One of the most popular horror games of 2013, Outlast is the perfect example of indie horror gaming done right that has leaped out of the inky blackness onto the video playlists of ‘Let’s Play’ers all over the internet.
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Red Barrels Games is based in Montreal, Canada and was founded by game designers of titles such as Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Assassin’s Creed, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, and Splinter Cell: Conviction to name a few. Their vision is to create interactive experiences in which the player goes on an emotional and unforgettable journey through a focus on single-player downloadable games. They have definitely achieved this with Outlast as I won’t be forgetting some of the horrors of Mount Massive Asylum anytime soon, that’s for sure.
I originally discovered the game through the PlayStation 4 announcement and of Sony‘s support for independent game development with Outlast being one of the headline titles coming to the console. Horror games have always been difficult for me – watching others play them is bearable but playing them myself is an entirely different experience and one where I usually only last thirty minutes or so before the immersion gets too much. Outlast was no different in this respect but its atmosphere and realism kept me playing.
Welcome to Mount Massive Asylum, please enjoy your stay.
You play as Miles Upshur, an investigative journalist digging up dirt at Mount Massive Asylum after receiving a tip-off suggesting foul play it’s not long before realising that heading in alone was clearly a bad idea. He quickly becomes trapped within the vast facility and must survive long enough to discover its terrible secret and escape those that don’t want to it to see the light of day. Why a journalist decided to enter this asylum unarmed and without letting someone know is anyone’s guess but it easily sets the scene for some gruesome survival horror.
Outlast is not a game for those that want to shoot evil creatures and save the day as the gameplay centers around our journalist Upshur having very little means to defend himself aside from running away and hiding. A year on from the game’s release has proven this to be a successful formula for horror titles as most now follow the same idea that the player must use stealth and cunning to outsmart the evil doers instead of blowing their heads off, Slender Man is another example.
Found you! Now it’s your turn to count…
There’s one piece of equipment that aids Upshur in his fight for survival: a video camera. It not only allows him to document the atrocities at the asylum but also acts as a light source with the infrared night-vision mode. This mechanic does well to add to the horror as its use is limited by battery power and the need to scavenge more batteries. It can become claustrophobic very quickly when you are low on batteries in a pitch-black room while being hunted by a psychopath inmate, you can hear him moving while you pray that he doesn’t manage to find you hidden nearby. If discovered it becomes a race for survival to find the nearest locker or bed to hide in or under to avoid being beaten to death.
Movement is fluid and empowering with the old fashioned first-person-shooter lean mechanic that allows you peek around corners or over obstacles and when being chased by a massive guy panting evil intentions there’s key combination that allows you to glance back over your shoulder. This goes towards making Outlast a very immersive experience giving you realistic control over Upshur that other horror games are lacking and adds to the feeling of being his shoes. There is no fighting back in Outlast and so being quick on your feet is extremely important for survival.
The night-vision mode is your source of light but it drains batteries quickly
Most of the game is comprised of pre-determined scares and scripted events but some areas give the player freedom when approaching an objective, the most well-known being the flooded basement area containing generators which Upshur must power up. The almost pitch-black environment requires efficient use of night-vision to observe the inmates patrol routes and find a way to each generator without being caught. Like most horror games activating a switch or pressing a button will draw the bad guy’s attention and requires quick reflexes to find a hiding spot and wait out the danger. A running thread throughout the game is a massive brute of a guy that relentlessly searches for Upshur while muttering death threats under his breath, appearing out of nowhere at the worst times much like Nemesis in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.
Outlast runs on the Unreal Engine 3 and Red Barrels has made best use of the technology to bring us an incredibly detailed and believable environment. There are a number of effects in use that give the visuals a good level of realism with motion blur, depth of field when zooming with the camera and the night-vision mode that makes the eyes of inmates glow bright white over the green infrared hue. The player animations are all kept within the first-person view and this is one of very few games that actually has a set of visible legs and arms when looking down, a simple but essential detail to increase immersion. Outlast doesn’t hold back on the blood, gore and disturbing imagery either with particularly nasty scenes of and bodily harm dismemberment.
Meet Billy, he’s here to hug you… tightly
A lot of effort has gone into making sound an very important part of the gameplay in Outlast with Upshur’s own breathing becoming an important audio cue for when you’re near danger: heavy shuddering breathing adds a lot of tension. The sound design is extremely effective and is just as good as the soundtrack in any horror movie including music that does well to induce a feeling of terror when required. The sound and visuals go a long way to make you feel like you are actually right there in Mount Massive Asylum.
Outlast has clearly set a trend with its run-and-hide gameplay and we’ve seen many of its traits in recent games such as hiding from nasties in Alien Isolation, The Evil Within. While the game has an average length single-player experience there are the usual collectibles available in the form of documents to find and events to record with the video camera which Upshur notes down in his journal. The opening hours can be an electrifying survival horror experience followed by a more methodical pace but a few late-game twists brings back the excitement before an ending that completely contrasts the beginning.
Overall Outlast is terrifying but awesome experience thanks to realistic looking visuals, detailed sound design and fluid gameplay that is rare and mostly unchallenged even by big budget horror titles. Even though I found myself wanting to quit every five minutes out of sheer terror, the game somehow kept me playing and wanting to find out more about the asylum and its secrets.
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