Outlast is a Survival Horror game for PC, PS4 and XBONE, which both developed and published by Red Barrels. It was originally released in September 4th 2013 for PC, while it was later released year after for PS4 and XBONE.
Outlast is the one of the scariest horror games that received such positive reviews from critics praising for creepy atmosphere, horror elements, great presentation and gameplay mechanics.
I say this game really amazed me with such a terrifying jumpscares, gruesome gores spreading everywhere in the game, and it has very disturbing set of the game which made it look well presenting by the development team. I like the gameplay overall, horror environments, well designed graphics and darker ambient sounds are really impressed me to enjoy the game's overall.
Okay then, lets start the review.
Presentation
This game takes place in mountain of Lake County, Colorado. The story is about a reporter named Miles Upshur who has a mission to investigate in Mental Hospital, which involves deadly patient, religious occult rituals and dead corpses which spreads everywhere in any room.
I say the story in the game is well presented with simple storyline that involves mysteries and evidences during the events especially with recording footage and night vision looked pretty good for horror genre. A lot of enemies look creepy even they surprised you by giving a horrific jumpscares, which I liked the part of the game and the horror elements does have really great setting of the environment, such as gore, blood, rituals, video footage and cannibalism that made the game look disturbing as hell.
I like how the main protagonist does recording videos, making notes, and collecting documents to reveal the truth behind the events that happened in Mental Hospital.
Overall, the presentation is very good indeed that the development team puts the game into the right atmosphere.
Gameplay
This game has 8 chapters in single player mode. Your main goal is to investigate the evidence and survive through the whole level. The gameplay has pretty great controls for console version. The character's movement moves really smooth while walking and looking around in the game, but your character can also run through the rooms, jump off the obstacles, and crouch behind the objects made the gameplay mechanics much playable. Your character can able to do stealth mechanics by hiding inside the locker to avoid getting caught by the enemies nearby and walking slowly while the enemy is not watching you, which gives a game more challenging. You can use camera to record the evidence, but you can also use night vision for darker level and you can reload the batteries to increase the battery life, which is very useful for this game. The puzzle solving is also quite good because it's makes the game so challenging to solve the problems and finding the different areas is great way to explore things, but I find the level design is little too narrow between the rooms made a game bit harder for the players to avoid getting attacked by the enemy nearby and same goes with finding the different rooms while getting chased by the enemy is bit harder because some of the doors are already locked or being blocked by the objects.
Overall, the gameplay has great controls schemes, amazing stealth movements, and superb puzzle solving makes the game fun, but I'm sure the level design and finding way to escape needs have some improvements, but I love the gameplay overall.
Graphics
The graphics has well made character's design looks pretty decent with very detailed figures and models, and the game's environment has well designed buildings, gardens, and the objects that has good textures on tables, fireplace, and doors. The background effects looks brilliant with skies, ground floor, and many others, while the special effects of the game is very bloody and gruesome, and it has really darkest lighting effects in the whole level especially with night vision has green and black colored screen during the video recordings, which the developers did a fantastic job for the game's graphics overall may looked suitable for modern days consoles.
Overall, the graphics has amazing environment, great character's design and bloody special effects looked awesome in the game.
Music and Sounds
This game has scarier ambient soundtrack that fits very well for the game's presentation and the sound effects has terrifying background noise are sounds perfect with banging locked doors and falling broken objects came out of nowhere which gives the player creeps. The voice acting for the characters is quite sounds good, but the enemies and other mentally people has the best screams for jumpscares purposes keeps the game's atmospheres scary as hell.
Overall, they did a great job with Music and sounds overall.
Special Features
This game has chapter select, trophy support, archives of notes and document, and the downloadable content level called "Whistleblower" as prequel to this game is nice feature of the game.
Advantages
Great Gameplay
Gorey Graphics
Well made Music and Sounds
Jumpscares
Impressive Presentation
Disadvantages
Narrowed level design
Some of dead end areas
Final Verdict
Presentation 8.7/10 - Impressive story, some horror elements, creepy enemies with jumpscares and overall atmosphere.
Gameplay 8.5/10 - Great controls schemes, amazing stealth movements and superb puzzle solving.
Graphics 8.5/10 - Amazing environment, great character's design and bloody special effects.
Music and Sounds 9.1/10 - Scarier ambient soundtrack, terrifying background noise and impressive voice acting.
Special Features 8/10 - Chapter select, trophy support, archives of notes and document, and the downloadable content level.
Overall 8.5/10 - Outlast is awesome horror game that offers inpressive story, surprising jumpscares, amazing horror elements, creepy environments, gorey graphics, and great gameplay mechanics that keeps the game so entertaining and scary at the same time. I definitely to look forward to see the new sequel comes out in 2016. Overall, this game is must buy for all gaming horror fans out there and this will surprised them to death because it is the scariest game for modern consoles and PCs.
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