- Publisher: Red Barrels
- Release Date: Apr 24, 2017
- Also On: PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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Apr 25, 2017A perfect storm of gore, atmosphere, tension, scripted and unscripted scares and a memorable plot that dares to explore darkness that can hide within the human psyche, what more can be said? Playing the game on even just normal mode for seven and a half hours was an inviting challenge of fear, misery, adrenaline, and despair which when combined together spells out fun in my book. The closest thing I can give to a negative is that the ending is a severe cliffhanger, and I hope to hear that Red Barrels will be tying up the story one way or another. I’m in love with a monster, and her name is Outlast 2.
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May 8, 2017Outlast 2 has all the makings of a good horror game: alarming visuals, intense situations, menacing antagonists, and an overwhelming feeling of powerlessness. Though I would have liked the world of Temple Gate to be developed more beyond Knoth’s Gospel, I loved every minute of my playthrough.
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Apr 27, 2017Without redefining the foundations of the original, Outlast 2 weaves an intriguing tale- paced expertly through environments that breed a sense of tension and paranoia only the best in the genre can muster.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast 2 is, from now on, one of the best horror videogames in history. Red Barrels has settled the future of horror and it's full of gruesome situations and explicit violence. Tasty.
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Apr 24, 2017Segments from Outlast 2 are forever burned into my memories, acting as much as a traumatic experience as it was an exhilarating one. The thematic elements present throughout make the game even more high-stakes, taking a toll on you as a moral human being. God doesn’t love Outlast 2 – not like I do.
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Apr 24, 2017Quotation forthcoming.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast II is the perfect sequel: it keeps and improves all the good aspects of the original. It's intense and very scary –so much so we think it's already a new horror classic.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast II does basically everything better than its predecessor: the levels are bigger, the enemies are smarter, and the story is more articulate. And yes, it's more terrifying, if that's even possible.
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Apr 25, 2017Outlast 2 is a sequel that delivers. It's prettier, scarier, longer and more interesting. If you want a true revolution and tons of new features - you'll be disappointed. If you don't like ambiguous stories - you'll be disappointed. But if you crave a perfectly crafted evolution of a really good survival horror, you're in the right place.
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Apr 25, 2017Outlast 2 knows how surprise you with a crazy and frenetic rhythm of its action, and a great atmosphere.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast 2 is the sole product showing the true potential of Red Barrels. It truly is a horror masterpiece. It's a little short, and a little easier than the first two entries but still, a must play and probably the best horror game of recent years.
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Apr 24, 2017If you thought the original did a good job of scaring you to death, this one does it 10 times better.
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Apr 24, 2017Stealth and pursuit haven’t changed much in Outlast 2, but it excels as a beautiful, brutal journey through extreme spiritual anxieties.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast 2 is violent, obscure, creepy and really engaging: an outstanding survival horror game.
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Apr 27, 2017Outlast 2 has a sinister, foreboding ambience and offers more tension and horrifying moments than its predecessor. There is still some trial and error involved, aggravated by unpredictable enemy A.I. at times and insufficient enemy awareness feedback to the player, but overall this is a game I can wholeheartedly recommend to horror fans.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast 2 puts together all of its nightmares with amazing clarity and execution. It takes the best parts of the original and adds more variety through natural hiding spots, fantastic interludes, razor-sharp jump scares, intense chases, and more horrific foes. Not many horror games get everything to work this well together.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast 2 is a terrifying sequel that builds upon the scares of the 2013 original. Even if its ambitious themes don’t always land and navigating through its world can be frustratingly inconsistent, there’s more wicked creativity at play here than I’ve seen in a horror game in a long time. Play it loud, in the dark.
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games(TM)Jun 17, 2017Another unpleasant but entertaining experience. [Issue#187, p.80]
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May 29, 2017Outlast 2 may have proven to be controversial, but it's also proven to be a genuinely unnerving survival horror game. [Issue#262, p.60]
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May 2, 2017Outlast 2 is a very good follow up to the first iteration which improved graphics and a very good story if you're brave enough to read every paper you grab. Sadly the Die & Retry side of things brings the fear down a notch.
