Outlast Franchise and Horror.

[NecroLord]

Apparently Outlast Trials will be released today.
So, what is your honest to God opinion on the Outlast games? Have you played any of them? Whistleblower is really intense, while Outlast 2 went with the dogshit and cliche "christianity is bad, here's another batshit insane christian cult" horror trope.
Why do all these horror games have to be so pretentious?
Take Thief, for example, a stealth game that handles horror even better. The Return to the Cathedral is an awesome mission, a genuine horror experience. I remember the first time I played it and got jumped by a Hammer Haunt evilly laughing and screaming "JOIN USSS! JOIN US NOOOW!" when I accidentally made noise while I was attempting to sneak past it. It was bloody heart attack inducing. That's real horror that relies on stellar sound design and atmosphere that create a sense of dread and unnease. No scripted sequences or quick time events.

 

[Fedora Master]

One was alright but dragged on too long and became too edgy for its own good.
Two is just outright retarded.

 

[Konjad]

I only played the first one. In it, the main character is a coward beta fragile loser, who's scared of hurting people that want to kill him more than of losing his own life, and is a nervous wreck who breathes heavily all the time. There's no way of inflicting harm to anyone, even though in this setting the first thing that would come to anyone's mind would be grabbing a knife, a pipe or anything else for self defense. The main character doesn't though, the only thing he cares about is recording everything on his crappy camera that eats batteries in a matter of mere minutes, and uses it for night vision, finding a flashlight for use seems beyond his imagination. Lots of idiotic hiding spots, like under the bed, where enemies never check (are they morons?), and if you hide in a locker they always check in the locker to your right, never yours. Lots of crappy jumpscares, which completely destroy the atmosphere of a horror game. Consequently, instead of being scary it becomes boring due to dull and predictable "surprises".

If you like jumpscares that's fine, I don't and it does not scare me in any way, and gets boring after the first one. What actually makes me anxious and uneasy is a slow buildup of atmosphere and an unknown threat. That's why few horrors scare me, but some do manage to do it very well: I remember Silent Hill 1/2/3 and Blair Witch Project made me to be quite on the edge due to tension of the atmosphere (Blair Witch Project was perfect at this with its woods). Jumpscares, on the other hand, bore me instantly and just made me think the developers are too cheap to come up with anything atmospheric and witty.

I did not expect it to be a fighting game, but inability to inflict any harm to anyone is just unrealistic. In a fair fight player should be disadvantaged (ie. by enemies being much stronger), but why can't he even punch a guy? Or hit him with something to disorient him? That's just silly.

 

[Zlaja]

I really can't stand horror games where you have to run and hide from enemies. Whenever I play games (any type) I like to progress slowly through the enviorment, and check everything and sip in the atmosphere. These type of games kinda force you to run around at times, so you end up moving around in less methodical fashion through the levels.

 

[hayst]

I played Outlast when I had the itch for more Amnesia. It did the job but I don't remember any of it.

 

[udm]

I enjoyed Outlast for what it was: a gory Tag simulator. It could get really intense at certain points.

However I think it also falls very short on meeting its true potential, being too railroaded. I'm not expecting choices and consequences in a game like this, but where there's action involved, it should have at least involved more player agency in overcoming challenges.

 

[Wunderbar]

I enjoyed Outlast for what it was: a gory Tag simulator. It could get really intense at certain points.

However I think it also falls very short on meeting its true potential, being too railroaded. I'm not expecting choices and consequences in a game like this, but where there's action involved, it should have at least involved more player agency in overcoming challenges.

that would be an entirely different beast, though. Outlast's main draw is that it's railroaded and streamlined - you go from one checkpoint to another in a linear fashion, while occasionaly participating in some setpiece moment or watching some gory cutscene. Adding complex level design and various gameplay mechanics would only dilute the game and make it less "fun".

Devs actually tried to make levels branching in the second game, but that ended up detracting from the experience since players kept running into dead ends and getting killed.

 

[lycanwarrior]

Apparently Outlast Trials will be released today.
So, what is your honest to God opinion on the Outlast games? Have you played any of them? Whistleblower is really intense, while Outlast 2 went with the dogshit and cliche "christianity is bad, here's another batshit insane christian cult" horror trope.
Why do all these horror games have to be so pretentious?
...

That inverted cross on Outlast 2's game cover makes me more than a little suspicious...

