Outlast.
Well, Outlast is one of those rare titles where the developer knew exactly what they wanted from the get-go and, in my opinion, actually executed their vision perfectly.
Honestly, all things considered, Outlast is an Amnesia clone. It just is. They share a lot in the way of design and just how they instill a sense of fear in the player. Without Amnesia, the original, I don't really believe we would have Outlast. At least not in the form that we have it now.
That being said, I believe Outlast trumps its obvious spiritual predecessor and delivers an experience that any horror fan can appreciate.
The game is tense. Oh, is the game tense.
Not since the Condemned series, and the aforementioned Amnesia, have I ever been so wary to turn a corner in a videogame. The game is damn oppressive and, really, isn't what I would call a fun game.
It messes with you. It does everything it can to mess with you. From sound design to character design, everything is there to unnerve you and make sure your stay at Mount Massive Asylum is not a pleasant one.
It creates an atmosphere which you just want to escape from, and the game is damn near perfect because of this.
You aren't meant to have fun with this game. You are meant to hate it, in all the right ways.
I sure did, and the experience is one I will not soon forget.
Outlast is one of those titles where they managed to meld story and gameplay so seamlessly that the need for cut-scenes and scripted events is almost non-existent.
The large majority of the story (and back-story) is told via files that are up to the player to find throughout the game. They not only paint a better picture of the overall narrative driving the player forward, but also gives context to the location itself, cementing it as this real place with a real story, in itself, to tell.
The rest, of that which the player experiences first-hand, is given better context, considering they have their camera ready, by taping their actions throughout and is delivered by the player character via notes that he writes of the more important scenes.
The game does a great job at confusing you as to what exactly is going on early on but, by the end, allows a firm grasp of the events taking place, considering you did the proper investigating needed to unravel the story for yourself.
As far as the gameplay itself goes, Outlast is a relatively simple game. Throughout the 3 - 4 hour experience, you will be doing little more than sneaking around, exploring the asylum for clues, and batteries for your ever depleting flashlight, and hiding/running from baddies when the first said mechanic fails you.
The game is about as simple as it gets and is part of the reason why I actually prefer it over a game such as Amnesia. While I am a relative fan of Amnesia, I am constantly put off by its sometimes rather obtuse puzzles that take away from what actually makes the game itself interesting and such an experience . . . the tension the game slowly builds within the player.
This is not the case with Outlast. It does everything it can to keep you in the overall experience it creates and makes sure you are always on your toes.
Never annoyed, just paranoid.
There is little else to say about the game, really. It's an excellent addition to the horror genre and is bound to be looked at as a classic some time down the road. As of right now, it is one of the best in the genre and anyone relatively interested should give the game a try.
The spooky season is at last upon us, making the next couple of weeks the perfect time for a healthy helping of horror. There's no shortage of options out there, so here are a few suggestions to get the ball rolling!
I remember the suffering and it was descent game. I always wanted to play Crimson but never got to it.
But honestly, I’ve never played a game that really scared me, like some movies from the past have.
I remember The Suffering 1 and 2. I haven't thought about those games in years. I still remember some parts of the level in the prison where a guy was sucked through a vent screaming. I don't know why that's stuck with me all of these years.
Outlast, the classic horror game from former Ubisoft developers Red Barrels, has a new speedrun world record, as SGDQ begins its 2022 livestream
Released for the PC in 2013 and for consoles, the following year, Outlast by Red Barrels truly lives up to its name. Cramming pretty much every human fear into the walls of a single building, it’s the definitive survival horror experience to play. Perfect for Halloween.
Hmmm. I actually disagree with this opinion. I feel that the best Survival Horror games are more well balanced around the flight or fight response. Outlast is basically just flight, which can get frustrating and repetitive rather quickly. I feel that Alien Isolation (in the higher difficulty settings) is a good example. Also, I prefer third person horror games, but this is a very minor gripe.
Hide and seek games aren’t any fun to me. A segment like RE village is fine but a whole game? The baby scene lost its effect on the second playthrough. It gets old quick. SOMA is the only one I can think of playing more than a few hours.
cant wait for the dlc
Looking forward to playing this! great review!
Nice review, look forward to playing this on ps4.
this game is great!!
my wife screamed out loud 3 times in sheer terror in the first 20-30 min of the game
that's a win as far as we're concerned
she loves silent hill, resident evil, condemned, amnesia and all the other big names, but I must truly say, this game has her jumping around with the controller in hand (full and perfect xbox360 controller implementation) more than any other title
we actually reigned in the new year playing this, got it for like $6 on steam, I think you can still grab it for that!
*edit, you can still get it for $6.79, but you only have 3 hours 20 min. as of 9:40 am est standard
Glad to see you guys had a great experience with this game as well.