Outlast

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2039 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,598 out of 2039
  2. Mixed: 316 out of 2039
  3. Negative: 125 out of 2039

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  1. Fogdale
    Sep 15, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "Outlast" is probably one of the best horror games released in the past time, but it has its problems.

    The atmosphere is pretty good, but most of the tension comes from all the crazy people surrounding you and the corpses that are ripped apart in the most disgusting ways.

    People may be having another opinion on this, but I don't like that there are so many jumpscares in this game. "Amnesia: The Dark Descent" for example doesn't have this many jumpscares but is way scarier due to its amazing atmosphere.

    The camera with night vision is a great idea, I like it more that lanterns or flashlights because you can take a closer look at the amazing monster design without getting found.

    "Outlast" gets a bit over-violent in the end, I don't think it is necessary to put hundreds of litres of blood on the walls and the floor to make the player fear the final enemy.

    The end of "Outlast" is pure in my opinion. I never like it when the main character dies at the end of a game, but in a horror game it just feels completely unnecessary. The player feels sorry for Miles because he has to go through all of this and in the end the developers think "Let's just kill Miles. That'll make a great ending!"

    Even though it has it little problems and the worst game ending since Mass Effect 3, "Outlast" is a very good horror game with a good atmosphere and a deep story.    … Expand
  2. gloriouspotato
    Aug 31, 2014
    7
    For the first hour, Outlast was genuinely terrifying. I was immersed in the rather spooky, if a bit cliché setting and tentatively moving forward, progressing at a snail's pace for fear of what was around the corner. But after that first hour or so, the linear level design and objectives begin to feel formulaic, with enemy chase scenes feeling overused to the point that one becomesFor the first hour, Outlast was genuinely terrifying. I was immersed in the rather spooky, if a bit cliché setting and tentatively moving forward, progressing at a snail's pace for fear of what was around the corner. But after that first hour or so, the linear level design and objectives begin to feel formulaic, with enemy chase scenes feeling overused to the point that one becomes slightly desensitised to the jump scares. The same could be said with the excessive blood and gore. I think Outlast could've been improved if it relied a little more on subtle scares and building suspense instead of the overt 'in your face' approach that the game takes throughout its entire length. That's not to say the game isn't somewhat scary. Outlast does it better than most, but it's hardly outstanding.

    The story is unfortunately another weak point. To put it bluntly, it's uninspired, predictable and the ending is underwhelming to say the least. On the bright side, both the visuals and audio are of high quality, the core gameplay mechanics work decently, and your character controls smoothly.

    Overall rating: 7.4/10    … Expand
  3. Melancholy
    Mar 26, 2014
    7
    The atmosphere and visuals are very well done, and lend greatly to the overall experience of the game. As a veteran to horror titles, however, I found the 'horror' aspect of the game to be somewhat lacking. Outlast certainly has it's share of creepy moments and well timed jump scares and is still a great game overall, but beyond the polish it felt as though something more was missing.The atmosphere and visuals are very well done, and lend greatly to the overall experience of the game. As a veteran to horror titles, however, I found the 'horror' aspect of the game to be somewhat lacking. Outlast certainly has it's share of creepy moments and well timed jump scares and is still a great game overall, but beyond the polish it felt as though something more was missing.

    My one real gripe with the game is that the vast majority of enemies you encounter in the game all follow a similar 'search and chase' AI that takes little effort to outsmart, which greatly detracts from the immersion and fear of evading and escaping them. There were also several times throughout the game when the "activate X number of things while evading a patrol" mechanic was used, all of which boiled down to performing the exact same "stay out of sight and move when they move" tactic, which took away from the overall experience for me. There were also a few times where I would become more frustrated than frightened over trying to deal with and evade enemies as I progressed.

    All of that said however, Outlast is still a very satisfying game to play, and is worth the asking price. Gameplay is smooth and fluid, character interaction with the environment is an uncommon and welcome touch, and the night vision mechanic is implemented very well. While it's not a game I would play through again, I certainly recommend it to anyone looking for another title in the horror genre to keep them occupied.    … Expand
  4. Klewer
    Jan 9, 2014
    7
    The atmosphere and sound of this game make it a true horror experience. It gives you that feeling of wanting to play to finish the game but also not wanting to play due to the fear it brings.

