This certainly does not mean the game fails to terrify, because it succeeds quite often.
Outlast does not have that contrasting element to create breadth in the horror experience. had gunplay and Condemned exploited crime scenes. It would have benefitted from another element, or more depth, to keep players involved in the atmospheric world. It puts you in similar positions and gives you equivalent solutions. The running and hiding mechanics become clinical after a few hours. Outlast is a good 4 hour horror experience, but it would stumble if it was much longer. These spooky elements, mixed with the excellent atmosphere, are a key part of the fear you will experience. Another scare was generated when a humanoid shadow appeared in a courtyard amidst a raging storm and vanished when the lightning ceased. When wading through the sewers, a visual splash was more than enough to give my heart a jumpstart. Here you will face unsettling noises and abnormal shadows. When not dealing directly with mental patients, you will be creeping through offices, bathrooms or hallways. Staggering the jump scares between the action is well balanced. The game occasionally drops the pacing, usually not for long, before dragging you into another race for your life. While he can do some damage, he is not all that bright and can be avoided without much trouble. One heavy-set mental patient is a reoccurring threat, and he can knock doors from their hinges when in pursuit. As you progress through each sub task, the potential danger might elevate. But these objectives force you to run and hide just as you have been doing all along. In terms of objectives, you might need to turn on sprinklers to douse a fire, or collect fuses to activate a laundry chute.
The core mechanics in Outlast are simple, so it relies on frequent enemy encounters to keep the player occupied. Despite this, chases produce great urgency and raise the adrenaline levels. You then spend a few minutes in another locker before realising nobody is coming. Some fail to chase longer than a few seconds, even when they were standing right next to you. The mental patients are not always effective pursuers either. Pushing rudimentary barricades against doors delays attackers longer, but the barricade placement is rigid. You can peak over your shoulder when sprinting, but it might damage your fragile mental state and obscure the only means of escape. Closing doors slows your pursuers, and these daring escapes can be tense when enemies are on your heels. The second half of the game is populated with longer foot chases that require you to quickly assess an area before proceeding. Um, well, I never wanted to go that way anyway! As Miles suffers his tenth panic attack, you wait patiently for a crazed man to leave so you can vacate the locker and continue forward. When you hear Miles breathe heavily, you know enemies are close. When you enter a room, you will take note of hiding spots and not necessarily the rich environment. This mechanic becomes repetitive due to structure. Your pursuer may scan the area, search a locker, and leave empty handed. You can hide in lockers, behind desks, or under beds to avoid being detected. To get inside you will need draw him away, or wait for him to leave, and then hide from his wrath. You might need to enter a room, but it is occupied by a vicious mental patient. The video camera becomes the primary window to the horrors that await you.ĭuring the first half of the game, the focus is about staying hidden. Without power, escaping an attacker in the dark is clumsy and dangerous. The camera uses batteries, draining significantly in night-vision mode, so you need to constantly monitor the power level. Zooming penetrates the darkness more, redefining a disrobed mental patient, but it restricts your peripheral vision. Walls and deranged mental patients will come into view as you inch forward. The night-vision range is limited, so you must feel your way through areas. The camera’s night-vision can see what your eyes will not, and this is vital given the many dark areas within the Asylum. Miles brought a video camera with him, but he had no idea how crucial it would be for survival. After finding a way into the Asylum, he realises that patient survival rates are well below average. He chooses to find the truth alone, at night, just as a storm moves in. Miles plans to uncover the truth behind the horrors at this mental hospital. Players assume the role of an investigative journalist, Miles Upshur, who has been given information about gross medical negligence at Mount Massive Asylum. Developed by an independent studio, Red Barrels, it puts players in vulnerable positions and forces them to run, hide or die.
Outlast is the latest horror sensation to grace the PC platform.