The Outlast Trials is the series' first venture into co-op play. This first-person psychological survival game acts as a prequel to the other games in the series. Set during the Cold War era, the Murkoff Corporation abducts and imprisons people as test subjects for their dark and twisted experiments. Players take on the role of these individuals, called Reagents and become the protagonist of the newest entry in the Outlast series.
The game's main feature is that it's multiplayer, but it can be played alone for those who want to. The Outlast Trials' difficulty is scaled down a bit to accommodate for one player rather than a group, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy for beginners. Luckily there are a few tips and tricks that can help.
5 Rigs Are Extremely Important
As players go through each trial, they'll gain XP, which will increase a player's Threapy Level. After a player reaches Therapy Level 2, they will unlock the ability to use Rigs. Rigs are special items that can be purchased and upgraded and are there to help a Reagent out as they persevere through each trial. As of right now the game is in early access and, there are 4 types of Rigs. There's Stun that will allow a player to throw an item at enemies and temporarily stun them so that they'll have time to escape.
Blind is similar to Stun in that it's used against enemies, but instead of throwing something, Blind lets players place movement-activated landmines that will let out a large burst of smoke when its triggered. X-Ray lets one see through walls, for a short time, allowing them to see potential threats before they run into them. And, the final Rig is Heal, which will heal a player's health but also heal the health of teammates that are nearby.
4 Blind Is The Best Rig For Solo Players
The trails only get harder and using Rigs is a must. Which Rigs a person decides to get depends on their play style, and when playing on a team it's nice to have teammates that have different Rigs to create a well-balanced team. A player can choose to pick multiple Rigs at a time, but the most efficient way to use Rigs is to pick one and upgrade it completely before getting another one.
A really effective rig for solo players is Blind, especially when they upgrade it. Players have more control over the Blind Rig than the Stun one, as they can place the landmines where they want and then lead enemies to the location to trigger it. Whichever Rig a player gets, they should make sure to set their loadout before they do a trail. If a player doesn't set their loadout, they will not be able to use any of the Rigs they have. To set the loadout, interact with the terminal in the Sleep Room and click on the tab that says Loadout to make a selection.
3 Don't Be Afraid To Explore
Surviving the trials is very important and is crucial to progressing in the game. And while hiding and trying to finish each objective quickly seems like the best way to play, players that don't take the time to explore will miss out on a lot of stuff. A part of the game is also gathering evidence to expose Murkoff for its inhumane and unethical practices.
Throughout the trials, if a player searches around they will find documents and other items that they can use for evidence. This evidence also gives quite a bit of lore, so for those who are already fans of the series, it's an added reward for being brave and taking the time to search. Evidence can also provide the location of potential escape routes, hidden resources and blueprints.
2 Be Stealthy And Evasive
Just like the other games in the series, players cannot fight any of the enemies. The only thing they can do is try not to get caught. Stealth and evasion are keys to doing well in the trials. For players, there are places like lockers to hide, where they can wait out the enemy hunting them. Aside from enemies there are several traps set up around the map for each trial. Some traps are simple and easy to avoid like glass littered on the floor or hanging cans.
These two traps make a lot of noise and will alert any enemies nearby. For the broken glass on the floor, players can either crouch walk over it or jump over it completely to avoid it. And with the cans they can slide beneath them to lessen the noise they make. There are more elaborate traps, doors with a red light by them are traps that shoot a cross at the player that releases Sanity depleting gas. There are two ways around this trap; one is opening the door while crouched and another is slowly opening it. Slowly opening the door allows players to disarm it on the other side and gain a new battery for their night vision goggles.
1 Encountering Enemies And How To Escape
It's near impossible to completely avoid enemies, especially in the later trials, but there are a few things one can do to help them out of a messy situation. The X-Ray Rig is good for being able to spot enemies through walls, but for those that did not choose the X-Ray Rig, they can Live Ping enemies, so they know their location and can avoid them. This works well for Solo and Multiplayer players. Screamers are one of the most annoying enemies to come across as their scream will stun a player for a few seconds, allowing other enemies to come and attack them.
Throwing bottles or bricks at Screamers will not trigger their scream, and they will run off into another room. If an enemy does spot the players, depending on the type of enemy it is, there are ways to escape from it. Most enemies cannot see in the darkness, and it is easy to lose them. Try not to hide in obvious places or stand in the middle of paths they might walk through. There is an enemy called the Night Hunter that can't be hidden from in the dark since he wears night vision goggles. But bring him into the light, and it will blind him, allowing a player to get away. Pushers are an especially problematic enemy for solo players early on with how many times they'll appear on the map and cause Psychosis. That's why it's important to always have an antidote on hand.