    Slightly linear at times and repetitive objectives slightly drag down the score but well worth a go for horror fans.
  5. xZippy
    Feb 23, 2014
    7
    If you want something like Amnesia: The Dark Descent, then this is the game to play. It's not as atmospheric as Amnesia, nor is the storyline as intriguing, but you will still love Outlast start to finish.

    The scares are all done the right way. You will find yourself jumping out of your seat many times. You will find yourself in constant paranoia and getting bursts of fear-induced    If you want something like Amnesia: The Dark Descent, then this is the game to play. It's not as atmospheric as Amnesia, nor is the storyline as intriguing, but you will still love Outlast start to finish.

    The scares are all done the right way. You will find yourself jumping out of your seat many times. You will find yourself in constant paranoia and getting bursts of fear-induced adrenaline for the large chunk of the game. The gameplay isn't mind-blowing, but still holds up extremely well.

    The only negative point I'll give this game is that some of the level design is very poor, and you could find yourself running around in circles or possibly getting killed because it can be cramped, confusing and repetitive, though that doesn't ruin the game in any sense. Overall, if horror games are your thing, this'll probably be in your top 10.    … Expand
  6. Skitte
    Mar 10, 2014
    7
    If this would be a horror, it should be different. I can say that the beggining was the best, then everything exagerated. Why you have to walk so much and suddenly you hit a ' crazed ' employee. This is not what I expected, truly, my opinion. I was waiting for a action-horror.
  7. Aeryx
    Aug 21, 2015
    6
    What Outlast needed in order to shine was a bit of subtlety. A few shadows, maybe dead bodies after a long time creates anticipation. Having played Amnesia, I was a bit familiar with the mechanics. Hide from supernatural enemies and run. However, I wasn't too impressed by the protagonist here being so ridiculously helpless. A lot of times, the game just made me irk at the fact that I wasWhat Outlast needed in order to shine was a bit of subtlety. A few shadows, maybe dead bodies after a long time creates anticipation. Having played Amnesia, I was a bit familiar with the mechanics. Hide from supernatural enemies and run. However, I wasn't too impressed by the protagonist here being so ridiculously helpless. A lot of times, the game just made me irk at the fact that I was surrounded by all sorts of melee weapons but couldn't use any of them against my assailants which could be easily killed. Sometimes, the frustration was such, the player character dying made feel happy. I though if he was such a **** he deserved it. The game also had exaggerated too many dead bodies and horror elements to the point it eventually felt too common to be scary and eventually turned boring. It was just trying too hard and this ruined it for me. The camcorder was a nice touch, but I needed more. If you like horror stories, you'll find a bit of it here but nothing as good as Amnesia's. Overall, a good game, but nothing too special. If you like survival horror games, it's worth it, I suppose, otherwise, this might leave you frustrated and bored.… Expand
  8. Brainstorm123
    Aug 14, 2014
    7
    I'm not a fan of the genre, but I know a good horror game when I see one. While most horror games rely on jump scares and nothing else, Outlast has that, and more. The visuals are good, and creeping through a pitch black room with your night vision camera dying out, and hearing a sudden noise, is as terrifying as it gets. However, like most horror games, Outlast doesn't have a lot ofI'm not a fan of the genre, but I know a good horror game when I see one. While most horror games rely on jump scares and nothing else, Outlast has that, and more. The visuals are good, and creeping through a pitch black room with your night vision camera dying out, and hearing a sudden noise, is as terrifying as it gets. However, like most horror games, Outlast doesn't have a lot of gameplay, which can make the game EXCRUCIATINGLY boring at some points. But, all things considered, this is a really good game, and one horror fans should check out.… Expand
  9. iCampoRamil
    Nov 12, 2021
    7
    Es un buen juego, funciona muy bien y es de los más míticos y jugados, por algo será.
  10. Yuptix
    Nov 1, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very overrated horror game with very simple story, with a lot of violence, repetative gameplay. Protagonist is so stupid. Why did he doesn't ran away when he saw a first dead body. He didn't took a gun for self-defense. Game is full of conventions and stupid moments like: How did Chris got into a laboratory without key for elevator? But game has good optimization and it has a good graphic for 2013. In all Outlast is a very moderate horror.… Expand
  11. Grimmycakes
    Sep 10, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have to say that Outlast was quite a well made game for an indie team. The graphics/visuals are very nicely done. The story itself was rather short and felt somewhat empty sadly, and the ending was rather disappointing. It felt rushed.

