[Outlast] activate the night vision camera to see the crazy people, OUT NOW

Uselesswarrior

So I didn't see an Outlast thread and thought we should have one.

What is Outlast?


Outlast is a sweet first person horror game that takes place inside an insane asylum.

In the remote mountains of Colorado, horrors wait inside Mount Massive Asylum. A long-abandoned home for the mentally ill, recently re-opened by the "research and charity" branch of the transnational Murkoff Corporation, has been operating in strict secrecy... until now.

Acting on a tip from an inside source, independent journalist Miles Upshur breaks into the facility, and what he discovers walks a terrifying line between science and religion, nature and something else entirely. Once inside, his only hope of escape lies with the terrible truth at the heart of Mount Massive.

Giant Bomb Quick Look
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtZDhr3x4eU

So despite Mount Massive sounding like a penis joke, Outlast is pretty cool, let's all talk about it below.

Drake

I've put in a few hours and I really dig lots about the game already. The unabashed goriness and depravity of the asylum is good times, and a lot about the game really makes me think John Carpenter. Also the video camera mechanic is really well done.

Dr. Chaos

Drake wrote: »

I've put in a few hours and I really dig lots about the game already. The unabashed goriness and depravity of the asylum is good times, and a lot about the game really makes me think John Carpenter. Also the video camera mechanic is really well done.

Kind of reminds me of Quarantine or I guess REC.

Don't know what it is but I shit my pants just a lil bit harder through the perspective of a video camera.

Sagroth

Only 2 hours in, but loving this so far. The camera mechanic is fantastic, and the atmosphere is executed perfectly.

BYToady

I always appreciate a game that lets you track bloody footprints everywhere.

durandal4532

Agh I'm so excited to play this with my roommate both of us just screaming continuously

Uselesswarrior

I don't think this game is as scary as Amensia, but I do think it's a really intense horror experience.

Still haven't beat it yet, so maybe it will really creep me out at some point.

Uselesswarrior

Beat it today. Really good game. It was nice to see some of the chase sequence ideas that Call Of Cthulu had put to use in a better game.

One thing I dislike about the ending

Is the stealth mechanics completely go out the window when you are being chased by a ghost.

Magus`

How long is this? 20 dollars is a decent price, but not if it's like 4 hours long and doesn't have much replay value.

mxmarks

Just a reminder - it's coming to PS4, and was announced as a title that PS+ users will get for free.

Which is going to kill me.

I can put off scaring myself to death for a very very long time when there's a price tag attached. But for free, right there, just sitting on my hard drive...my chest is getting tight just thinking about it. Ugh.

Dr. Chaos

Magus` wrote: »

How long is this? 20 dollars is a decent price, but not if it's like 4 hours long and doesn't have much replay value.

I'm abit conflicted about it myself.

I don't have a lot of money, when I buy games, I try to go for something that can last me for a lil while but at the same time, If it's in service to the story and environment, not padding it out as much as possible but rather just trying to stick to the horror and experience, I can respect that.

Uselesswarrior

The game took me about 5 1/2 hours to beat, YMMV.

I could see myself replaying it at some point, but it is a linear adventure so there isn't much replay value. For the record I think it was worth the $20 asking price. I'm in situation where I have more money then time so I appreciate shorter, more focused experiences and that is what Outlast is.

Drake

Yeah I can see returning to this game again later on. There's a lot of attention to detail and neat design stuff in the environment. Being on the short side works in its favor there too.

never die

I really liked Outlast for what it was, but was dissapointed with the last fourth of the game:

It felt very generic video game survival horror to have it end in underground scientific lair, and for the soldiers to come out of fucking nowhere (after everyone else was already slaughtered) and kill you. Also, I felt like I was replaying F.E.A.R. near the end.

Having said that, the game was super atmospheric and great at sucking you in, making you really feel like you were there. I feel like the apex of fear in the game was either

wondering around in the courtyard with the walrider showing up sometimes, in a thunderstorm, with beautiful rain affects coming down around you. I was freaking the fuck out.

or

when you lose the camera, and have to wonder through the building without it is absolutely beautiful. And then you pick up the camera, its cracked, you flick on night vision, and are surrounded by crazy people with meat cleavers.

I would also disagree that it was the scariest game ever, as once it got into its formula, it stuck with it. Go to new area, get a key/ pull two switches to get something else to work. I was rolling my eyes the fourth time I did it. It was an intense experience that I felt was hurt by how much it stuck with formula.

notdroid

I'm a complete coward when it comes to these types of games. I tried to play Amnesia, got about 3 hours in, and just alt+f4'd out of it, because if I took the time to press ESC, quit the game and confirm my decision, somehow the monsters would have the time to come and kill me.

