Outlast II Reviews
Red Barrels's game is an immature and hateful slight at anyone who dares to believe in a divine creator.
At some point, it was decided horror games were more effective if they didn't involve combat; since then, they've flailed looking for ways to fill a now empty space, and a groundswell of aspiration, toward making videogames broadly about more than murdering for reward, has emboldened them. However, if the creators of horror games have silently, collectively agreed to redefine a genre, Outlast 2, packed with nonsense plot, engorged levels and frantic, anonymous bloodshed, feels like the definitive failure of their ambition. Don't be fooled by it, or its intent.
Outlast 2 does next to nothing to advance the survival horror genre in any meaningful way. It did very little to craft a coherent experience. It did very little to be anything more than a series of overused horror tropes. I have no doubt that there are people out there that will find the game to be a thrilling and often times scary experience, but I was not one of them.
What, that doesn't sound fun to you? Me neither
Outlast 2 is technically amazing and is very scary. But it is also too linear, repetitive and too much focused on jump-scares and trial and error. If you are looking to get a little scared, Outlast 2 might be satisfying, but if you are looking for a complete horror experience, there are far better options available on the market.
Review in Persian | Read full review
A horror game that keeps you in suspense constantly, but is somewhat let down by its annoying and repetitive gameplay. An experience that's more enjoyable when you can share your reactions with others, whether in person or through YouTube and Twitch, than when played alone.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
The larger scope of Outlast 2 does more harm than good. The confines of the Asylum from the first Outlast made for great chase scenes and intimate jump scares. With too much ground to cover, cheap kills, and weird transitions, Outlast 2 aimed too high for its own good. Its interesting story isn't enough to cover up for its poor design.
Horrific in completely the wrong way, Outlast 2 is a night-vision journey into frustration. An intriguing story just can't save the infuriating misery that awaits.
When I first loaded up Outlast 2, I expected an unsettling experience and that's what I got.
Outlast 2 does not quite reach even the average moments of the first game. However, what saves this is Red Barrels' talented artists and voice actors. [Albert Lichi separately reviewed the PS4 (5) and Switch (6) versions. The scores have been averaged]
The game is gorgeous and sounds amazing, but there is no meat on the bone. 10 hours of running and hiding is not fun at all.
As a horror experience Outlast 2 works as a bit of grindhouse exploitation. It's intense, it's sharp, and it's a grisly, beautiful game. But it's also so linear and tries to be so cinematic that it opens itself to comparisons to similar stories told in other media, and as weird as it is to say, Outlast 2 is also far too safe.
Outlast 2 is a decent survival horror game with nice graphics and gameplay, but loses tension due to a overused autosave system. While I had a lot of fun exploring the various environments, it just left me longing for the original.
Outlast 2 has a few solid horror moments, but undermines those scares with tedious gameplay.
Outlast 2 brings another horror-themed game to the Nintendo Switch catalog and while its ambiance, soundscape and plot are definitely worth checking out, the game doesn't quite rise above its predecessor in terms of overall quality. This is not to say Outlast 2 is not worthy of consideration, as its contribution to the Nintendo Switch is most definitely welcome but it's inevitable to compare it to the original and to think that it doesn't quite achieve its level.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Outlast 2 is more of an ordeal than the first, in terms of content but also gameplay. The story provides some momentum, but trial and error sequences will see many succumb to frustration (and many large pick axes).
If you loved Outlast for its story and the fact that it stripped away any sense of viable defense, then there's something special waiting for you. The story really does sing. But if you were hoping for something a bit more fresh and different in a genre that has started to become one-note, then you may be disappointed by what Outlast 2 has to offer.
Outlast 2 can't compete with its own legacy, and while it's still a decent horror game with plenty of scares to offer, there is nothing I can point to here that I could claim as an improvement over the last one.
Outlast 2 has some great design elements, and the night-vision handy-cam mechanic is still scary. But the jump scares and gore don't mix right with the elements of psychological horror, and the story retreads horror tropes that didn't need retreading.