    However my experience playing the game was for the most part, fun.
    The game itself wasn't scary though. It was more thrills and suspense and the odd jump scare.

    The atmosphere in the game was pretty good. Some of the things you see patients doing was rather surprising but at the same time, it's something you would expect to see. All in all, I think the developers got the mental patient behaviors to definitely give off the feeling that you were in a mental institution. It could have been taken further in my opinion. But still I would say it was well done.

    I loved the camera and it's night vision. It really went well with the game and definitely was something I was happy to have.

    Enemies were not really scary. Pretty much all characters in the game that you encounter look extremely similar to each other, which left me a bit disappointed to be honest. They looked weird, but not in a scary way.

    Also while I enjoyed not being able to attack and having to run and hide instead, it felt extremely simple and in no way scary. It was more of a suspense feeling. Getting away from enemies was very easy, and with the AI intelligence, it felt somewhat unrealistic. They were not much of a threat. More of an annoyance and rather predictable very early in the game.

    The AI itself for enemies was very basic when they would look around for you. It felt very simple. However I will say watching them look under beds and in lockers was quite a chilling to experience. Heck, I even once had one of the enemies open the right one which took me by complete surprise! So that over there gets a star for thrills. Though the AI itself to me was still silly. See spoiler below as to why.

    SPOILER
    In once instance where Tager is looking for you, I was hiding under a bed, he looked under a bed right ahead of me. Yet he couldn't see me. But it was light enough that he should have. So it felt a bit odd. But I didn't mind so much since he was not a very nice enemy to be around. Long story short he will NEVER be my buddy..
    SPOILER

    Another thing that I felt was a bit odd was the portable lights on the floor. Surely the player should be able to move them or turn them off to hide from enemies.. So that was rather odd to me.

    The institution was quite nicely done. But in some areas it felt a bit repetitive. The gore was pretty gory I suppose. Definitely felt like something horrid had happened.

    The sound effects were decent. Hearing the character's breathing when scared was quite a nice effect and such.

    Overall, I don't really write reviews but here's my sum up.

    Story: 5/10
    Gameplay: 6/10
    Scare: 4/10
    Sound: 7/10
    Graphics: 7.5/10

    I would definitely recommend playing the game. It is worth the $20 USD price. And all in all, I hope the developers will continue to create games like this, but improve from feedback. The game had far more potential. But I reckon they can bring something even greater than Outlast. They've definitely shown some great skills in their work. All in all, I support them and I'm glad I purchased the game.

    If you're looking for some thrills and suspense, I highly recommend this game. It may be short and not the most in depth and interesting story. But it's definitely a game you should play at least once.    … Expand
  12. Coconutnerd
    Sep 5, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Outlast was by no means a poor game, and had all the ingredients for an amazing horror game. However, these ingredients weren't used to the fullest.
    The beginning of the game was amazing. The atmosphere sucked you right in, and the scares were placed just right to both scare you and teach you the game. As it got towards the middle and end, things began to lack off. Repetitive scare tactics lost their edge, and the designers even began to announce the entrance of major enemies to let you be aware that they were there, and that you should be cautious. Over exposure to the enemies was also a minor problem. I became used to seeing freaks everywhere and didn't pay much mind if one hit me. Also, the survival horror aspect is too forgiving (I think this of Amnesia too) a huge, beast of a man is introduced to you by ripping off an inmates head and when you encounter him, he just throws you or slaps you; almost every enemy in the game has to hit you twice.
    The platforming was great because it felt like you were just an average man, not some star athlete. You felt the breathing and effort in the long jumps.
    Lastly the ending areas were lackluster at best, a cliche ending to the game and a huge let down for the mystery and buildup it had going for it. I'll leave the ending at that.
    Overall, it was still worth my money and easily worth playing, just don't expect the 'scariest game ever' as it was hyped for.

    TL;DR
    Enemies lost their scariness and threat
    Reused scare tactics
    Atmosphere was stunning, but fell off near the end
    Had some amazing scares, but too many failed attempts
    7/10 would buy and play.    … Expand
  13. Itz_Rhino
    Sep 9, 2013
    6
    Outlast is a well designed game with a few key misses...