 

[Fedora Master]

Apparently Outlast Trials will be released today.
So, what is your honest to God opinion on the Outlast games? Have you played any of them? Whistleblower is really intense, while Outlast 2 went with the dogshit and cliche "christianity is bad, here's another batshit insane christian cult" horror trope.
Why do all these horror games have to be so pretentious?
...

That inverted cross on Outlast 2's game cover makes me more than a little suspicious...

Blake eventually locates Lynn in a chapel, captured by a violent and delirious Christian cult led by preacher Sullivan Knoth, who rapes the women of Temple Gate and, once they are pregnant, executes them on suspicion of carrying the Anti-Christ. Knoth claims that Temple Gate lies on the mouth of Hell, and that Lynn is pregnant with the Anti-Christ.

It's fucking stupid and I say that as an actual Fedora Master.

 

[KIss My Ass]

I liked 2 more than 1. Way better setting, atmosphere, setpieces, etc.

 

[orcinator]

I only played the first one. In it, the main character is a coward beta fragile loser, who's scared of hurting people that want to kill him more than of losing his own life, and is a nervous wreck who breathes heavily all the time. There's no way of inflicting harm to anyone, even though in this setting the first thing that would come to anyone's mind would be grabbing a knife, a pipe or anything else for self defense.

It's a realistic depiction of a New York journalist who has to dodge crackheads every time he rides the subway and can't defend himself because that would be racist.

Adding complex level design and various gameplay mechanics would only dilute the game and make it less "fun".

That's alien isolation. Same gameplay depth as Outlast, 10x the length.

 

[Wyatt_Derp]

I only played the first one. In it, the main character is a coward beta fragile loser, who's scared of hurting people that want to kill him more than of losing his own life, and is a nervous wreck who breathes heavily all the time. There's no way of inflicting harm to anyone, even though in this setting the first thing that would come to anyone's mind would be grabbing a knife, a pipe or anything else for self defense. The main character doesn't though, the only thing he cares about is recording everything on his crappy camera that eats batteries in a matter of mere minutes, and uses it for night vision, finding a flashlight for use seems beyond his imagination. Lots of idiotic hiding spots, like under the bed, where enemies never check (are they morons?), and if you hide in a locker they always check in the locker to your right, never yours. Lots of crappy jumpscares, which completely destroy the atmosphere of a horror game. Consequently, instead of being scary it becomes boring due to dull and predictable "surprises".

If you like jumpscares that's fine, I don't and it does not scare me in any way, and gets boring after the first one. What actually makes me anxious and uneasy is a slow buildup of atmosphere and an unknown threat. That's why few horrors scare me, but some do manage to do it very well: I remember Silent Hill 1/2/3 and Blair Witch Project made me to be quite on the edge due to tension of the atmosphere (Blair Witch Project was perfect at this with its woods). Jumpscares, on the other hand, bore me instantly and just made me think the developers are too cheap to come up with anything atmospheric and witty.

I did not expect it to be a fighting game, but inability to inflict any harm to anyone is just unrealistic. In a fair fight player should be disadvantaged (ie. by enemies being much stronger), but why can't he even punch a guy? Or hit him with something to disorient him? That's just silly.

Yeah, I don't mind nerfing the player to increase tension (limited ammo, OP enemies, etc) but having the player character constantly run away or choose non-violent options is just dumb. This War of Mine comes to mind. You go hunt down some supplies on a night-run and have to shoot some looters who are trying to take your shit. Your team member comes back the next day and sits around crying like a little bitch. This sort of thing seems to be a thing now, but when I consider who infests our game hobby as devs, it makes sense.

 

[Ivan]

2 is trash, reminiscent of those cheap "scare" rooms you see featured during Halloween at amusement parks.

1 has actual pacing and doesn't feel nearly as cheap as 2 does. I also seem to recall a lot more gore porn in 1 than in 2.

 

[NecroLord]

Apparently Outlast Trials will be released today.
So, what is your honest to God opinion on the Outlast games? Have you played any of them? Whistleblower is really intense, while Outlast 2 went with the dogshit and cliche "christianity is bad, here's another batshit insane christian cult" horror trope.
Why do all these horror games have to be so pretentious?
...

That inverted cross on Outlast 2's game cover makes me more than a little suspicious...

Yeah, it's dumb. It's not even edgy satanism or anything.
Anyway, anyone try out Outlast Trials yet?