Outlast | Don't be scared, come prepared

Horror games are rare. A good horror game is even rarer. So when a good horror game comes out nowadays, I jump all over that shit and make it scared of me. I'm basically giving Red Barrels (the developer and publisher; they're indie) some free marketing because they deserve it. They're such bros that just as they released their Whistleblower DLC, they discounted the core game by 66% percent, encouraging the spread of horror among the masses. Naturally, playing this in the right environment is crucial. Here's the checklist:

-No one can bother you
-Wear a headset
-Game brightness low enough to allow areas to be pitch-black
-Dark room
-You haven't pissed in the toilet for a few hours; optional, for added effect and immersion

I can attest to the efficacy of the game's horror qualities as I got genuinely frightened at least 3 times during my playthrough of the DLC last night. It may not sound like much, but feeling like my life is being threatened on a visceral level is the thrill I look for in horror games and this game fucking delivers.

The gimmick here is the use of a camera. Simple, but the implementation is elegant. You basically become a documentarian trying to survive the lunacy of your surroundings, completely helpless with regard to self-defense because when it comes to survival your choices are either flight or flight. The night vision effect gives a creepy glow to everyone's eyeballs and the aesthetic makes the game look almost photorealistic. The devs designed this to be an immersive experience, making the player's hand touch corners as they lean around one and rendering the player character's body in-game. The sound design is also an integral part of this game's immersive qualities, letting you hear the breathing and fear of the guy you're trying to keep alive. In other words, this game is designed to make you piss yourself (assuming you also chose the last option in the checklist). Get this game!

GOG link: http://www.gog.com/game/outlast
Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/238320/?snr=1_5_9__205

This game is essentially you being chased around by naked, dickless men (2 dicks make an appearance, and yes, they're very happy to see you), looking for a good time. Why the fuck wouldn't you play this? No homo.

Is that a dick between its legs?

And it's delighted to see you. They never become erect, though, otherwise this game would be 2spooky.

How much whistleblower adds in gameplay?

Hours + bill for diapers?

I would caution against evaluating this dlc based on its playtime, but of course, it's up to you. It lasted me a bit over 3 hours. This includes exploration and some deaths. The dlc adds new environments and 2 antagonists who, without spoiling anything, I will say are well designed and incorporated into the world. There's also a scene that all men will agree is harrowing. Your genitals will piss themselves at the sight. Save money on diapers by making sure you and your dick both take a bathroom break before playing it.

I haven't played this game, so clearly I lack the experience you have on an opinion of the game.
But, judging from a playthrough I watched of this, most all of this game is just [size=29]"BOO!"[/h] with loud music and strobe effects.

Is this true? If so, than it isn't a horror game in the slightest - that's the same as saying screamer videos are A+ out of 10 horror movies.


Again, I lack the hands-on experience; I'm just judging this by what I saw on a walkthrough.

Sure, it has jump scares. That's the bread and butter of a horror game. However, it's not exactly a balanced breakfast, which is why Outlast isn't all about that. It uses music to set the tone and increase the tension, the environments give off an unsettling atmosphere and the game generally evokes the feeling that you're not safe. It's also partly a stealth game, so after the "BOO" part where the enemy announces their presence (it doesn't necessarily mean they make a loud noise, sometimes you turn a corner and there they are, walking toward you) and the music goes apeshit, your adrenaline kicks in as you're desperately trying to lose the motherfucker who is now chasing you and then you have to find a way past them as they search for you or patrol an area. That's just when they do the "BOO." Sometimes they just walk around an area and discover you if you're shit at stealth.

I'm actually watching someone do a playthrough of Outlast right now, and what I notice is that the small details crucial to building the horror atmosphere are missing. You never hear the sounds of someone running around, or whispering, or other creepy noises that increase the tension and soften you up for the big scare, because it's the anticipation of that "BOO" moment that fucks with you. Same goes for the details in the environment. You only see what the player decides is worth looking at. You don't have the experience of exploring the place for yourself and basking in the atmosphere. I already played the game, so I'm just watching to see the player's reactions to shit I already know will happen. You, however, are getting a detached and incomplete experience, which would explain why it seems shitty and lame. I won't promise you'll get scared, but I can say the devs clearly put a lot of effort into making a good horror game.

I think the complete opposite; jumps scares ruin a good horror experience.
Why in a horror game that has all this 'great atmosphere' do I need the oldest trick in the book to 'scare' me?

I mean like, you could set your own music at max volume, forget about it, and then play your music for a second and you have a jump scare.
Or have a friend stare at you for about a minute and then sharply shout boo while clapping.

What I'm trying to say is that jump scares doesn't make a horror experience. When your friend does the stare clap jump scare, you don't get the underlying fear of your friends again - you just think to yourself "fuckin' asshole..."

