The Outlast series has long been known for its nail-biting, heart-racing terror, thrusting players into the terrifying, oppressive environments of mental institutions, asylums, and deranged experiments. With its unique first-person perspective and heart-pounding stealth mechanics, Outlast has built a legacy of delivering some of the scariest experiences in modern gaming. However, with the release of The Outlast Trials, the series takes a bold step into new territory, leaving behind the solitary fear of the previous titles and introducing a cooperative multiplayer experience. This shift has breathed new life into the franchise, allowing players to experience the horror not alone, but as part of a team, adding an entirely new layer of dread and tension.
In The Outlast Trials, Red Barrels has succeeded in evolving the series into a four-player PvE (Player vs. Environment) experience that retains the core dread of its predecessors while reimagining the experience as a group immersion therapy session from hell. With clever gameplay systems, a spine-tingling narrative, and intense teamwork-based mechanics, The Outlast Trials offers a fresh take on the franchise while staying true to its roots.
A New Take on Horror
At its core, The Outlast Trials continues to deliver the same kind of bone-chilling horror that made the first two games so memorable, but this time, it does so in a drastically different way. While the first Outlast games were single-player experiences that focused heavily on solitary exploration and escaping from nightmarish situations, The Outlast Trials introduces a multiplayer dynamic that significantly changes how players approach the terror that lurks around every corner. Now, rather than simply running and hiding on your own, you’ll be working together with up to three other players to survive the terrifying experiments orchestrated by the sadistic Murkoff Corporation.
This shift to a co-op experience is a welcome evolution for the series, allowing for unique strategies, collaborative problem-solving, and shared fear. The cooperative nature of the gameplay makes the terrifying moments even more intense, as you’re not just trying to survive alone—you’re depending on your teammates to help you out of tight situations. However, just because you’re in a team doesn’t mean you’re safe. In fact, the danger often feels heightened when you’re in a group, as you must rely on others to watch your back while managing your own survival. A single wrong move from any player can quickly lead to the entire team’s demise.
The addition of multiple players allows for new gameplay mechanics, such as splitting up to cover more ground or helping one another escape from a cornered situation. There are also moments when teamwork is essential for solving puzzles or overcoming obstacles, making coordination between players crucial to progressing through the levels. The atmosphere of fear and tension remains as high as ever, and in many ways, The Outlast Trials feels even more terrifying with friends by your side. The concept of shared fear—where you and your team are all on edge, constantly second-guessing your surroundings—is a brilliant addition that intensifies the horror.
The Story and Setting
The Outlast Trials continues the series’ tradition of presenting a deeply unsettling story. The game is set in a Cold War-era facility run by the Murkoff Corporation, known for its cruel and inhumane experimentation on human subjects. Players take on the role of test subjects in these horrifying trials, subjected to nightmarish challenges that push them to their limits both mentally and physically. Much like in the previous Outlast games, you’ll uncover pieces of a disturbing narrative as you progress through the trials, learning about the dark secrets of the Murkoff Corporation, its twisted experiments, and the horrors that its subjects endured.
The game’s setting is incredibly atmospheric, with environments that are both familiar and completely foreign. The trials take place in a variety of settings—dark, claustrophobic hallways, eerie abandoned laboratories, and disturbing outdoor areas—each more unsettling than the last. Red Barrels does an excellent job of utilizing lighting and sound to create an oppressive atmosphere. The distant echo of footsteps, the low hum of machinery, and the ominous silence that permeates the trials all contribute to an environment that feels alive with danger. As players progress, they’ll uncover more about the experiments, all while trying to survive the increasingly twisted challenges designed to break their spirits.
The story of The Outlast Trials is just as twisted as the environments it’s set in, offering players a narrative that’s filled with psychological horror, mystery, and brutal themes. The tale is driven forward by the concept of human experimentation, with players constantly encountering strange, grotesque creatures and entities that result from these experiments gone wrong. The story isn’t just there to scare players—it’s there to keep them invested, creating a compelling reason to push forward and uncover the next piece of the puzzle, even as the tension builds and the stakes rise.
The Gameplay: Strategic Horror
While the core gameplay of The Outlast Trials is rooted in stealth, horror, and survival, it also introduces new gameplay systems that elevate the experience. Players will still be sneaking past enemies, avoiding terrifying monsters, and managing limited resources such as batteries for night-vision goggles. However, the introduction of cooperative play changes the dynamics significantly.
In addition to the classic survival elements of the series, the game also includes objective-based gameplay. Each trial you and your team face is filled with challenges, obstacles, and enemies that require coordination and careful planning to overcome. These objectives can range from collecting certain items, solving puzzles, or simply surviving for a set period of time. While stealth remains a crucial element, there are moments where players will need to make strategic decisions about whether to fight or flee. Some enemies can’t be avoided entirely, so teamwork is essential when dealing with these more aggressive threats.
The game introduces an exciting progression system where you can customize your character’s abilities and tools. As you survive more trials and complete challenges, you earn rewards that allow you to improve your chances of survival in the next trial. This progression system adds a layer of depth to the gameplay, encouraging players to keep playing and improving their characters as they venture deeper into the game’s horrors.
A Strong Return to Horror
The Outlast Trials stands out as one of the most unique and exciting entries in the horror genre in recent years. By evolving from the single-player, terror-filled atmosphere of its predecessors to a cooperative multiplayer experience, the game takes the Outlast series in an exciting new direction while maintaining the core horror elements that made the original games so iconic. The tension of not knowing where the next threat will come from, combined with the need to rely on your teammates to survive, creates an experience that is thrilling, terrifying, and addictive.
The game’s atmospheric environments, deeply unsettling story, and clever gameplay systems make it a must-play for horror fans, especially those who enjoy the psychological and survival aspects of the genre. While it may have a steep learning curve for new players, especially when playing with others, the cooperative horror experience in The Outlast Trials is unlike anything else currently available, making it a standout title in the world of multiplayer survival horror.
Conclusion
The Outlast Trials successfully reimagines the Outlast series for a new generation of gamers. It takes everything that made the original games terrifying and expands upon it, turning the classic survival horror formula into a cooperative multiplayer experience that is just as harrowing as it is engaging. Whether you’re playing solo or teaming up with friends, The Outlast Trials delivers an unforgettable experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s a thrilling evolution of a beloved series that proves horror can be just as effective when shared with others as it is when experienced alone.
