How ‘Outlast’ Revolutionized Scary Video Games
Red BarrelsOutlast takes place in a psychiatric hospital that’s been taken over by its patients.
Outlast, first released in 2013 by Red Barrels, is perhaps one of the scariest video games on this list.
The story’s protagonist is Miles Upshur, a journalist who travels to a psychiatric hospital in Colorado that has been overrun with deranged patients. Upshur receives a message that hospital staff members are conducting inhumane experiments on the patients, prompting him to investigate.
At the hospital, Upshur finds himself in a living nightmare: Patients have overtaken the staff and are running amok on the grounds. There is also a ghostly entity known as the Walrider that kills anyone it comes across. Players must navigate through the hospital to find a way to escape. Like in Amnesia, players cannot fight back, only run and hide.
Red BarrelsA psychiatric hospital patient attacks the main character of Outlast, Miles Upshur.
Outlast sold over four million copies and was praised for its spine-tingling jump scares. The developers paid close attention to detail, allowing players to feel totally immersed in the horrifying setting.
The game received multiple awards, and its success allowed for the creation of a sequel and prequel.