Games are the same, having a jump scare (regardless of how good the atmosphere is) doesn't make it a horror game.

[size=8]example of a great jump scare-less horror game[/h]

Edit - that's like saying fan service is an animes bread and butter.

Which is why I said it's not the entirety of the experience. I wouldn't waste my time elaborating on all the elements that make up the game's horror nature if jump scares is all it had to offer. Perhaps I used the wrong figure of speech. Jump scares aren't essential to horror games, but they are a tool in the horror toolbox, and despite being the oldest, dustiest fucking tool (with cobwebs and shit) in that spider infested toolbox, they can still work when done right. For this I defer to Jim Sterling, who says everything that needs to be said on the subject of jump scares:



He lauds Dead Space, but that's an example of a game where jump scares rarely work (for me). The start of DS1 creates a good atmosphere, then does it's jump scares. After that I'm too busy planning on shooting everything that moves to care about some wailing necrocunt. In fact, I'm on your side most of the time. I like to call them jump surprises because genuine fear rarely happens and the jump part is an involuntary reaction. It all varies based on the person, anyway. I've grown jaded and require some really immersive, creepy shit to get under my skin. I could count the amount of times I was scared throughout Outlast on one hand, but to someone like me, even a few times makes the experience worthwhile.

Now lets root around inside the animu toolbox, the one with the "I <3 Nippon" sticker. I can feel fanservice, a bit of uguu, some kawaii bullshit, senpai, a big fucking drop of sweat (in the shape of that water badge Misty gives), giant robots, and some hips moving on their own. I don't know how that hentai shit got in there, but I need to wash my hand. It reeks of weab.

I just had to rep you for a great analysis of an amazing game.

I was never a fan of Amnesia because it felt sorta outdated for me, and Outlast was the perfect match for me. As far as I know, the best jump scares have 3 key elements

1) Lack of ambient BGM or very weak ambient music.
2) The volume of the scare is significantly louder, and consistent throughout the event.
3) Screeching violins during the exposé of said event, and in this game's case, Tubas running wildly amok while the jailbirds try to rip you a new asshole.

All throughout Outlast you'll expect and rue these grueling and painfully surprising scares. The Jimquisition video you posted was a great reference, you know it's coming but just not knowing when it's coming, makes you anxious to proceed.

I played this start to finish and I'm just starting the DLC, but the first part of the game was simply amazing. Anyone who is into horror this is golden piece of work. There was very little times I became "numb" to the elements of the game, and it's probably because you're extremely limited in options against the enemies of this game, simply run or die.

On top of having limited vision because your camera light can and will run out of batteries and they are extremely scarce resource to find, getting chased almost endlessly makes you paranoid of every corner, will there be a second enemy to cut me off? Can I take one hit and run past before I get instakilled? The music is gone again, is there a jump scare around the corner? Are there any more fucking batteries anywhere on this floor? Will the tuba guy shut the fuck up already so I can listen for footsteps as I piss myself under this bed?

I had a lot of fun with this one as well, I pray they continue their work in the horror genre because I'm hooked.

Thank you.



Since horror is basically playing around with people's psychology, I noticed another thing the devs did here. They try to condition the player to react with anxiety or fear to certain sounds. In the main game it's the chains of that giant, disfigured pig fucker. That rattling tells you everything you need to know about what's going on and why you should be hiding in a corner. In the DLC this is all you need to know.

My favorite area in the entire game consists of no jump scares. Fear is the byproduct of an ideal setup. This is an excerpt from the people I'm watching. Start from 15:20.



Their faces at 17:45. It's the look of them getting their money's worth.

Lord.




This part actually almost drove me insane, on the harder difficulty you're tasked with a 2 battery on the side capacity. I was running on my last battery in the camera the whole time groping through the dark. I was very literally, periodically flashing the light on and off with one-second intervals. I was only lucky I didn't do the tactic these guys did by groping along the wall, I went right down the middle and lucked my way out, unfortunately my tactic aggro'd angry fatass sooner than they did and I barely escaped with the skin off my teeth.

I put difficulty on the hardest with checkpoints. 2 batteries + 1 inside. Pain.

Also the fatass just pisses me off. Wish i brought an axe with me

*edit*

Finished game. Not bad. Very good to be honest.

I'm sure that singing was 100 times worse than the chainsaw...

I just finished the DLC and must I say, it's a fan-fucking-tastic ending with the closure we wanted(or at least I wanted).

The marriage consummation scene hurt my soul.

But I don't think it's curtain call for Outlast just yet, after reading some of the documents of this game I'd like to think --and hope-- that there will be another branching sequel pertaining to the "female ward" and the issues revolving around it's ward patients.