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May 1, 2017Perhaps rather than think of it as a horror adventure, it would be better to think of it as an interactive horror movie, possibly a mildly interactive horror movie. Explore a little – stay within the velvet ropes at all times, please – then run for your life a little – keep in mind there is only one way out and all others lead to death. I would have preferred a more open world experience, but that horror game doesn’t seem to exist yet. In the meantime, I am for the most part happy with the popular resurgence of horror, and think Red Barrel is doing a better job than most.
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Apr 26, 2017Outlast II uses its farmland setting to an incredibly effective degree, and it’s sure to keep you on edge throughout its roughly 8-10 hour run.
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Apr 24, 2017Eerily beautiful, but after some time the horror feeling of the predecessor goes missing. […] The setting in the pampa of Arizona is fitting and the atmosphere works very well, but overall I prefer the previous game.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast 2 investigates human perversion from the point of view of a pseudo-religion and its most obscene drifts. It keeps the structure of the previous chapter and manages to satisfy hardcore horror lovers.
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Apr 24, 2017If you liked Outlast, you will definitely love this sequel, which, though not perfect, is one of the most terrifying experiences ever.
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Apr 24, 2017Developer Red Barrels has offered an excellent step in this universe with Outlast 2. Choosing a different environment and adapting to those settings to help create a truly terrifying experience was successful. Adding some narrative to the game is a step in the right direction. The linearity of the game is detrimental, but does not kill the experience. This game has a little longer playtime than the original, but that will most likely be extended in the first playthrough due to the unfamiliarity with locations and enemies. Outlast 2 will punish and terrify at the same time; it’s a cruel game.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast 2 is relentless in its assault on your senses with palpable feelings of tension, danger, and anxiety. You’re always on the run, constantly at risk, and lost in the Arizona wilderness, surrounded by menacing nightmares.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast 2 is harrowing. It is a horror game that will make you want to take a shower after you’re done with it. It’s a horror game that will make you want to hold your loved ones just a little tighter next time you embrace them.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast 2 asks more questions than it answers, and too much is left to your interpretation. This ambiguity might have worked, but it makes the conclusion unsatisfying. Even with its hiccups, it is nonetheless an intense ride that makes you question your sanity. If gory thrills are something you seek, Outlast 2 provides plenty to keep you on the edge of your seat as long as you can look past the clumsy storytelling.
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May 19, 2017In its best moments Outlast 2 is one of the most intensive horror experiences out there – mainly thanks to the excellent design. But mechanically it relies too much on trial and error and redundant elements that tame the terror.
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CD-ActionJun 30, 2017Rather than nerves of steel Outlast 2 requires a stomach of steel, because it’s more repugnant than scary. I’m not quite sure whether an emphasis on shocking with atrocities is a sign of lack of talent on developers’ part or there is some deeper meaning to all this gore, but Outlast 2 undoubtedly includes a couple of scenes that push the boundaries of interactive horror. [07/2017, p.68]
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May 19, 2017The horror in this game is reaching new levels of gore, and audio component is great, but unfortunately game fails at capitalising on some good, but unfinished story parts.
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Apr 24, 2017A thrilling horror game that loses its effect some time after the great beginning and thus falls behind the first game.
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Apr 24, 2017Outlast 2 may be the single most qualified recommendation I’ve given in my history of writing reviews, and not just because of its occasionally stilted design. This is a game that often left me feeling like complete trash. It brought up some of the most difficult memories in my life, issues I had buried long ago. My reactions to that anguish have run the gamut, but more than anything, I respect that Outlast 2 has the singular focus and intensity to dredge up those emotions; that alone made it worth the time spent for me.
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Apr 24, 2017The fact that it's not as breathtaking as its predecessor shouldn't really stop horror fans from picking up this creepy run-and-hide simulator.
