Outlast
2013 · Red Barrels
Has it aged?Why ↓
Outlast is first-person survival horror that makes getting away feel like an achievement. As journalist Miles Upshur, you investigate Mount Massive Asylum with a camcorder instead of a weapon, using night vision to navigate dark corridors, hiding from patients and sprinting when they spot you.
Hell is an experiment you can't survive in Outlast, a first-person survival horror game developed by veterans of some of the biggest game franchises in history. As investigative journalist Miles Upshur, explore Mount Massive Asylum and try to survive long enough to discover its terrible secret... if you dare.
The publisher’s description, from its Steam store page.
What it looks like
the trailer, then the store's own shots
The verdict
Play it for the panic of escaping, not for the asylum's secrets. Miles having to physically pull a door shut while someone pursues him makes helplessness wonderfully tangible. The camcorder still earns its place; repeated valve-and-switch errands and predictable jump scares date the adventure around it. This is horror at its strongest when you're desperately looking for an exit, and weakest when you're waiting for a patrol to move.
Play it if
You enjoy being chased more than killing monsters, can tolerate a nasty shock behind a door, and like horror that makes you hesitate before leaving a hiding place.
Skip it if
You need a weapon to make horror enjoyable, or graphic mutilation is a hard boundary. Miles cannot fight back, and the asylum repeatedly puts ruined bodies directly in your path.
Common questions
- What does Miles's camcorder do in the dark?
- Its night-vision mode lets you navigate otherwise dark areas, and the camera needs batteries collected around the asylum. It is a tool for seeing, not a way to repel pursuers.
- Does filming anything actually help Miles's investigation?
- Recording certain story events produces notes from Miles. Those notes and documents found around the asylum tell the story; the camera isn't only there for night vision.
- What is Whistleblower, and does Bundle of Terror include it?
- Whistleblower is Outlast's prequel expansion, released in 2014. The Nintendo Switch edition, Outlast: Bundle of Terror, released in 2018, includes both the original game and Whistleblower.
What everyone else said
we link, we don't reprintHas it aged?
How does it hold up today? Based on recent reviews, how opinions have changed since launch, player activity and updates.
% positive each month, last 4 years.
Reviews via Steam ↗Peak: 1.2k in Sept 2017.
Player counts via SteamCharts ↗As well liked as at launch.
The developer posts no update notes on Steam, so we can't tell.