Outlast is a first-person survival horror game developed by Red Barrels. The game is available for PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. You play as Miles an investigative journalist on the trail of a story at the mount massive asylum in lake county Colorado.

For the most part, Outlast is a stealth-based game where you'll be sneaking around the dark and dingy corridors of the asylum. This is where your video camera comes in handy. Thankfully you have a night vision feature to traverse the darker areas and these moments are genuinely tense but your camera won't last forever so you'll need to find new batteries or you'll have to venture into the darkness unaided. It's very much like the Blair witch movie in that regard it uses the darkness and the video camera to a really good effect.

As you record certain moments you'll get new entries in your notebook fleshing out the narrative. The asylum is an absolute hell hole filled with dead bodies gore and inmates who want nothing more than to kill you off and another key feature here is the complete absence of combat.

As in you cannot attack anyone or use any weapons at all if you get spotted you either run and hide or you die it's as simple as that. This definitely makes for a lot of tense experiences but it can become frustrating as even the most feeble person would eventually pick up something and fight back. It's a very mature and adult-themed game and one I wouldn't recommend for the squeamish out there as it can be quite disturbing at times.

In terms of graphics, the game is strong throughout in particular the video camera feature and its night vision creates a real tension when you're exploring the dark. The core gameplay cannot evolve as you progress the chase sequences that you survive at the start are essentially identical to the situations you encounter near the end. There aren't many new mechanics or scenarios to keep the intervening hours feeling varied and engaging.

The game's most harrowing moments are those sequences where you're spotted by an enemy and must flee to safety frequently devolve into the trial. The character models look good and the asylum is well lit and creepy as hell to explore. The in-game audio is exceptional throughout from the heavy breathing of the protagonist's intense moments to the enemies hunting you down. The ambiance and in particular the dramatic music they're both fantastic.

The atmosphere and tension are palpable the video camera feature adds a cinematic quality to proceedings the whole experience is terrifying and keeps you on your toes and the sound and audio really help complement the experience. The lack of any combat option is really frustrating and the repetitive hide and seek gameplay does get a little bit annoying after a while. Outlast to cast you as a hapless everyman with zero fighting skills and no tools beyond a camcorder your only option would confront it with grotesque bloodthirsty murderers is to run and hide

Final Thoughts

Outlast is a terrifying game full of tension and scary situations. The fact that you can't fight back is both positive and negative though as after a while you will get fed up with hiding in cupboards. The experience is intense and the whole game is dripping with atmosphere masses of gore and disturbing moments and in general, it's a roller coaster ride that horror genre fans will absolutely adore. This game also heavily influenced Resident Evil 7 in terms of its style but personally, I think Resident Evil 7 did a much better job as they added combat into the equation which is the one thing this game lacks.