Outlast, released in 2013, helped to redefine what small-studio horror games might do. While YouTube stars helped propel Amnesia into the forefront, it’s tough to dispute the Outlast franchise’s influence on the genre. The Outlast Trials, the next game in the franchise, has gotten a new video — however, this one has a multiplayer twist.
Close-up shots of some of the titular challenges that players will face as they progress through the game are seen in the teaser. The teaser resembles a SAW movie in several ways, with bloody chambers and vicious-looking obstacles dominating many of the game’s settings. It doesn’t appear to be a place for the faint of heart, but the Outlast games have never been, which is one of the reasons for their popularity.
The adversaries that appear during the gameplay footage are undeniably the stars of the show. The Outlast games have always included one or two major nasties for players to dodge, but the Outlast Trials teaser depicts a slew of monsters pursuing players. Each of the adversaries is scary in its own right, with different aesthetic features that set them apart from the rest.
The narration adds a sinister dimension to the trailer’s overall mood, as the speaker professes to be assisting the heroes, guaranteeing their safety, and claiming that he is their friend. That does not appear to be the case since participants are tormented physically and mentally throughout the game. Fortunately, the game will allow up to four-player teams, so you’ll have the option of teaming up with friends to take on each trial.
The game is set during the height of the Cold War, according to what we know thus far. The players are Murkoff Corporation abductee test subjects who are held captive in a hidden facility. They’ll be forced to participate in “physical and mental ordeals,” many of which appear to conclude with players being hanged, stabbed, or otherwise brutalized, based on the bodies seen throughout the trailer.
Unfortunately, The Outlast Trials still has a lot of unanswered questions. This is by far the most detailed look at the game since its announcement, yet the sole release date is a hazy 2022 timeframe. Other horror games, such as House of Ashes, are set to release shortly to fill the vacuum, but The Outlast Trials appears to be particularly intriguing.