    I felt the game and story arc both developed in the same pattern; strong introduction, sagging middle, and a strong end. Unfortunately, most of the game is considered to be the "middle", so for about 5 hours I felt as if I were simply jumping through hoops to finish. This game suffers from the same thing as the original    Outlast is a well designed game with a few key misses...

    I felt the game and story arc both developed in the same pattern; strong introduction, sagging middle, and a strong end. Unfortunately, most of the game is considered to be the "middle", so for about 5 hours I felt as if I were simply jumping through hoops to finish.

    This game suffers from the same thing as the original "Assassin's Creed"; repetition. You are constantly trying to find switches, levers, or keys while being hunted by a particular enemy (a lot of times, one that has chased you before...). I have to admit, the game was able to maintain it's level of scariness for the first encounter... maybe a bit during the second, but after that, the player starts to realize the patterns, understands the AI, and loses all immersion, at least I did. At this point, I found myself giving up on creeping past enemies and slowly walking around corners because I knew I would survive at least one or two hits from the enemy, and all I would have to do to escape is either climb into an air duct or close myself in a room and hide. Nine times out of ten, the enemy would break the door down, walk into my 10x10 room with one bed (which I would be hiding under), and give up his pursuit. Really?! You're not going to check the one and only possible hiding spot??? Oh well...

    I don't play many survival horror games. Actually, to be 100% honest, this is my first one! I figured I would give the genre the benefit of the doubt and gave the game a 6/10. Perhaps it is a masterpiece in its own right? To me though, a non-memorable and simple foray through the dark.

    To sum up:
    Pros:
    1) Beautifully designed
    2) Strong introduction and ending

    Cons:
    1) Majority of game is repetitious
    2) A.I is predictable and easily fooled (crouching is OP)
    3) Extremely forgiving gameplay that removes all drama and tension from encounters.    … Expand
  14. Ew4NgeR
    Sep 5, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So I finished the game and taking with the two feelings, the story was downright bad and towards the end you will be a little shocked. The atmosphere you breathe icy breath until the end of the back and this is definitely a great title that his promise. It really is a game of survival horror and full of unpleasant moments.

    What struck me at the game but was greatly disappointed by game time. I finished the game for four hours, I enjoyed so only two nights and I feel very disappointed. The game had great potential and I feel very deprived. It is above average and great horror game that the knee precipitated a very short game time and sometimes poor AI.    … Expand
  15. pkarapan77
    Sep 11, 2013
    7
    I think this game is slightly overrated. Here's why: 1) There is a fundamental problem with the mechanics of the game that lead it to be overly boring and repetitive. The problem stems from the fact that you cannot attack enemies and thus don't need to regulate health, stamina, ammo, etc. All you can do is hide. It's ridiculous that I can't fight back when some scrawny guy missing hisI think this game is slightly overrated. Here's why: 1) There is a fundamental problem with the mechanics of the game that lead it to be overly boring and repetitive. The problem stems from the fact that you cannot attack enemies and thus don't need to regulate health, stamina, ammo, etc. All you can do is hide. It's ridiculous that I can't fight back when some scrawny guy missing his skin is beating me to death. 2) because of (1) above, you tend to get your ass kicked over and over until you've memorized a map and this is both frustrating and not scary when you get killed for the 20th time by the same wimp 3) the puzzles tend to emphasize knowing the map (collect X of some item) which relates back to (1) and (2) and finally 4) the story isn't really all that interesting or subtle. It's your typical sort of Resident Evil Operation Racoon stuff that's been done to death. Otherwise the game is OK. The graphics, sound effects, and general ambiance of the level design and atmosphere are top notch and this is why I give it 7/10.… Expand
  16. Mothman13
    Sep 7, 2013
    6
    The visuals of this game are good and the camera gimmick works well enough. The gameplay is very simple. You do a lot of running around, climb, collect journal entries and batteries for your camera. The problem of Outlast is that it isn't scary enough and that it relies heavily on jump-scares. The Asylum as a place is quite boring and the plot of the game is your basic horror schlock. NotThe visuals of this game are good and the camera gimmick works well enough. The gameplay is very simple. You do a lot of running around, climb, collect journal entries and batteries for your camera. The problem of Outlast is that it isn't scary enough and that it relies heavily on jump-scares. The Asylum as a place is quite boring and the plot of the game is your basic horror schlock. Not a single original idea in this department. Overall,a very mixed experience.… Expand
  17. Shadowfied
    Sep 8, 2013
    5
    Have to give Outlast a score of 5. I was expecting so much more from this, and it began so, so promising.
    The absolute worst thing about this game is the length. It's so incredibly short..
    It's short, and there's no custom story map editor feature, yet they ask for more money than Amnesia. The graphics are amazing, the enemies NPCs are incredibly detailed and look fantastic. I wish    Have to give Outlast a score of 5. I was expecting so much more from this, and it began so, so promising.
    The absolute worst thing about this game is the length. It's so incredibly short..
    It's short, and there's no custom story map editor feature, yet they ask for more money than Amnesia.
    The graphics are amazing, the enemies NPCs are incredibly detailed and look fantastic. I wish there was more to find than journals and batteries. I wish you had to maintain your health as well. MINOR SPOILER: Enemies in this game do not disappear, like they do in Amnesia. This is a great plus for Outlast, but since you have no health bar and you regain health automatically, there isn't much risk trying to sneak by an enemy.

