Outlast is a first-person perspective indie survival horror game, developed and published by Red Barrels. The game puts the player behind the camera of Miles Upshur, a freelance journalist, investigating the tip he had received on the strange activity at Mount Massive Asylum. Only with a camera, he enters the dilapidated building, thus beginning the worst night of his life. Outlast follows the trend in survival horror games started by Amnesia: The Dark Descent, which forces the player to rely on stealth to survive encounters with pursuing enemies. Outlast received positive reviews: the critics praised the setting of the game, stealth mechanics and the use of video camera as an essential tool of survival.

Survival gameplay

Outlast is a PC game about survival. The player is put in the shoes of Miles Upshur, a journalist who investigates a run-down asylum. Unlike many other survival horror games, which gave the player some flexibility in approaching the gameplay, Outlast’s mechanics force the player to assume the role of prey from the very beginning. There is no option of fight the psychopaths haunting the corridors of Mount Massive: the only way to survive is to run away, hide and wait for the danger to pass. Should the player be captured, they will be killed immediately and forced to restart from the last checkpoint. The only tool at the player’s disposal is the video camera with a night vision mode. With it, Miles can see through the dark and make his way forward. Other mechanics include collecting various clues, which push the plot forward.

The story of Mount Massive Asylum

My name is Miles Upshur, and if you’re reading this…well, things are not good. I received an anonymous tip: something’s been going on in an old asylum, somewhere in Colorado. Mount Massive’s the name of the place. The tip mentioned weird experiments on the inmates, making them violent…All this sounded pretty bogus to me, but as a journalist, it was my duty to investigate…It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come here. The place was ruins, but there were people here. Tortured, massacred, left to die by these…monsters. Now they are hunting me, too. I have to figure out what happened, that’s the only way to get out of here. But before that, I need to find somewhere to hide, before they find me…

Reception

Outlast game received positive reviews from the critics. The reviewers pointed out several factors, which made the game one of the best in its category. The atmosphere of being hunted, enforced by combat-free gameplay, the stealth mechanics, which made the player make use of every nook and cranny of the location, the video camera, the only tool at the player’s disposal, and the only weapon against whoever was hiding in the dark. All these elements, bound together with excellent sound design, created the game that would give the player nightmares for years to come.  

Key features

• Unique stealth gameplay experience! Outlast provides frights thanks to non-combat gameplay mechanics.
• The story of nightmares! Investigate the horrors of Mount Massive Asylum and discover the truth behind the cruel human experiments.
• Be afraid of the dark! Use your camera’s night vision mode to inspect every nook and cranny of the facility in search of clues.
• Run and hide! You are powerless against the derange inmates of the asylum. Find a place to hide and stay there.
• Terrifying atmosphere! The macabre imagery and horrific ambient sounds will make your skin crawl.