Overview
Outlast is a survival-horror game that is focused on evading enemies rather than defeating them. The game is set within an allegedly abandoned psychiatric institution called Mount Massive Asylum. Players control Miles Upshur, a journalist who is exploring the facility after receiving an alarming letter from a former employee begging for him to exposure the truth behind the facility.
The game was released for PC via Steam on September 4, 2013. It was later released for PlayStation 4 on February 4, 2014 in North America (February 5 in European territories), and was available for free that month for PlayStation Plus subscribers. An Xbox One version was release on June 18, 2014 and a Nintendo Switch version released on February 27, 2018.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Outlast consists of running and hiding. There is no way for players to attack enemies or otherwise defend themselves (except in certain scripted situations). The player can hide in lockers or under beds, and climb through certain windows & vents. The only item the player can use is their handheld video camera, which lets them use the night vision mode that allows them to see in the dark. Players must use this feature sparingly though, since the night vision drains the battery quickly, and spare batteries for the camera are scarce.
There are two forms of collectibles in the game, in the form of Notes and Documents. Notes are collected by recording certain events or sights with the video camera, while Documents are picked up in the environment.
PC System Requirements
Minimum
- OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 - 64 bits*
- Processor: 2.2 GHz Dual Core CPU
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: 512 MB NVIDIA GeForce 9800GTX / ATI Radeon HD 3xxx series
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Hard Drive: 5 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
- Additional Notes: *32 bits systems are not officially supported, but should work if configured to provide 3Gb of user-mode address space. See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/bb613473
Recommended
- OS: Windows Vista / 7 / 8 - 64 bits
- Processor: 2.8 GHz Quad Core CPU
- Memory: 3 GB RAM
- Graphics: 1GB NVIDIA GTX 460 / ATI Radeon HD 6850 or better
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Hard Drive: 5 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible