In all my years of playing horror games, one of my strongest memories is from 2017, when Outlast 2 scared me to the point of a professional quandary. Up against the review embargo and needing to finish my assignment, I cut it very close because the game was so tense and unnerving that I found it hard to return to whenever I’d step away. The game’s terrifying cult at the center, purposely dizzying level design, and powerless protagonist combined to haunt me in a way that even the memorable original game did not. In the end, I got my work done on time–at the cost of some psychological distress. Can The Outlast Trials make me feel that way again?
That was the central question I posed to co-founder and game designer at developer Red Barrels, Philippe Morin, when we recently spoke via email. Outlast has always been so relentless and engrossing. But The Outlast Trials moves much of the series’ MO into a co-op environment. Is that similarly conducive to scaring players, and if not, will it benefit the experience in other ways to make up for it?
With the game launching in Steam Early Access on May 18, soon you can jump in and decide for yourself. To his credit, Morin does admit playing The Outlast Trials may sometimes take players willing to try something new, though he importantly adds that the traditional Outlast experience is here too, if your heart can still stand it.