    I'm gonna hope for some REALLY lengthy DLC to save this game. While I do not like it, I would spend a few more euro to get more of this.    … Expand
  18. nopedotjpeg
    Dec 29, 2013
    6
    I've played just about all survival-horror games, and I was really looking forward to this one being kind of like Fatal Frame. I quickly learned it wasn't like that at all.

    It sets the atmosphere very well, but if you're observant you will know what's coming. Example: Zero places to hide for many rooms, the instant you get to the room with a switch, there's a locker you can hide in.    I've played just about all survival-horror games, and I was really looking forward to this one being kind of like Fatal Frame. I quickly learned it wasn't like that at all.

    It sets the atmosphere very well, but if you're observant you will know what's coming. Example: Zero places to hide for many rooms, the instant you get to the room with a switch, there's a locker you can hide in. Flip switch, hide in locker, wait for monster to patrol. Apparently I missed out on a great deal of the jump scares by doing this, but when it's set up so obvious, I couldn't avoid doing it. Another example of this is how there will be a couple of obstacles you have to jump over while going down a long hallway. 90% of the time, you're about to get chased and have to jump over those boxes again.

    Then I learned you can just agro the mobs and kite them around until you find where you need to go, then circle around and close a few doors and you're home free.

    I experienced some bugs as well, most were minor, but one major in the theater room. The scripted even when you get the key wouldn't trigger and I was left having to quit and load up the save (meaning I had to do the entire theater over again.) Had to do this twice before it finally triggered and I was allowed to continue.

    It was also pretty easy to get immersed (suggest wearing headphones and turning off the lights.) Even when I'd get really into it, the game would break this immersion with the ridiculously short battery life, where I'd have to stop and change the battery. It left me feeling annoyed at times, and seemed fairly trivial considering I never had less than 5 batteries in my inventory at a time, even when I was burning through them in the dark areas.

    The ending seems to be mixed with most players, it left me wanting more to be honest.

    I didn't use any walkthroughs (I did google the theater bit when it bugged out though.) I played on normal difficulty, 3 hours 25 minute play time.

    Overall, I'm glad I purchased (on sale) and played it. Was a decent game, wouldn't say it's amazing or great but a worthwhile experience nonetheless.    … Expand
  19. Rajal
    Dec 12, 2013
    6
    While I didn't find it to be as scary/special as some claimed it to be, I found the game to be pretty good. The biggest let down is that it felt very predictable and it was a short game. As Red Barrels' first game however this is a good start, and I hope they can learn from this and create something that is several steps ahead of Outlast. If you haven't tried it, I say give the game a go.While I didn't find it to be as scary/special as some claimed it to be, I found the game to be pretty good. The biggest let down is that it felt very predictable and it was a short game. As Red Barrels' first game however this is a good start, and I hope they can learn from this and create something that is several steps ahead of Outlast. If you haven't tried it, I say give the game a go. It's not that expensive.… Expand
  20. TFORPULLONE
    May 13, 2014
    7
    Absolutely the best horror game in a moment. The story is interesting and the jump-scares are not too scary. Survival feeling makes this game special and surprising. The best horror game in the moment but still 7/10. Only the story mode makes the game too small.
  21. TheMadNag
    Apr 28, 2014
    6
    Got this game with no idea what it was or even what it was about. Looked scary and I was in the mood to scream plus had some friends watching the stream so I figured what the hell give it a shot. Not priced to high and considering it managed to keep me entertained up until the end means money well spent. Though there are some negative sides to this game. It manages to really get you goingGot this game with no idea what it was or even what it was about. Looked scary and I was in the mood to scream plus had some friends watching the stream so I figured what the hell give it a shot. Not priced to high and considering it managed to keep me entertained up until the end means money well spent. Though there are some negative sides to this game. It manages to really get you going early on, you will find yourself scared to adventure forward due to the unexpected. Though once you’ve managed to get about an hour in the scares start to get a little over the top and predictable. The game is by no means long, something like 4 hours from start to finish managed to beat it in a night. The ending is really quite pathetic but for a decently priced game I can’t complain.

