A first-person psychological survival horror game from Red Barrels, Outlast 2 is the 2017 sequel to the critically acclaimed downloadable 2013 game. As journalist Blake Langermann, players are thrust into a world where a murdered woman, a plane crash, and an apocalypse-obsessed cult combine for a narrative that is totally unique.
How to Download Outlast 2
You can download the game from Steam. Another interesting downloadable option is Outlast Trinity, the bundle which includes the original game, the DLC Whistleblower and, of course, the sequel. To start downloading, hit the button below the review.
The Game Review
Set in the Arizona desert, the Outlast 2 protagonist is tasked with finding his wife after the crash of the helicopter as well as solving the mystery of the dead woman.
Similar to the documentary style employed in the last games, Blake Langermann is an investigative journalist and much of the narrative plays out as if it were a documentary in progress.
The atmosphere and the environment both provide a lot of the creep factor in this detective game, but also the gameplay style itself lends to a more horrific bent.
This is because Blake cannot attack or defend himself. There are story appropriate places where he does but, for the most part, you’re going to be running away and hiding from people. It’s like a deadly game of hide and go seek, and it is absolutely compelling.
Interestingly, other things impact the game as well. For example, Blake wears glasses. If you lose these glasses, he will have a harder time of seeing his surroundings. Like in the other titles, Blake can hide pretty much anywhere including inside and under things as well as assuming stealth positions when outside.
Key to survival is the successful management of the player’s energy meter. Because Blake can only run for so long, players have to be sure to balance out the dueling concerns of fight versus flight. Run out of energy too soon and you’re probably finished.
That’s part of what makes this game so compelling: Knowing when and where to hide. Hiding successfully really ratchets up the tension in the game. Unlike titles like Alien: Isolation, where it is relatively easy to fool the pursuing xenomorph, Outlast 2 adds the right amount of random chance to your success at hiding from enemies.
Outlast 2: the Graphics
Graphically speaking, this horror game does nothing spectacular but is spectacular while it is doing it. Honestly, you won’t have time to admire graphical fidelity – you will be too busy trying to survive. Red Barrels put the right emphasis on the correct things with Outlast 2, and it shows in the gameplay.
The Sound and Music
Sound also serves the purpose of creating an atmosphere and scaring the crap out of gamers. Music is spartan at best and chances to interact and explore the world without fear of immediate death are few and far between. Like a classic horror film, Outlast 2 does a good job of keeping pace unsteady to make players both uneasy and defensive at all times.
