The Good:

+ Great atmosphere of constant dread
+ Gorehounds will be elated with the level of blood and guts
+ Commits to the run, hide, or die playstyle
+ Unless you find yourself truly unnerved or disgusted, it's hard to step away from once you load it up

The Bad:

- Repetitive/boring non-central character models and designs
- Blocky and subpar character models in general
- The greater story could've used better explanation
- Gameplay will no doubt be boring to many


The Bottom Line:

After 8 years of sitting on my Steam shelf I finally felt inspired by the spooky season to commit to actually completing this game. I had tried playing it a couple of times before but ultimately got an hour or two in before abandoning it - not because the game was that scary but I just got bored with it pretty easily the first couple attempts.

Fact is, the commitment the game makes to the run, hide, or die gameplay style is more than acceptable for some while others will find it quite boring. For me it came down to personal preference as well as how invested in the story and atmosphere I was (and if something else on my playlist was vastly more tempting and worthy of my time).

But I was resolved to actually experience this game in full (including the DLC) and I stuck through it this time.

Ultimately, I'm glad I did as Outlast provides a horror game experience that isn't common within the genre and only seemed to have its spotlight around the time of it's release - fading fairly quickly despite the sales and positive talk surrounding similar games such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent, SOMA, Layers of Fear, and even Alien: Isolation.

From start to the finish the atmosphere is tense and perfectly captures that feeling of being trapped in a nightmare there seems to be no escape from where every corner turned could either lead to your grisly demise or expose you to some new horror (and gore-lovers will be more than pleased with the amount of blood, guts, and ultra violence here). Panic overtakes you as you flee from pursuing madmen, hoping that an entered room offers a hiding spot or an escape route, or that a darkened hallway doesn't end in a locked gate or impassable barricade. Even when you find a hiding spot the air is thick with tension and dread as you freeze and watch your pursuer check under beds, in lockers, etc and wonder if they'll find you and your mind races as you gaze at open doorway when their back is turned and ask yourself if it's better to stay put, slowly creep towards your possible exit, or just make a run for it and hope for the best.

These moments are plenty in Outlast and provide some truly bloodpumping moments that keep you playing and locked into continuing this trek through the Hell on Earth known as Mount Massive Asylum.

It's these moments and some intriguing antagonists (such as the contrastingly mega-casual Dr. Trager or the sadistically delusional marriage-obsessed Eddie Gluskin) that make the game's weaker areas more forgivable...

For example, the character models and general graphical fidelity of Outlast is certainly behind the times even for 2013. Unless a model is a specific character, you'll find uninspired copies aplenty and in general everything's kinda ugly and blocky.

The game's greater story also leaves a lot to be desired in regards to the coherency of its explanation and and delivery. If you pay no mind to picking up documents or checking the notes the player character scribbles down you'll find yourself with a lot more questions than answers by the end of the game - the mystery of Mount Massive Asylum vastly more confusing then before the player even enters the damn place. The story of Outlast could've benefited from some more exposition and character interactions, that's for sure.

Overall, Outlast is a hell of an experience that horror game fans shouldn't pass up, and I'll be looking forward to diving into the madness of the sequel soon.

Final Score: 8 out of 10 Batteries