Outlast 2

About Outlast 2

Outlast 2 is a first-person psychological survival horror game developed and published by the Montreal studio Red Barrels, released on April 25, 2017 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on March 27, 2018 for Nintendo Switch. It is set in the same universe as Outlast but with new characters and a new setting. It was written by J. T. Petty, with music by Samuel Laflamme.

You are Blake Langermann, a cameraman working with his wife Lynn, an investigative journalist. A trail of clues about the murder of a pregnant woman known only as Jane Doe leads them deep into the Arizona desert. Their helicopter goes down near Temple Gate, a town founded by the preacher Sullivan Knoth, whose followers are preparing for the end of the world, and Lynn disappears.

As in the first game you cannot fight. You sneak, climb, hide under beds and in water, and run when you are seen. Your camcorder is your eyes in the dark: its night vision lets you see, and its microphone picks up sounds of who is near, but both drain batteries you must find. Bandages heal you, and you film events to record what you see.

The game moves between the cult's town and scenes from Blake's childhood at a Catholic school, which grow more disturbing as he goes on. It is graphic in its violence and religious imagery, and much of it is long, panicked chases through fields and buildings. A Story Mode added in March 2018 reduces the number of enemies and their speed, damage and perception, for players who want less pressure. It suits players who want relentless, defenceless horror and can stomach very dark material.

It is rated PEGI 18 and ESRB Mature for blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, sexual content and strong language, and PEGI also warns of sexual violence. Australia first refused it classification before rating it R18+. The main story takes about four hours. On PC it is sold on Steam and GOG for Windows, and it is included with PlayStation Plus Extra on PS4.

How to play Outlast 2

1. Start the game as Blake after the crash and search for Lynn.
2. Raise the camcorder to see in the dark with night vision, and use its microphone to hear where enemies are.
3. Hide under beds, in barrels or in tall grass when cultists are near, and wait for them to pass.
4. When you are spotted, run, vaulting and squeezing through gaps to break line of sight.
5. Pick up batteries and bandages wherever you find them.

Tips

• Use night vision only when you need it; batteries run out fast.
• Listen through the camcorder microphone before entering a new area.
• Look ahead for your escape route before you leave a hiding place.
• Try Story Mode if the chases and enemy encounters are too punishing.

Questions