Outlast: I Need Batteries!

     
     With Halloween upon us I can't think of a better way to celebrate the season than with a review of a horror game. Outlast is a game that I've been wanting to write a review on for a while and just haven't had the time. Well, better late than never! So what is it about a scary movie or game that entices us? We know it's going to scare us, make us feel uncomfortable and tense, yet we continue to watch the movie or play the game. The emotions just described are exactly what you are going to feel when you play Outlast. Personally I really enjoy a good scary movie and video game, and Outlast did not let me down.

     Just by reading the synopsis of the game you already know what you're getting in for. Shady, secret operations? Check. Dark atmosphere and darkness of night? Double Check. Finding yourself trapped in a massive insane asylum with no weapons and tons of crazy inmates? That's a big check! Outlast puts you in the role of journalist Miles Upshur. You receive a tip from an inside source at Mount Massive Asylum, and of course, the tip you receive reveals that things are not going so great. The game doesn't waste anytime as you start out already driving up to the gloomy asylum and sneak your way inside. It takes less than a minute to see that things have gone incredibly bad and you will be trying to uncover the truth, but also trying to stay alive. The overall story of the game is actually good, pretty strange, and keeps you engaged the whole time.

 

(Seems inviting huh?)

     The graphics and entire atmosphere of Outlast just pours massive amounts of horror, gore, grit, and intensity. The rooms and hallways of the asylum are littered with strewn out documents, broken windows, tipped over furniture, insane inmates, and of course dimly lit or completely darkened areas. The lighting effects do a great job of showing dirt, grit, or blood that has been spilled across walls or the floor. Chipped paint or rusty pipes further convey the creepiness and horror of the game. The environment design looks great in the game, but the character models look a little off. They aren't bad looking, but some characters' facial movements look slightly off in cutscenes. The soundtrack also does a fantastic job of playing soft eerie music as you walk down halls or explore rooms. Only to suddenly jump into louder suspenseful scores when you discover something horrible or are being chased by crazed inmates.

     Oh yes, you will be chased a lot in Outlast. I know you're thinking, "That's okay. I'll just grab a chair, pipe, gun, or something else and beat everything that attacks me." Well you couldn't be more wrong with this game. The developers at Red Barrels decided to make your character completely defenseless. Which to me works even better for the game. Since you cannot fight back you are forced to run and hide from your enemies. Running down hallways and into rooms without a care will get to killed fast. This causes you to take your time with the game. You will find yourself carefully walking down halls, entering rooms, and peeking around corners in fear of what is there. Hiding inside closets or under furniture as you watch inmates search for you just adds more intensity and fear into the game.

     (Why yes I do believe I'll take a stroll down this hallway)

     Now even though your character cannot fight back, you do have a little something to aide you along your horrific journey. That comes in the way of your trusty video camera. The camera serves several functions. One is a way to "record" events that your character is trying to reveal for the story. This will trigger hidden pieces of information scattered throughout the game. The letters and documents you can discover are worth reading because they are pretty strange and disturbing which only adds to the game's experience. 

     The other, more important, function of the camera is as a source of light. Obviously the asylum is almost completely dark, so you'll be viewing the world through the night vision mode on the camera. This makes things look extra creepy in my opinion (Silence of The Lambs anyone?). So you have a camera to see in the dark. Everything is great right? Wrong! You will constantly be trying to conserve the life of your batteries and search for new batteries. This forces you to have to shut off the night vision and camera in certain areas. Yes, this is as nerve wracking as it sounds. Red Barrels released the DLC expansion Whistleblower several months back and while I've downloaded it, I haven't had a chance to play it. Also, Red Barrels confirmed they are indeed working on Outlast 2 which will take place in the same universe as Outlast, but will be in a new setting and feature new characters. I have no doubt it'll be just as scary. 

     In the end Outlast manages to be a great survival horror game. There are plenty of moments that make you jump, hold your breath, and grip your controller a little tighter. Maybe we enjoy scary videos games and movies because in the end we know it's just a movie or video game. We know that what we see and what is scaring us isn't actually happening to us and we can shut off the TV anytime. Thankfully what you witness in Outlast is all just a game. A very dark, intense, atmospheric, edge of your seat, and wet yourself kind of game.

Final Verdict: 9/10

Written by: Alter Ego 83