Outlast is a 2013 first-person survival horror video game developed and published by Red Barrels.
Gameplay[ | ]
The story in Outlast is set in the dilapidated psychiatric hospital Mount Massive Asylum, overrun by homicidal patients. The game's protagonist the reporter Miles Upshur is incapable in combat. He is navigating to the facility with parkour and hiding under bets and hiding inside staff lockers. More intelligent opponents may search for him and check under beds and inside lockers.
Miles has only a camcorder and a notebook. The camcorder has night vision, helping him to navigate through dark areas. Using night vision discharges the battery. He can get ten batteries maximum for the camcorder.
Plot[ | ]
The journalist Miles Upshur receives an anonymous tip from a source identified only as a whistleblower. That brings the journalist into Mount Massive Asylum, owned by Murkoff Corporation. As he deeps into it he finds dead SWAT bodies. He learns that the patients are called Variants. He is thrown by the secondary antagonist of Outlast - Chris Walker. Then Miles is found by the cult leader Martin Archimbaud, who says the character is sent by God. Later becomes clear that Martin doesn't want the journalist to escape and also that he worships supernatural entity, called The Walraider.
After being chased by Chris Walker and then by cannibalistic twins in the Male Ward, he is saved by doctor Richard Trager, who cuts two of Upshur's fingers. Then Miles Upshur is escaping with an elevator, but grabbed by the crazy man while it's moving and he is crushed between floors. Later Miles gets into auditorium, as it's played movie about how The Walrider has been created.
Later in a room the journalist founds Martin Archimbaud self-immolating on a crucifix. He says Miles can escape with the elevator. It gets the protagonist to the underground facility, below the asylum. There he is attacked by Chris Walker, who gets killed by The Walrider. Than he finds Dr. Wernicke and understands that the murderer of Walker is a result of nanotechnology experiments, and that it is being "hosted" by catatonic patient Billy Hope. Instructed to shut off Hope's life support system, Upshur does so, but is immediately seized by the weakened and hostless Walrider. Nearing death, he staggers towards the exit, where a security team led by Wernicke fires upon him, intent on hiding everything that has occurred. As Upshur collapses, Wernicke realizes that Miles is the Walrider's new host, and panicked screams and gunshots are heard as the screen fades to black and the credits roll.
Reception[ | ]
Outlast received positive reviews. GameRankings ranked the Xbox One version 80%, the PC version 79.95% and the Playstation 4 version 77.16%. Metacritic's rank for Xbox One version is 80/100, for PC 80/100 and for PS4 78/100. Destructoid gives 9/10, Eurogamer 7/10, Game Informer 7.5/10, GameSpot 7/10, IGN 7.8/1O, Joystiq 4.5/5 stars, PC Gamer US 7.5/10 and Metro 7/10.
DLC[ | ]
Whistleblower is the prequel of Outlast. The plot follows Waylon Park, the whistleblower. It was released for Windows on May 6, 2014, for Xbox One on June 18, 2014 in North America and Europe and the PlayStation 4 version on May 6, 2014 in North America and on May 7, 2014 in Europe.
