Game Review: Outlast (2013)

Outlast is a FPS horror game that was released back in 2013, developed and published by the studio Red Barrel Games. This game was easily my favorite horror game of 2013, and really got me back into the horror genre after feeling a bit stale from mediocre titles being released around that time. It was a consistent game that never let up with it's horror aspects, constantly trying to leave you shocked. The version of the game I will be reviewing is the PC version, though I hear the console versions are similarly well received. 

The game is set in the dreary environment of Mount Massive Asylum, which also happens to be overrun by the insane, homicidal patients. Our main character in this game is a determined investigative journalist named Miles Upshur. His reason for coming to Mount Massive is to try and uncover a corporate conspiracy underway inside of the asylum itself. The only thing you're armed with is the camcorder you've brought along with you, which doesn't make for a very good weapon when throwing yourself into the world of crazy doctors, naked murderous patients, and just plain old psychopaths. 

This is definitely one of the more graphic horror games to be released in the past 15 or 20 years, to say the least about it. There is plenty of gore and mutilation, moments involving necrophilia, as well as sexual imagery and plenty of nude murderers running about. To me, it never gets too ridiculous to the point of being silly or dumb like you see with bad B-horror movies. The greatly designed environments and slow pacing help it a lot in this aspect where it doesn't rely on these things to frighten you fully. The settings and events that happen themselves are plenty to get you freaked out. 

Much like I mentioned before, the only thing you have is your camera. In this way, Outlast is similar to horror titles that have come out in recent years where you must rely on trying to use stealth to avoid contact with enemies, as well as hiding in vents, closets, and other places when trying to escape from the antagonists of the game. There really is no combat system in this game. You'll find this out very quickly after entering into the asylum, as the game does not hold your hand for long before thrusting you into the story and enemies. 

The camera that you carry with you in the game can come in use quite a bit with a few of its features. The first being the night vision capability it has, as some of the places you venture in the game have no lighting at all and require you to use it so you can see anything. This cannot be abused too much however, as your camera requires batteries which you pick up throughout the game. The other is a HUD that it brings up and when prompted, you can use it to record certain areas/things which trigger notes and dialogue for pieces of the story as to what's going on and what has happened. 

I'm sure this comes as no surprise to anyone considering the genre and type of game that this is, but jump scares do of course happen throughout the game and are unavoidable. These days, it seems to have become a core element to horror games which can be a little irritating at times. However, in this game they're done right where I feel that it actually adds something to the creepiness and terror of the game without ruining it or taking away from those elements. 

Speaking of creepiness, this brings me to talk about the creepy characters, dialogue, and environments that you encounter which can be much more scary and nerve wracking than any jump scare you'll find. Some of the crazed antagonist you'll encounter again and again are characters like the hulking giant man who laughs as he hunts down his victims and tears them to pieces while calling them piggies, the twin brothers who lack any clothes and speak of such sweet things like cutting out your liver and tongue to feast on them, or the manipulative, psychotic Doctor Trager who is obsessed with mutilating and torturing people to fuel his thirst for biology knowledge. 

There's other characters as well who are just as crazy or bizarre as the antagonists mentioned. You'll find some of the story of the game to go off the rails as you go on and encounter more information and characters, especially towards the end of the game. However, I think the story is quite well done for the genre and does things much better than most other horror games. The creepy characters and grim, dark setting of the game only help further the storyline and how you feel about everything. Speaking of the grim and dark setting of the game, I do have to say the game sports some beautiful graphics despite all of the graphic materials presented. 

Outlast does have a few downfalls however that I think keep it from being something perfect. The first being that some of the scares can be predictable, such as when you encounter a guy sitting in a wheelchair at the start of the game, or during certain puzzles where you have to find and turn some valves and an enemy pops up right after you turn the first valve. I won't go as far to say this is a lazy design or anything, but it is repetitive and takes away from being scared at times while you play. 

Another issue I think everyone would probably notice when they play is how unintelligent the enemy AI can and will be during your playthrough. Most of them seem to have big blindspots where you can just sprint through the situation if you want. The enemies who don't have this flaw still tend to look in every nook and cranny besides the one you're hiding it, taking away some of the tension and fear that I think would make the game more enjoyable. Although the gameplay would get more difficult, I really think had this been addressed and fixed the scary factor would have been ramped up even more. 

However, despite the issues that are present in this game, it is still an unnerving, beautiful game that makes you feel urgency and tension. It utilizes the tricks of the trade to their fullest potential. Having gruesome deaths for your character, using the jump scares and other scares correctly, and bringing in interesting and difficult antagonists are all things that a lot of horror games have lacked at the time. 

The bottom line for me, is that Outlast was one of the best horror games to come out in the last 4 years. It can be very creepy and disturbing at times, but builds on this to create great tension. The graphics are beautiful, and the story although a bit strange and slightly cheesy is interesting and entertaining. I highly recommend this game to anyone interested who hasn't tried it yet. I would rate it as an 8.7/10.

So, thanks for checking out my review! Hope you've enjoyed it and that perhaps it has gotten you interested in the game. If you did enjoy it at all or would like to support me, then I would greatly appreciate it if you upvoted the post, and resteemed it! Thanks again!