The Outlast Trials Review

The Outlast series includes some of the most beloved horror games in gaming. The original made waves back when it was released in 2013 for its unique night vision mechanics and uncomfortable asylum setting. Outlast 2 followed in its footsteps but featured a refreshing village setting with an even stronger emphasis on gore. Now, we have The Outlast Trials, a new multiplayer horror game set before the events of the original.

This time around, The Outlast Trials has ditched its single-player gameplay for four-player co-op. No, it isn’t your typical rinse-and-repeat 4V1 horror game where players try to outrun a killer on the same map over and over again. Instead, The Outlast Trials throws you into a fully realised series of levels as you and your friends try to complete various objectives while computer-controlled psychopaths try and kill you.

That alone should already set the tone that The Outlast Trials is one of the most refreshing horror games in recent years. Not only does it rely heavily on its core horror themes but the addition of co-op means you’ll be running scared with friends by your side and oh boy, I did just that.

The Outlast Trials is set before the original game. In fact, it takes place during the Cold War and there are quite a number of references to the ongoing world at the time throughout the game. However, you take on the role of a test subject who destroys their past and identity in order to take on these trials created by some mad scientist.

After a short tutorial stage, I was whisked away to an underground (well, it gives me the idea it is underground) lab. This lab becomes your home and while the game promises to “let you go” once you complete the trials, your imprisonment feels more permanent than it seems. You even get your own little room which can be decorated with different wallpapers, flooring, accessories and bedding, like a little home away from home but in a bunker run by absolute lunatics called the Murkoff Corporation.

The idea of this lab is to conduct trials that put you to the test. These trials have been created by a team of scientists to act as therapy on your mind and see whether or not you’re capable of surviving in the real world. As if the free world holds more danger than a police station which is home to a naked giant whose ball sack dangles in your face as he stands over your body and suffocates you to death.

As much as the story tried to, I didn’t get into it as much as I hoped but that’s okay. The main point here is the start and the end. Yes, there’s an end and it is important to the overarching story in the Outlast series.

The Outlast Trials manages to deliver quite a strong theme of control throughout the game. You’re just a guinea pig in this lab and everything about the game gives you this sense of dread. Each trial has been set across a themed stage and these stages have literally been hand-crafted by the Murkoff Corporation. So much so that they feature wooden planks for roads, and various set pieces to provide a “realistic” look and feel. Throughout each stage, there are even windows where these scientists can be seen watching in on your progress.

I loved this. I think the makeshift stages looked fantastic. Some of these stages were better portrayed in this way than others but every location delivered a unique theme which played into the lessons the corporation is trying to teach you.

There’s a police station which houses its own electric chair and prison, an orphanage filled with toy children that can move around, an amusement park and a factory where dolls are made.

Every location is also divided into various trials. There’s a main trial which revolves around a number of objectives. The idea of each trial is you need to get in, complete the objective and get out. Nothing is timed but you are ranked down from an A+ depending on if you take damage or activate a noise trap etc. You’ll always want to make as little noise as possible. Not only does this help keep the crazies away but a higher rank means more XP at the end.

The trials are where the real magic in The Outlast Trials is found. They saw me get up to all sorts of disgusting things as I threw away my morals and undertook whatever tasks the corporation had for me.

The Outlast Trials is not for the weak of the heart. I say this because the game is incredibly uncomfortable at times. While the general stealth gameplay can be stressful on your mind, the objectives are a whole other story. They force you to perform all sorts of heinous acts which I never thought I would ever do in a video game. This is beyond Manhunt and in a league of its own.

One trial saw me escorting a man to the electric chair only to pull down the switch and watch him fry. Another saw me saw off the legs of a naked man and feed them to the orphans. Another revolved around turning a man into a sex doll by covering him in hot wax, disfiguring him and then setting him ablaze.

All of these trials have some sort of “greater good” message that is used as motivation for the diabolical acts. Even pouring bleach into the orphan’s soup was coated over by the idea that I was teaching them manners.

Sure, the second time around these trials don’t have the same mental impact as before but when you’re performing these acts, it feels so wrong. I often sat in silence with my brother as the defenceless person’s head exploded in front of us or the wax sprayed onto the guy’s naked body as he begged for his life.

But you know what they say “There’s always a bigger fish” and in this case, these trials are filled with crazy people who also just want to kill things for pure joy. These enemies make up the stealth gameplay where The Outlast Trials forces you to sneak around in the dark and hide away to avoid being spotted and killed by any one of the many relentless enemies.

As the game rewards perfect stealth, I often found myself sneaking around wherever possible. When I was spotted, I had to bolt to the next hideaway spot and wait for the enemy to pass, essentially giving up on its search. I could also distract them by tossing a bottle or brick.

Broken glass and hanging tin cans alert enemies. However, there are also doors which can be bashed open that send them to you. Everything I did in the trial always came with another thought “How safe am I right now?”. Often objectives would trigger the arrival of a new enemy and to make matters worse, various elevators in the level randomly send down an enemy now and then too.

There’s this constant fear of being hunted and this has made the Outlas series so popular. The Outlast Trials doubles down on this by adding in more enemies while also making every chase feel as if you’re losing rank for being bad.

There are some cool ways to approach different scenarios in the game, however. This is thanks to the unique item system. Throughout the stage, you’ll find batteries to refill your night vision, health bottles to refill your health and lockpicks to open up locked boxes. But your character can also be shaped into a specific role.

The Outlast Trials features various Rigs which can be equipped and come with perks. I spent most of my time with the Stun Rig. It let me toss a bomb-like item at enemies to stun them in place. It came in handy many times especially when escaping the trial. There’s also a landmine class which can place down traps, a healing class to heal teammates and a class which can see through walls with an X-ray vision.

These classes can be upgraded to enhance their effects. They especially come in handy in the later difficulties where more enemies are stalking you and can kill you in just a single hit.

However, outside of the Rig, perks add permanent enhancements to your character and tools are interchangeable items that have their own effects too. My favourite is the Slippers that let me run over the glass without making a noise. This helped me dodge unwelcome guests and get better grades on my trials.

The further you get into The Outlas Trials, the better the game gets. The harder difficulties come with their own objectives and increased challenges. There are also variations that limit the number of items in a level. So everything you have unlocked is required to survive.

Keep in mind that it is a co-op game so you’ll be doing all this with some friends around too. It only elevates the experience even more. There were so many hilarious moments and there were equally daunting ones. The idea that your friend is hiding in the storage cabinet next to you while an overgrown naked man hunts you down is something you don’t get to experience often.

The co-op play also made it easier to spot enemies and communicate across the various puzzles. You can even use the other player as bait while you complete an objective. Giving your friend a healing potion when they were about to die never felt so humbling and reviving them after they were stabbed to death comes with its own intense moments. Especially when there are three crazy killers around the corner. It is brilliant.

I do have to mention that while this game is advertised as a single-player game too, I would not recommend it unless you’re playing co-op. Sure, some of the trials are completely doable alone but most of the mechanics in most of the trials rely on a team. They are completed faster and having people around to watch your back and bait enemies makes a huge difference. A solo trial can take hours compared to doing it with friends within a few minutes.

If I could go back and experience The Outlast Trials the first time all over again I would. I would then do it over and over again. If you’re a fan of the original games and always wanted to play them with friends, here is the best possible way to do that. The Outlast Trials could be my new favourite co-op game. It is twisted. It is horrific and deranged. It is the best in the franchise to date.

This The Outlast Trials review is based on a code sent to us by Red Barrels. The game is available on 5 March for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and leaving early access on PC.