That being said, I'm planning on giving Outlast a try this week-end.

I'll start playing late at night so the sun will rise by the time I finish. I will also buy a good amount of craft beers to give me some courage throughout the night.

Wish me luck.

Nosf

I think what puts me off a lot of these games is the totally hilarious settings. "So you're an abandoned asylum repairman and...." "In your job as a broken down slaughterhouse appraiser you'll find...." "I got SOOOO drunk last night, and i'm more concerned that I slept with some dweeb than the fact that I woke up in a mental institute filled with broken chairs".

I could get into a horror game wherein the setting is a little more down to earth, like Lurking Horror back in the days of Infocom. How about a game where you leave a club in a foreign city and get stalked by a pack of crazed feminists who have their own take on 'take back the night'. Or the same thing, but gender flipped and you have to avoid a back of frat bros after you see them accidentally kill some poor girl. Player gets a job as night cleaning crew for some Disneyesque resort, over the course of a few shifts people go missing, etc.

Drake

The setup on this game is pretty decent, you are a reporter who's investigating a hot tip. That hot tip just happens to be a trip straight to hell via an asylum that is being used as a black ops research facility. And you are a fairly speedy and nimble reporter too, with a fancy nightvision camcorder. I'm definitely not a Special Forces Airborne Jet-Tank Ranger, but I don't necessarily feel helpless. Situations feel dangerous but manageable.

So far the game has been intense and uses a whole grab bag of techniques to scare, from the tried and true jump scares to some really creepy foreshadowing and cool storytelling through set dressing. I'm having good fun with it. Sure it's no Amnesia but really man wow I'm kinda glad. This is playing more like a fun horror thriller than the bone grinding terror of Amnesia: Dark Descent.

Uselesswarrior

Sounds like we will have to wait for the next frictional game to get something as scary as Amensia.

Drake

Yeah, out of all the scary games I've played I don't think anyone gets in the same ballpark as Frictional. Those guys are fucking unhinged.

durandal4532

You guys are aware that A Machine For Pigs is out, right?

Drake

Yeah, I'm sure I'll be taking a shot at AMFP at some point. I'd kind of like to finish off the first Amnesia game before I play the new one though.

And I've also caught wind of some kind of Amnesia vs Outlast thing that's apparently going around. I don't know anything about AMFP but Outlast is really a different kind of game from Amnesia. There is room for both types of game.

Inquisitor

As far as I understand it A Machine for Pigs is a pretty different game from Amnesia Dark Descent. Which is great, I think variety is really important for horror games. Because I think there really is no one "best" style of horror games. I feel like horror games are a little more personal than other games. What really freaks you out and makes you scared is based on your own life experiences and whatnot so what games resonate with any given person is going to differ.

Uselesswarrior

It's nice to have more then one horror game being released a year. Hopefully it keeps up.

Mr_Grinch

So there's this:

I am happy to confirm that we do have official Oculus Rift support integrated already. We showed that for the first time yesterday and we’d love to roll out that update for everyone as soon as possible,” wrote Alex Tintor, Founder of Blue Isle Studios, in an email to Road to VR.

And my Rift arrived yesterday. I can't wait to feel terrified AND nauseated (still getting my VR legs).

This game is going to make me shit my pants AND vomit at the same time.

Uselesswarrior

Mr_Grinch wrote: »

So there's this:

I am happy to confirm that we do have official Oculus Rift support integrated already. We showed that for the first time yesterday and we’d love to roll out that update for everyone as soon as possible,” wrote Alex Tintor, Founder of Blue Isle Studios, in an email to Road to VR.

And my Rift arrived yesterday. I can't wait to feel terrified AND nauseated (still getting my VR legs).

This game is going to make me shit my pants AND vomit at the same time.

Oh man, you'll have to report back on that experience.

joshofalltrades

So has anybody else been playing this? I'm just past the sewers

and the "doctor" is now chasing me around while I scream like a sissy girl

Anybody know about how far I am from the end? Because damn. I don't know how long I can keep this up.

Creepiest part of the game so far?

The inmate in the straightjacket who just follows you around. Jesus I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and he didn't even do anything, he just always followed me.

Scariest part of the game so far?

Pushing through the chest-high water, already freaked out about being in a big open space and making a bunch of water noises and then Chris Walker just shows up in there with you. You can barely see but you need to push forward and get the hell out of there regardless. Nowhere to hide if you're found.

Uselesswarrior

I think you are a little more then half way through at that point.

Chris Walker is a son of a bitch.