Outlast 2 is an eerie, atmospheric horror gaming experience

2013’s Outlast won critical acclaim for its dark, menacing atmosphere and well-executed jump scares. Its sequel, Outlast 2, builds thematically and mechanically — if not narratively — on the previous game, putting you into the role of an investigative journalist exploring a small Arizona town to get to the bottom of a mysterious killing. Your camera’s night-vision function lets you see in the dark, but the batteries are running out; scavenging for power supplies is therefore at the heart of gameplay.

Speeding up a classic

Outlast 2 is a little more briskly-paced than its predecessor, which had some tense but slow-paced stealth sections. Here, the action moves relatively quickly between different locations. There’s also a little more creativity shown in the environment design; in this game, the architecture itself may shift and change, suggesting that all is not as it seems. Some players may find it a little more linear than the original, which focused more on exploration, but the result of this narrowing is better presentation of the horror set-pieces.

A game to play with the lights off

If you like tense, creepy horror games where the best idea is sometimes just to run for your life, Outlast 2 is a good choice. The mechanics are almost too simple, but the real heart of the game is in its spooky and menacing atmosphere.