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Apr 24, 2017If the number one thing you want from a game is a good scare, Outlast 2 is a big success. If you're looking for deep gameplay or replay value though, you'll have to look elsewhere.
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Apr 24, 2017Think of it as a ride through a really amazing haunted house: you don't have a ton of control and sometimes the ride breaks down for a moment or two, but it's basically guaranteed to leave you scared out of your mind.
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Apr 24, 2017Some gameplay improvements and a slight shift in style have turned Outlast 2 into one of the most terrifying games ever made.
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LEVEL (Czech Republic)Jul 5, 2017Instead of the standard entertainment, we received unnecessarily over-combined horror game with atmosphere incomparable to the original one. [Issue#275]
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May 24, 2017In the rush for controversy the developers have forgotten what makes a good horror game. Outlast 2 turned out to be a game that targets the streamers and forgets the real players.
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May 1, 2017The horror genre is one of slim pickings, and few horror games are done on the level of Outlast 2. Fog-filled streets, moonlit nights, and the shreds of the apocalypse—there’s some amount of fun to be had here maybe, and genre die-hards may find themselves playing through it regardless. But Outlast 2 isn’t the solution to the genre’s issues.
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Apr 27, 2017Outlast 2 might have had a better shot if it released years ago and hadn’t followed Outlast. As it stands, it’s a lower quality photocopy of itself, with any attempts at improvement acting more as defacement of an element that needed no correction.
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Apr 24, 2017If you loved Outlast for its story and the fact that it stripped away any sense of viable defense, then there's something special waiting for you. The story really does sing. But if you were hoping for something a bit more fresh and different in a genre that has started to become one-note, then you may be disappointed by what Outlast 2 has to offer.
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Jul 5, 2017Red Barrels built the sequel on the tried more of the same principle, but this is by far is not the worst problem of the second installment.
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Game World Navigator MagazineJun 5, 2017Original Outlast’s setting worked well with its linearity – after all, no nuthouse is built in a way to make it easy for a patient or a visiting journalist to run around. But it’s simply impossible to make a believable rural setting in the same manner, as evidenced by Outlast 2: there’s too many fences and too little everything else. Even the cornfield that was a point of pride for Red Barrels is about as big as your average backyard lawn. [Issue#220, p.68]
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Oct 23, 2019A faltering sequel that borrows even more liberally from well-worn horror tropes than its predecessor, Outlast 2 ends up a middling entry despite its high production values and some shining moments of found footage fright.
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Apr 24, 2017Horrific in completely the wrong way, Outlast 2 is a night-vision journey into frustration. An intriguing story just can’t save the infuriating misery that awaits.
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Apr 24, 2017The long and short of it is that Outlast 2 is generic, stereotypical, and poorly designed. There was so much initial promise, with a great premise and some truly stunning visuals, but the onslaught of everything we’ve seen a hundred times before in horror games with much smaller budgets than this left me feeling bored, frustrated, and even vaguely insulted. Truly a sequel in name alone.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Apr 27, 2017A wobbly first-person horror whose moments of splendid unease are spoiled by clunky stealth, casual misogyny and warmed-over scares.
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Apr 24, 2017If your temperament can bear the ceaseless cycle of death, Outlast 2 rewards you with one of the most twisted horror stories ever encountered in a game.
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Apr 24, 2017Red Barrels should be commended for trying a different approach to their sequel, but unfortunately it’s just not the instant horror classic the first game was.
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Apr 24, 2017It’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as remade by Eli Roth, starting with the worst possible thing that can happen and then daring itself to go further. Shock tactics so persistently silly that they become the equivalent of a flaming bag of poo on a doorstep. I will always defend the right of horror fiction to be horrible, but never excuse it for being so dull in its depravity. One of the game’s six chapters is named after the Biblical Job and by the end of the game that’s who I felt like. I’d suffered through great and terrible hardships but was no closer to understanding why.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 412 out of 786
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Mixed: 228 out of 786
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Negative: 146 out of 786
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Apr 25, 2017
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Apr 25, 2017
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Apr 25, 2017