    Gameplay: This game brings something new to the table in terms of horror games that felt fresh. Only equipment in this game is your trusty camera which runs on your standard double a (AA) batteries. This adds a pretty fun element to the game as you are questioning if it is necessary at parts to use the night vision on your camera or just go HAM with your natural eyes. There are a number of pretty good scares and the game manages to keep you entertained up until the end. Though about half way through you will start to kind of get the hang of when things are going to go down and how to easily avoid trouble.

    Graphics: Standard todays graphic’s, no complaints and felt refreshing and clean.

    Overall this game is a mix for me, personally I found it was worth the price but it just wasn't all there. After a while it gets a little repetitive and the scares start to get old. Yet its worth a play if you are into the survival horror genre.    … Expand
  22. powaa
    Sep 5, 2013
    6
    The game is not bad, is actually pretty enjoyable sometimes....
    The scariest thing about the game are not the monsters, or the jump scares, but the motion blur, which cannot be turned off (unless you turn off all the effects), but the game still looks great with all the effects at minimum......
    Fix the motion blur option please!
  23. kailip
    Sep 9, 2013
    6
    While Outlast is an OK game, it certainly disappointed me. It was a cool ride, but that was it. It had a creepy atmosphere early on and clearly a lot of attention was given to details, but as far as the story goes, it's a very simplistic and vague story and the game gets very repetitive. It became predictable and easy, you can take a lot of hits from enemies before dying, which takes awayWhile Outlast is an OK game, it certainly disappointed me. It was a cool ride, but that was it. It had a creepy atmosphere early on and clearly a lot of attention was given to details, but as far as the story goes, it's a very simplistic and vague story and the game gets very repetitive. It became predictable and easy, you can take a lot of hits from enemies before dying, which takes away a lot from the fear factor. Enemies are also encountered too often, which provides for great jumpscares but not much beyond that. Couple all that with a mediocre ending and you will see why Outlast isn't a mind blowing game. It is, though, an interesting game, and if you are a fan of the survival horror genre, it's a game worth buying. If you're not into survival horror, don't bother.… Expand
  24. SophosTheWise
    Sep 4, 2013
    5
    Honestly, Outlast is a good game, but it's nothing special. If you cross Condemned, FEAR and Amnesia, this is what you'll get. It's, however a very calculated game. I see calculated as opposite to cleverly planned. Especially the beginning of the game feels as if Red Barrel were devs that played Amnesia and wanted to remake it on a AAA-level. It has a massive mass market appeal with itsHonestly, Outlast is a good game, but it's nothing special. If you cross Condemned, FEAR and Amnesia, this is what you'll get. It's, however a very calculated game. I see calculated as opposite to cleverly planned. Especially the beginning of the game feels as if Red Barrel were devs that played Amnesia and wanted to remake it on a AAA-level. It has a massive mass market appeal with its quite predictable plot (find a keycard, oh, now electricity is broken, go to the cellar to turn it back on) and clichéd setting. There's not much variety in gameplay, nor in story (which has loads of horrendous plotholes) and the horror is not very subtile. Sometimes the game is screaming "look I'm scary!" especially with the sometimes absurd amount of gore and copy-pasted scare-setpieces. While Amnesia is scary because you can't see what scares you, Outlast is supposed to be scary because you see everything. Sure, it's 20 bucks, you'll get your fun out of it, but it's not scary and terrifying in a revolutionary way. There are a few jump scares here and there but mostly it's kind of predictable. My money is on Amnesia: A Machine for pigs.… Expand
  25. Gamesmagic
    Sep 5, 2013
    6
    I first got a look at his game, from a few people who got a chance to play the demo. I was really into what I saw. Beautiful graphics, solid and great looking gameplay. I was really looking forward to it. And I pre-ordered it. The day it came out, I downloaded it, and started it around 9pm that night. Headphones on, just so I'd get all of the scares I could. What followed, was the biggestI first got a look at his game, from a few people who got a chance to play the demo. I was really into what I saw. Beautiful graphics, solid and great looking gameplay. I was really looking forward to it. And I pre-ordered it. The day it came out, I downloaded it, and started it around 9pm that night. Headphones on, just so I'd get all of the scares I could. What followed, was the biggest let down ever. Okay, what you get with outlast, is a Beautiful game, with a hard to understand, but well kept story. Horrible, and stupid as jump scares. And for the first hour, good and clean scares that work and feel good to any horror fan. After that though..this game takes a major blow where it counts most. The game just stops being scary. Throwing the enemies at you every five seconds and doing little to keep the atmosphere when you run into crazy, yet friendly people...I guess? But, for a small price of 20 dollars, its a great game for people new to the horror genre. Not to scary, and good to ease you into the whole horror theme. I liked this game, and you are getting your moneys worth....but this is NOT for hardcore horror fans. Good length to the game, okay story, boring enemies, nasty and strange things. But over all, slightly above your average indie horror title… Expand
  26. EnnMorbid
    Sep 8, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Outlast is okay so far, I had fun with it.
    The atmosphere and the story are good, but in my opinion it isn't really scary, I had no "jumpscares" or so.
    I think 6/10 is fair enough.    … Expand
  27. gypsygib
    Feb 15, 2014
    7
    Scarier than the scariest movie, which means it holds the tittle of the scariest game but by the time you near end it just drags on far too long.

