The Outlast Trials (2024)

INFORMATIONAL:

The Outlast Trials used gen AI in the development process. From their Steam page: Throughout the development of our game, we may leverage AI-based tools to assist our team in content creation. Please rest assured that what you see in the game reflects the creativity and hard work of our team. Examples may include pictures and/or posters used in some of our environments.

I need to know once and for all of I should play this game?

I loved Outlast and Outlast 2, but this live-service adjacent, co-op focused entry has me very conflicted.

I'd be playing this one solo, since my friends won't play horror games (also, I don't think co-op horror is particularly effective).

Is this a good single player campaign or is the whole point playing through the same levels/scenarios over and over again?

I feel like at this point I have a personal vendetta against Momma, Leland, and the guys who don't wear pants. They're on my hit list, once I figure out how to toss hands efficiently it's game over for them. There's emotional trauma? And then there's emotional torture. I will never forget the nights the trials put me through the ringer, made me feel weak, like a child lost in the mall, or like bambi watching their mother die.

10/10 game though. Tons of fun.

The amount of times I have stood DIRECTLY between my friends and Mother Gooseberry only for her to walk straight past me and go for them is unhinged. I have single handedly raised my entire group of friends from bleeding out / death with enemy's unmentionables right in front of my face without them killing me, somehow. I am Murkoff's favorite child. Puppets want me, orphans that need to get chucked into the grinder that is for some reason in a dentist-themed carnival ride fear me.

The game is a lot of fun with friends. If you like the mainline Outlast games, you'll probably enjoy this one solo, too, but I've only played it in multiplayer because it's a great time with a group. The trial levels are a steady ramp up in difficulty starting from the first introductions to each new map / enemy leading up to challenges that involve forcing you to stay close to friends or not being given any healing items, etc, which are PAINFUL to get through but man does it feel nice to clear those stages. There's not a lot of variety in the stages themselves right now, but hey, you know. Early access and all that.

Higher difficulties get a bit ridiculous with no rig challenges + one hit kill enemies needing better tuning so they aren't camping an objective for like 30 mins straight even with the use of bottles for distractions, but you know. Maybe I just need to Git Gud.

Excited for updates with new maps and prime assets.