The change was introduced partly to help boost the game using the VR hype train that was gaining traction around the time of the game’s release, and that was probably for the best. Resident Evil 7 is played from a first-person perspective, which makes it more immersive than most of the other games in the series. Released in 2017, the 7 th mainline installment in the classic Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, provided a bit of fresh air for a franchise that had settled into the mold of an action shooter for the previous decade. In any case, this is an absolute must-play for all horror fans, especially those who liked Outlast for its tense stealth sections and adrenaline rush-inducing chases. However, it usually comes back with a vengeance after that, so avoiding confrontation is preferred. The situation is made easier only with the help of tools such as the noisemaker or the flamethrower, which can distract the alien or temporarily scare it off. It is difficult to sneak past it, and it can kill the player in one hit, so being spotted usually means death. It makes few scripted appearances throughout the game, and when it’s not randomly patrolling the corridors, it is guided by sensory input, mainly sound. While the enemies of Amnesia and Outlast were easy enough to trick once you learned their behavior, the alien is always unpredictable, which is what makes it such an unnerving foe.
Sure, the human and android enemies helped provide some variety and keep the game’s long campaign from going stale, but the alien was the star of the show, and it was the best monster ever seen in a game of this kind. Rather, what immediately helped Alien: Isolation overshadow games like Outlast was its superb enemy AI.
The unique retro-futuristic environment design inspired by the 1979 Alien film gives the game a striking visual style, although that isn’t what makes it so special. In any case, Amnesia is a classic that you absolutely must play if you haven’t already.Īlien: Isolation came out in 2014, and it is probably one of the best-executed survival horror formulas ever. It also has some puzzles, and the plot actually amplifies the horror rather than just feeling tacked on simply because one couldn’t have a game without a story. However, unlike Outlast, Amnesia relies much more on atmosphere and exploration than on scripted jumpscares and chase sequences. Most importantly, Amnesia was the game that popularized the “no combat” approach in survival horror games, so much like with Outlast’s enemies, the player must either run or hide from the grotesque monstrosities that they will encounter throughout their journey. Light is extra important in Amnesia because it is crucial to keeping the player’s sanity bar full, as low sanity can lead to a blurry screen and less responsive controls. Much like in Outlast, light is your most precious resource in Amnesia, and the player has to keep an eye out for oil and tinderboxes that allow them to light their lantern and the environmental lights, respectively. The first and most obvious game to include on the list would be 2010’s classic Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a game that Outlast drew a lot of inspiration from. So, if you want to check out some games that might offer a similar thrill, read on! That said, in this game list, we’ll be listing several games that are like Outlast in one way or another.
All the while avoiding the former patients and finding batteries to power your camcorder’s night vision mode, the only means that you have of seeing in the dark. Most of it was all about navigating the environments of a dilapidated insane asylum, searching for critical items and switches that would allow you to progress. At its core, the game revolved around stealth, chases, and jumpscares, so it wasn’t one of those atmospheric slow-burn horror experiences that focused a lot on the plot or exploration and puzzles. Well, most importantly, Outlast came out during a time when Let’s Play-style videos exploded on YouTube, particularly when it came to horror games such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Slender: The Eight Pages.Īs for Outlast itself, it was a very “focused” game, so to speak. But what makes Outlast so good, and why did it gain as much popularity as it did? Outlast is a very popular horror game from 2013 that had received a lot of attention upon release and in the years to come.