    Could have been a 9/10 if they just ended it sooner. Turned from running for you life to fumbling in the dark. 1 hr less and this game would have been master piece.
  28. Cinetyk
    Oct 11, 2014
    6
    This is a solid survival horror game, with good production values, but, ultimately, it falls a bit flat on the storytelling and on the gameplay side of things, which is a shame.

    You play as a journalist that received information from a whistle-blower about "wrong" things happening on some mental asylum, and decide to go in and investigate, bringing your camera along. Without spoiling,    This is a solid survival horror game, with good production values, but, ultimately, it falls a bit flat on the storytelling and on the gameplay side of things, which is a shame.

    You play as a journalist that received information from a whistle-blower about "wrong" things happening on some mental asylum, and decide to go in and investigate, bringing your camera along. Without spoiling, as you arrive to the huge facilities, the place seems deserted, and soon enough, as you would expect, you encounter some pretty gory and disturbing stuff and the sh** hits the fan. So, a very cliché setting.

    The "horror" side of things is provided mostly with the atmosphere, the gore, and some jump scares (which are a bit predictable), nothing out of the ordinary. What is quite interesting here is the camera mechanics. You'll need your camera's night vision to navigate the numerous dark sections of the game, but also (and more importantly) you need the camera to record the events that you see. Only with your camera up will you be able to record your "notes" that you can read on the menu and provide some insight on what's going on. Problem is, using the camera, and night vision in particular, consumes batteries, and there's a limited supply of those around. Those notes and some scattered documents that you can search for throughout the game comprise most of the exposition you'll ever get.
    It sounded good, but, I felt that these documents and your "notes" are either a bit cryptic or otherwise not very informative or engaging. Also, you mostly encounter faceless zombie-like people, which you don't care much for. You'll also meet some characters, but there's hardly any dialogue or character development, and no cutscenes, which makes progression a matter of "do this, go there" where you don't have much agency or motivation other than because it's the way the game is. And basically you spend most of your time chasing after a character that seems to go out of his way to put obstacles between you or goes in the most bizarre labyrinthic path. I also found that the places you traverse along the way have little personality or "history", despite the potential of the setting and location. The setting and plot had much potential for more exploration of the characters, locations and stories.

