When Red Barrels released its debut title Outlast, it went from an underground IP to horror icon almost overnight. Despite its indie budget and small size, the first game and its follow-up DLC became a hit with horror fans, and soon Outlast became a horror trend for streamers to play. Following on from that success, Red Barrels released Outlast 2 on April 25, 2017.
Taking control of a news journalist trying to escape a rural cult town and find his wife, fans were once again told to run, survive, and ultimately outlast their enemies. Five years on, as fans of the franchise await a new title, it is worth considering Outlast 2's merits and how it retains its identity as a solid horror title.
Successfully Embracing Controversy
Even before a public demo was released, headlines touted controversial content in the follow-up to Outlast, culminating with Outlast 2's temporary ban in Australia. The main story beats of Outlast 2 are brutal, with topics such as infant mortality and sexual violence shown on-screen. Compared to a lot of media that avoids discussing such matters, the spectacle of Outlast 2's designs it was already in the minds of many players before release.
Red Barrels unabashedly turned this to its advantage as a part of Outlast 2's advertising. One Kickstarter project for the game announced a potential line of adult diapers bearing the Outlast 2 logo, designed for use while playing the game. While the project fell through, this was a good example of advertising the amplified horror Red Barrels was offering in the then-upcoming release.
Outlast 2's Emphasis on 'Survival' in Survival Horror
Preserving player immersion in Outlast 2 was another focus for Red Barrels, such as forcing players to look down and see how many batteries and bandages they have rather than seeing such information on the HUD. It also included an additional microphone feature that allowed players to locate enemies in their vicinity based on the sound of footsteps and voices. While this mode was helpful to use around wandering enemies that couldn't immediately be seen, it also initially drained power and emphasized battery conservation before Outlast 2 included a patch to remove battery drain on higher difficulties.
The oppressive setting of Temple Gate, led by sinister preacher Sullivan Knoth, also uses environmental storytelling to subtly guide the player, such as following scattered light sources and ambient noises rather than arrows drawn in blood as in Outlast 1. Enemy AI was also improved to focus on flanking the player and chasing them into crawlspaces rather than just chasing them, which forces players to not let their guard down. These additions to an already strong formula give Outlast 2 its distinct status.
A More Cerebral Approach to Horror in Outlast
While horror tastes vary from person-to-person, psychological horror makes for the most terrifying aspect of Outlast 2. Compared to Outlast and its Whistleblower DLC frequently using jump scares and visceral gore, the second game's abandoned school setting quietly builds tension to make Outlast 2's scares more impactful. Several non-threatening moments in the game effectively generate scares too, such as demonic shadows appearing around dark corners, or images of a hanging girl that only appear when looking in a specific direction to unnerve the player.
The school setting outshines Temple Gate thanks to its oppressive, sinister backdrop with no music playing underneath. The first few visits to the school happen via sudden match cuts to the Temple Gate environment, where religious imagery and a more puzzle-focused exploration build suspense before unprompted pursuits are initiated by a single, predatory enemy. All of these moments combine to create a horror vibe in Outlast 2 that leaves the player feeling powerless as they try to escape without hitting too many dead-end corridors.
A Tough Act to Follow for Outlast
Despite being only the second entry in the series, Outlast 2 is still overlooked when compared to the trailblazing original. Soon after release, Outlast 2 received mixed reviews and complaints from fans. Story-wise, Outlast 2 is a lot less clear than the original, with a lot of lore being written on easily avoidable pages, and many plot threads still left hanging long after the credits roll.
The more open-ended environments also meant players got lost more frequently, and several players cited the unreliable microphone mechanic as a source of frustration. Outlast 2 locations could become forgettable set pieces compared to Outlast 1's iconic hospital map. Gameplay that discouraged exploration in favor of jump scares and sudden chase sections was also criticized, being another facet that made the plot difficult to fully grasp.
Despite this, Red Barrels' attempt to push the franchise in a new direction by updating and subverting horror expectations was still a success. The Outlast Trials is currently in development, and even though it appears connected to Outlast's story of asylum experiments, there are hints of new gameplay mechanics and concepts that were attempted in Outlast 2. To this day, Outlast 2 is still being played and discussed by fans, cementing its status as a worthy entry in the iconic horror franchise.
Outlast 2 is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
