"Outlast"

2017 · Survival Horror · PC / Steam

Outlast 2 delivers some of the most oppressive atmosphere in modern horror gaming, with a rural Arizona cult setting that drips with dread from the first frame to the last. The visuals are a significant upgrade over the original, the sound design keeps you permanently on edge, and the opening hours rank among the most terrifying in the genre. But the game leans too heavily on chase sequences that punish trial and error rather than rewarding smart play, the story raises more questions than it answers, and the school flashback segments disrupt pacing without adding enough payoff. It's a flawed follow-up to a modern horror classic, but the atmosphere alone makes it worth experiencing if you can tolerate the frustration.