In the realm of horror gaming, where jump scares and macabre settings are the norm, The Outlast Trials is the latest addition hoping to leave players unnerved and clutching their controllers in dread. This new installment by Red Barrels carries the torch of the Outlast franchise, a series known for its brutal environments and the palpable sense of vulnerability it imparts on players. Notable for stripping away combat abilities, leaving players defenseless to do anything but hide or flee, the series has carved its niche within the horror genre.
Horror fans acquainted with the franchise will step back in time with The Outlast Trials, a prequel that harkens to the narrative established in the first two Outlast games. However, the story that unfolds in this iteration is barely sufficient to propel the gameplay forward without offering depth or significant engagement. Instead, the narrative serves as a loose framework to justify the gruesome and sometimes grotesque challenges players must endure – reminiscent of the traps and terrors synonymous with the Saw film franchise.
As the game transitions from its early access phase on PC to a full console release on Xbox Series X|S, it brings with it an undeniable polish. The painstakingly detailed and atmospheric levels including decrepit police stations, eerie fairgrounds, and haunting orphanages showcase the slick production values. There’s an appreciable visual quality in these settings that begs to be acknowledged despite the game's other shortcomings.
Nevertheless, visual fidelity alone doesn't rescue The Outlast Trials from mediocrity. Mechanically speaking, the game feels stagnant and uninspired. It struggles to deliver shocks or provoke fear, leaving a void where the core gameplay loop should be engaging. It also doesn’t help that the solo player experience is dreary, improving only marginally when injecting the chaos that comes with multiplayer interactions.
Players find themselves trapped in the grim setting of a Murkoff Corporation facility, subjected to a series of trials that feel designed to repulse rather than scare. The game indulges heavily in shock-value gore, with unsettling sights that include forced amputations and the search for keys within corpses. While multiplayer can offer moments of camaraderie or humor, the game falls short in crafting a horror experience that offers anything more than visceral disgust.
Where other horror games might craft a frightening atmosphere through careful pacing and a menacing environment, The Outlast Trials appears to confuse fear with the grotesque. It presents an adolescent version of terror, more concerned with the quantity of blood spewed than the quality of its scares. The game's enemies, who seem more like nuisances than threats, lack dynamic behaviors and fail to add tension to the experience. Players spend much of their time crouching and sneaking, engaging in rote objectives that quickly lose their charm.
The game's environments, while variably themed, unravel to reveal a core experience that differs little from one trial to the next. Adding friends into the mix injects an element of fun, but it’s a kind of fun that feels out of place in what is supposed to be a horror game – more ridiculous than terrifying. The multiplayer experience is buoyed somewhat by the added dynamic of teamwork, but the limitations of enemy AI, unforgiving difficulty spikes, and an ever-draining night-vision battery temper the potential enjoyment.
What could have been a petri dish for horror innovation instead comes across as a missed opportunity. The Outlast Trials has the bones of a good concept but lacks the substance needed to maintain interest. The game would have benefitted greatly from a more nuanced approach to fear, cohesive team tactics, varied objectives, and smarter adversaries.
For die-hard supporters of the Outlast series, there may still be enjoyment to be found in the familiar settings and the company of friends. Yet, for the vast majority of gamers – particularly those looking for a genuinely harrowing experience – The Outlast Trials is a harder sell. Its polished appearance is insufficient to overcome the fundamental flaws of repetition and a lack of true horror.
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