Countdown to Halloween, Part 2: Outlast, Videogame review

I think more then a few people are surprised when they see the title of this post. The Raist reviewing a videogame? What the heck is going on here? Yes people, you are not misreading the title, I’m actually reviewing a videogame. Now, don’t worry, this won’t become a trend on my blog, and will probably just be a one time deal. A couple of my older followers that have been here from the beginning, will probably remember that I used to be a very hardcore gamer. I literally played for hours on end on my Xbox 360 and had hundreds of games. I loved playing online with a couple of people I had met there from England and the States who also became really good friends. I have some truly fond memories of those days, and we shared a lot of laughs, but also a lot of frustration at the unfairness of certain gaming days, in particular during the online play of the game Call of Duty. It was that game that also eventually was responsible for me giving up gaming, as I just didn’t enjoy myself anymore, spending more time in anger then in joy. I ended up selling most of my gaming collection, and turned back to older hobbies such as boardgames, books, and movies. I have not really regretted that choice I made, as I don’t really miss gaming all that much. But, that doesn’t mean I have fully turned my back on the gaming world, as I’m still keeping up with new developments.

Certainly a place to spend a nice romantic evening.

Earlier this year, on my birthday in fact, I ended up purchasing a Nintendo Switch. For those of you not familiar with this machine, it’s a mix of a handheld gaming system and a console. You can erm switch it from handheld gameplay to gaming on your tv in the blink of an eye, and the technology behind that is truly remarkable. It’s fully capable of handling pretty powerful games, such as Doom 4, the Witcher 3 and more such titles, with little to no differences when comparing it to their Playstation 4 or Xbox 360 counterparts. I have so far been very impressed with this nifty little machine whenever I play on it, and it will probably come as no real surprise to most of you, that I also have some horror games in my possession. Yes, I know I’m way too predictable. One of these days I’m going to have to review a romantic comedy or something, that will show you all! In doing the research for what horror games were available for the Switch I came across a title that got some remarkably good reviews as well as stating it as one of the creepiest games that has ever been made. Now, I’m not one to scare easily mind you, and I honestly take claims like that usually with a pinch of salt. Nothing though, could have prepared me for Outlast, and for once they were right. Because seriously, this is a game that will give you nightmares for weeks on end.

Peek-a-boo!

In this game you take on the role of an investigative reporter called Miles Upshur. You have just received an email from an unknown person that contains some disturbing facts. Apparently at a private psychiatric hospital that goes by the name of Mount Massive Asylum, owned by the Murkhoff Corporation, there are some terrible things happening. The email mentions unexplainable events are transpiring during some kind of dream therapy and people getting seriously hurt. Now you wouldn’t be a good investigative reporter if you didn’t at least try to find out if there is any truth to these claims now would you? On a stormy night, you get into your car, driving up to the remote location of the asylum. Armed with nothing but your camcorder and a notebook you arrive at the front gates of the location. The first thing that hits you is that there is no guard to greet you at the guard house. Honestly that should have been your first clue that something is seriously wrong, but then again a little danger is not something that you shy away from. Moving through the gate you eventually find a way into the massive asylum. Once inside you find the place in total disarray with not a single person in sight. That doesn’t last long however. You soon come upon one of the guards that has been skewered on a pole warning you with his dying breath that “they” got out, and that you have to get away from this place. And so the nightmare begins…..

He’s really an okay guy once you get to know him.

One of the things that you will notice straightaway when you start playing this game is it’s incredibly creepy atmosphere and it’s terrible sense of dread that this game instills upon you. Think along the lines of movies such as the original Blair Witch Project and Saw and you get the general idea. Played from a first person view, the genius of the game comes from the fact that for most of the time you have to look through the nightvision of your camcorder in order to make progress. Almost all of the locations are pitchblack, and without the nightvision view you wouldn’t be able to move anywhere. You have a limited supply of batteries (luckily you are able to find more along the way) which means you have to use the camcorder sparingly and shut off the nightvision view when it’s not necessary. Another unique aspect is the fact that this isn’t a shooter or fighting game. You are a normal human being, cast into an incredibly scary situation, and when you meet some of the (totally insane) people that call the asylum their home, you don’t fight them. Instead you have to either run away or find a good hiding spot, which makes for some seriously intense and nailbiting situations. And then there are the jumpscares. There were so many times when I got a shock from something jumping out at me, that I often wondered if I wouldn’t at some point get a heartattack.

The doctor is in the house!

Add to this a soundtrack that seems to have been composed by a complete madman, and graphics that are both beautiful but depict visions that seem to have come straight out of hell, and you have all the ingredients for a genuine frightfest. Make no mistake, this is an R-rated videogame, and rightfully so. There are some seriously graphic and bloody scenes in this game, in particular a stomache churning scene where you get captured and tortured by a “doctor”. It’s definitely not an easy game either, and especially near the end there were a few frustrating sections where just a really tiny mistake caused you to die. Luckily though, there are quite a number of savepoints scattered throughout the game, so it never becomes too annoying. One thing I have to mention though is that the ending of the game was pretty abrupt and not really what I expected. I wouldn’t call it bad, but honestly it was a bit sudden. All in all though this game is something that’s well worth checking out if you are a horrorfan. It’s a truly disturbing and seriously scary game, that is at times better than some horror movies which I’ve seen. There is a sequel to this game that I haven’t played yet, and a new game is also in development. Whether these are just as good as the original game though? Well who knows, maybe I will let you know some day.

I give Outlast a 9 out of 10 score.

It’s important to always keep smiling!