s true, but Ash Pines: The Motel’s journey isn’t particularly interesting, thrilling, or memorable. All because the environments are limited, dull and empty. The story is uninspired, the puzzles are unremarkable, and the horror is lacking.

Sure, there’s some atmosphere to things, but with no music and very little change to the environment, that does dissipate quickly. As does interest in the ‘villain’ of the piece, a horned beast that appears at random, racing towards you and killing you instantly should it catch you. To avoid it, just enter a different area and it will be gone. It’s not particularly inspiring, and to make things worse, the ‘chase and catch’ system is a bit broken.

For starters, it’s impossible to run away from it. It’s simply too fast. However, if that wasn’t bad enough, it is possible to get trapped in a room with it, forcing you to reload an earlier save. In a game as basic as this, it’s the kind of broken system you shouldn’t be seeing.

That’s the game summed up though. It’s such a limited experience, and while that might seem par for the course for these styles of games, this one pushes the boundaries of acceptability. Give it a miss.