Outlast II

About Outlast II

Red Barrels returned with Outlast II in April 2017 to expand their survival horror universe. This sequel drops you into the Arizona desert where investigative journalist Blake Langermann searches for his missing wife, Lynn. The duo follows a disturbing trail of clues that leads them to Temple Gate, a cult town hidden deep in the wilderness. Unlike its predecessor which took place in an asylum, this game explores a twisted religious community on the brink of apocalypse. You play as a cameraman armed only with a night vision camera and no weapons. The experience spans multiple platforms including PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Mac. It is a single-player adventure that demands you navigate darkness while uncovering a story where morality becomes blurred.

Gameplay

You move through environments like a real human would by walking, crouching, or sprinting with limited stamina. Your primary tool is a night vision camera battery pack that drains over time. You must scavenge for batteries to keep your vision active because enemies lurk in total blackness. The game features no combat mechanics so you cannot fight back against the crazed cultists chasing you. Instead you rely on hiding in shadows, locking doors, or using environmental traps to slow them down. Sessions involve intense stealth sections where you hold your breath to avoid detection while solving simple puzzles to unlock new areas. The controls feel responsive but the tension comes from managing your flashlight beam and battery levels simultaneously. You will spend minutes crawling through narrow vents or running for your life across open fields while listening for footsteps.

What Players Think

The PlayPile data shows a mixed reception with an IGDB score of 74.1 out of 100 based on 238 ratings. Players describe the overall vibe as creepy, with four votes explicitly labeling it that way. The community completion rates suggest many people finish the story despite the difficulty spikes in later chapters. Average playtime hovers around 8 hours for a standard run through the desert setting. Review snippets from our users often mention the overwhelming atmosphere and the frustration of battery management rather than the plot twists. Some critics feel the narrative gets too abstract near the end but praise the sound design for keeping them on edge. The game currently sits at a cheap price of $2.00 on Green Man Gaming after a 75% discount which has drawn new players into the fold.

PlayPile's Take

Outlast II is worth buying if you want pure fear without worrying about reloading weapons or aiming mechanics. It costs just $2.00 right now so there is almost zero financial risk. You will earn achievements for finding hidden documents and surviving specific horror encounters. The game works best on PC or consoles where the sound design really hits home. Avoid this title if you need constant action or clear moral lines in your stories because Temple Gate gets very dark. It is not a masterpiece but it delivers solid scares for the price of a coffee. Grab it while the discount lasts and prepare to lose a few batteries along the way.

Storyline

Outlast 2 introduces you to Sullivan Knoth and his followers, who left our wicked world behind to give birth to Temple Gate, a town, deep in the wilderness and hidden from civilization. Knoth and his flock are preparing for the tribulations of the end of times and you’re right in the thick of it. You are Blake Langermann, a cameraman working with your wife, Lynn. The two of you are investigative journalists willing to take risks and dig deep to uncover the stories no one else will dare touch. You're following a trail of clues that started with the seemingly impossible murder of a pregnant woman known only as Jane Doe. The investigation has lead you miles into the Arizona desert, to a darkness so deep that no one could shed light upon it, and a corruption so profound that going mad may be the only sane thing to do.