Review : Outlast II - Mental collapse

Publisher: 
Red Barrels

Developer:
Red Barrels

Released:
April 25, 2017

Review:
Mature

' Step by step, following the clatter of footsteps down the dark school hallways, the cupboard doors opened and closed on their own accord, like shutters in a strong wind. The dark color that bounced off the walls seemed to flow a deep red and emerge like veins that beat with each beat of the heart. From a gloomy place in a certain dark corner, the melancholy voice of a girl resounded singing a children's song in the distance. Immediately, an overwhelming feeling came over me: I know I'm not alone here. '

Terror lurks in every corner of Outlast II, making it tense and exhilarating. This sequel leaves behind the claustrophobic refugee camp of the first installment for bigger ambitions. Players still wade through everything in the first-person perspective, solving puzzles 'gently' and avoiding enemies at all costs. The environment and psychology of fear in this Outlast II will be larger than its predecessor, but the storytelling suffers from relying too much on excitement.

Review : Outlast II - Mental collapse Picture 1

Outlast II begins with investigative journalist Blake Langermann, who is searching for the truth behind the murder of Jane Doe in rural Arizona with his wife. However, upon arrival, the two were separated when Blake's wife was arrested by a group of extremists. This story is completely separate from the first Outlast, offering a whole new storyline within the same Outlast universe, so for first-timers there won't need to worry about getting 'lost in the dark'. '.

For most of the game, you evade two different factions of a religious cult that want you dead. Arizona's countryside offers a variety of environments, from rafting across a lake to entering the depths of a minefield. And the large areas in the game are so diverse, they can even disorient you even for players familiar with part 1. From the beginning, I became dizzy and got lost while running away. Enemies in a cornfield are like maze. That makes me very distracted and tired, especially in cases where it is required to get things or flip a switch to get the elevator or entrance to work.

And especially, the interesting point of the game is that you will be unarmed and vulnerable like the way part 1 used to make us depressed before, that is, when the enemy finds you, your survival will depend on how fast you run and hide. Running only works in the long run as your stamina drops quickly and you have to hide from enemy sight while being chased. You can hide under your bed, in a closet, in a crate or in the water, or anywhere you can find where you're running. Each zone offers multiple ways to escape, but I usually have to run around and keep an eye on enemies, which can be fun sometimes if you know how to 'troll' enemies rather than being scary.

Review : Outlast II - Mental collapse Picture 2

The only tool that follows your journey is the 'camera', which helps you see in the dark with night vision and informs you of the enemy's whereabouts using the microphone's sound level. Using night vision through the 'cam' makes things a lot more intimidating with the loss of sharpness and shades of green, but in return the microphone is effective in helping you gauge the time. safe point to get out of hiding. Both of the above features are very useful, in return you will have to pay the price. Using the camcorder will drain the battery and the extremely limited supply is scattered around, even with a little 'bad luck', you can just skip it. So when the battery runs out,you will learn that the battery system that Outlast offers can effectively increase your paranoia because you often rely on the camera to see everything around you.

Outlast II is filled with intense chase scenes, a feature that has come back since the end. Occasionally, a demonic woman wielding a large weapon pursues you and brutally cuts off Blake's genitals. Other times, frenzied cultists hunt you down in waves, and you have to frantic past obstacles and crawl beneath patios as enemies try to stab you from above. Whenever you are chased, your heart will beat wildly, especially the scenes that appear when being caught are scary.

Review : Outlast II - Mental collapse Picture 3

The chase scene is just one of the many ways Outlast II scares you. Images of torture pervade every nook and cranny you pass - you'll see people starved in iron cages, corpses wrapped in barbed wire and victims nailed to long spikes. You even get to experience some first-hand torture that can leave you with a stomach ache.

Some of the best moments that take place in Outlast II are during flashbacks to Blake's childhood Catholic school from the '90s, where a disturbing mystery from his past slowly unfolds, which I see more engaging than the main part of the story. These dream-like sequences will distort your perception of the world by messing with your head. Sometimes warped walls or flickering lights cause hallucinations, such as a young girl hanging from a noose. It all happened so fast that I always questioned what I saw, it was terrifying.

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The cinematic transitions between rural Arizona and these flashbacks are brilliantly conceived, such as the inside of a well turning into a school vent or a narrow space turning inside. closet. It's a very attractive effect, but sometimes it will disorient you making you feel as if you are having a mental breakdown.

While Outlast II's scaryness is a huge plus, its story struggles to stay cohesive and ends in a rather hasty manner. This affects my focus on the story, where my connection to the characters is often not so strong. Shocking episodes are relied upon repeatedly, with overtly religious themes portrayed in a way that some may find offensive. But even if that doesn't bother you, the topic has not been handled very delicately.

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In the end, Outlast II will ask you more questions than it answers, and you'll find too much to explain. This ambiguity can be effective in making you curious and want to experience it more, but over time will make your final conclusion unsatisfactory. Despite those unconvincing details, Outlast II is still a really stressful ride, and most of all, it will make you question your sanity. If thrills and gore are what you've been looking for, Outlast II is a convincing answer with lots of scary, haunting moments, or shivers, even screams. as long as you ignore its somewhat clumsy storytelling.

Samuel Daniel

Update 05 January 2022