But if it's any indication of the final game, it's clear Outlast 2 is working to earn its scares. My demo lasted only 15 minutes, and I'm reluctant to spoil any of the disturbing moments and sudden jumps I found in that darkening desert town. Then the chase begins, and you sprint into a cornfield on the outskirts of town. In Outlast 2's opening moments, however, things are decidedly linear: the village gives way to a corpse-littered cellar, which leads to a haunted schoolhouse, which funnels you into the house of bloody killer with a maniacal laugh. Rooms were closed off at first, but by backtracking throughout the main floor, basement, and medical wing, the building opened up. The first Outlast took a somewhat open approach to exploration in its decaying asylum.

There's a sense of sadism involved: it might be tempting to see your pursuers, but it won't mitigate the panic that's setting in. At the press of a button, you can glance back over your shoulder, the better to glimpse whatever might be chasing you. If the demo is any indication, the game's mechanics function only to foster fear. Ignorance helps.Īside from the camera, there's not much to Outlast 2's gameplay. I turn my camera off before I can see more.

A ghostly villager with a butcher knife, for instance, is a brief flash in the distance before he steps back into the darkness. What's more, the camera's zoom function highlights things I might not want to see. The ever-decreasing battery life adds a palpable tension to the already grim proceedings. This hoarding mentality seems even more necessary in Outlast 2: several times during the demo, my screen went completely back without the green tint of the camera's night vision effect. Much like in the first Outlast, this mechanic means you'll have to scavenge for batteries in toolboxes and kitchen drawers.

Now Playing: Farm Horror - Outlast II Official GameplayĪs one of two investigative journalists who stumble into the town in the American Southwest, you're equipped with only a video camera. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

Outlast 2 initial release date