    Outside of that, the game mechanics involve stealth, trying to stay out of sight and earshot or hide so as to manoeuvre around enemies, while finding keys or other objects, or activating some things to be able to progress. As you're just a feeble journalist, you cannot do any fighting whatsoever. While in theory it sounds good and oppressive, because you have no way to distract an enemy, it boils down too much to trial and error, which ultimately is more frustrating than scary as you are caught and die over and over again. After the first encounters you'll quickly realise this and it rapidly goes from scary to frustrating.

    Visually, it's very good, the visuals are very high quality with very good effects, especially the lighting system and your camera's night vision, which truly lend to a disturbing and scary atmosphere. There are multiple dark sections and the rainy sections on night vision are absolutely stellar. The sound is also on par, except that sometimes I found the positional audio a bit off, making it difficult to sneak around and understand the position of enemies with sound.

    In closing, though the production values are there, I found the storytelling a poor and the gameplay quickly went from providing tension, fright and scares to frustration and annoyance over its trial and error nature.    … Expand
  29. BrosefStalin
    Oct 13, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My biggest problem with Outlast is that it doesn't do what it was made to do. At least not very well. I played through the game in one sitting, had the lights off, headphones on etc. and after the first hour of gameplay the scares felt boring. There were many times where the game showed potential by building up suspense, but those moments were wasted with tiny jump-scares, leaving me unsatisfied.

    *SPOILERS*
    There were some moments in this game that felt truly genuine. Moments like that would include going outside in the rain and the dark, and seeing the Walrider for the first time. In that moment I didn't exactly feel scared but I did feel uncomfortable, which is a feeling not many games can deliver. Another good example would be the scene where the player is captured by, and escapes, from Trager. Both of these scenes were good, but they were short lived and eventually became wasted potential.

    The plot in Outlast was interesting at best. Reading through most of the notes is necessary to understand the story, which is expected. After reading all the notes I could find, I felt confused by the end. The ending of the game was the most disappointing part. Outlast was a game that could have been so much better, but fell short in almost every aspect of the game.    … Expand
  30. Storm1672
    Jan 2, 2014
    7
    Outlast is a polished experience. It's a great scare and it does what its job quite nice. It's just that it's job is not quite stretched for a full fledged game. It's a rollercoaster in a lunatic asylum. It has good visuals, great sound (and music) and some pretty basic stealth gameplay. That's it. The story is a mess (there isn't one), as it doesn't develop at all and beside the "hide inOutlast is a polished experience. It's a great scare and it does what its job quite nice. It's just that it's job is not quite stretched for a full fledged game. It's a rollercoaster in a lunatic asylum. It has good visuals, great sound (and music) and some pretty basic stealth gameplay. That's it. The story is a mess (there isn't one), as it doesn't develop at all and beside the "hide in the corner, wait for him to turn his back, now go" there is no gameplay at all. It reminds a bit of Mirror's Edge without the cool moves or level design. It lasts about five hours and at about 2 hours in you will see the limitations of the enemies, so the fear effect won't affect you any more.

    It's great for some good scares, it has some great baddies and it creates pure tension, but it's hollow. You'll do the "collect 3 stuff" or "flip 2 switches" 5 or 6 times and that's the game. I must say I was hyped for this game but utlimately I can't help but feel disappointed. I expected at least a better story development and some puzzles. There are none. Nevertheless, it's got a ton of jumpscares and it's great if you want to use it for that. I disliked the battery searching, it didn't feel "survival genre" at all. It felt survival when I was being chased.

    At least the checkpoints are good and the polish level is unexpected for this type of (indie) game. The night vision effect looks suberb and everything looks and sounds as it should.

    It is scary, it has atmosphere, but it doesn't qualify as a full game. It just feels hollow.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Best PC Game of 2013
20
#20 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
12
#12 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 59
  3. Negative: 0 out of 59
  1. XGN
    Feb 21, 2014
    80
    A game that is not as innovative as you would hope. It is very old school. Nevertheless, this is a real horror-game and we can guarantee that you will freak out. It may be old school, but it is still a very good game that will blow you away.
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  2. GameOver.gr
    Dec 5, 2013
    80
    This is probably the most horrifying experience in videogames, ever!
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  3. Riot Pixels
    Oct 31, 2013
    80
    On one side, you have linear gameplay, at times simplistic game design and plenty of clichés. On the other – an exciting opportunity to star in a very cool horror ‘movie’.
    Read full review
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