Outlast in 2013 it became a very, very famous project and is already being presented by some literally as a horror classic. Despite some differences from the canonical definition of this concept, this game is certainly scary and will appeal to those who like to tickle their nerves. This product makes absolutely everyone, falling into its network, feel like a helpless victim being hunted by cruel sadistic maniacs. The player himself can do little, the main thing is to escape, to escape from this hellish nightmare.

Original Outlast many reproached for the lack of dynamism, the controversial lack of action. Its a new addition, Whistleblower, is trying to correct this oversight. Now, much more often, the player will have to think not about where to hide and sit quietly, but about how to develop as much speed as possible in narrow corridors, escaping from pursuers. This should not be understood to mean that now you will only have to run around the mental hospital. Not at all, but still.

As you know, the first part told about the adventures of a journalist named Miles Upshur, who decided to do his own investigation into inhumane experiments in a psychiatric hospital that were carried out by cruel maniacs. He overestimated his capabilities. it tells about the one who told the public herald about the crimes. It was one of the workers, Waylon Park, who was involved in the atrocities. He was unable to restrain his noble impulses and in his thoughts condemned what they were doing in the hospital. He sent a message to the journalist, thus deciding to involve monsters in human forms in punishment. Unfortunately, they became aware of what the employee had done. Waylon was, to put it mildly, in trouble - he wanted the best, but it turned out as always. The Murkoff corporation, which was involved in all this, did not like this terribly. It was decided to make the traitor the next object for the study of “human nature.” In general, now running away is also a priority goal for him.

Almost all game critics and other specialists noted the high level of directorial processing of the project. Directing makes itself felt in . Dashing plot twists, nevertheless quite logical and explainable, an abundance of moments with hidden and not very sexual overtones, a lot of disgusting details for some - everything is here in moderation and everything is in place, competently combined with each other and gets on the nerves of the player, checking it for strength. Even during the passage, someone thought more than once - how do the developers know all this? Are the creators themselves mentally normal? One way or another, for a game in the horror genre, such facts are only evidence of success, that the project is in its place.

As you know, many people play horror films in order to test their nerves and their strength - will I be scared, will I be afraid? Even if it’s truly scary, some people don’t give up, considering it a sign of weakness. In a sense, they want to win the game, to prove their strength. - this is a wonderful way to emerge victorious from a fight for those who were dying of fear in Outlast. And why? Yes, because the scene of action is still the same, but it’s impossible not to change by the time you wander through the same corridors again. It is possible to overcome yourself and stop being afraid in this supplement.

Madness is one of the main themes in the horror genre. Filmmakers, writers, and, of course, developers regularly turn to it. It’s not surprising, because nothing frightens you like the unknown. A sudden sound in the dark makes you flinch, but a shiver runs down your spine from guessing what caused this sound.

And what could be more mysterious and incomprehensible than other people’s “paintings of the mind”, shrouded in a veil of sick fantasy generated by that very madness? The topic is profitable, and there is still a lot that can be said in it. Therefore, it is not strange that the developers from Red Barrels decided to develop this idea in the first addition to one of the best horror games of last year - .

If I die

“My mistake was treachery, as you always said.”

Miles Upshur, the main character of Outlast, would hardly have found out about the affairs of Murkoff if not for Waylon Park, a security specialist who risked “merging” his native corporation. It was with his letter that the game began, it was he who led the journalist to “Mount Massive”, it was he who, without knowing it, opened Pandora’s box.

Park had long suspected the dubiousness of the experiments carried out in the hospital, but he did not have the courage to “report it where it should be.” However, when he had a chance to see them with his own eyes, all doubts instantly disappeared.

But how could such a violation escape the watchful eye of the Murkof management? The experiments carried out behind the cold walls of Mount Massive were so cruel and inhumane that if the public had found out about them, a “crowd with torches” would have gathered at the corporate headquarters, and the bosses would not have gone to trial. This cannot be allowed in any way, and therefore even the employees responsible for the safety of the hospital are under vigilant surveillance around the clock. So while Miles, anticipating a sensation, cheerfully taxied towards the hospital, Waylon Park, tied hand and foot, was already preparing to join the ranks of experimental subjects and experience the miraculous properties of morphogenetic conditioning for himself.

But fate took pity on Park. By the time Walrider, and with them the crowds of insane and crippled psychopaths, broke free, Waylon was still in good health and a bright mind. Grabbing the first camera he came across, he firmly decided not only to get out of the clinic alive, but also to film incriminating evidence along the way that could finally bury Murkof.

Unfortunately, no new uses were found for the camera. It's still just a flashlight replacement.

What a fresh hell

“Organs hang like wet laundry, like skinned rabbits.”

Park's journey through the clinic is not at all similar to Miles' adventures. There are almost no thoughtful wanderings around the hospital accompanied by the hypnotizing music of one’s own steps and the creaking of floorboards. Fate patted Waylon on the head, but then immediately gave him a heavy slap in the face - from the first minutes he finds himself in real hell. There are screams and pain all around, torn bodies, severed limbs. Unchained patients kill, rape and eat both the guards and each other. The level of violence is off the charts even by Outlast standards. And this time the topic of sexual perversion seems to have been elevated to the rank of main one.

All the secrets of the hospital were revealed in the original. So there is almost no philosophy, no plot, just violence to the tenth power.	Well, such scenes have become a leitmotif. This can make many people sick, so not everyone will make it to the Whistleblower finale.

While making his way through this bloody mess, Waylon, of course, will have to get to know some of the patients “better.” And, in comparison, Richard Trager and Chris Walker (who will also take the stage) seem like real darlings. Frank Manera, for example, we meet enthusiastically raping a security guard. At the same time, Frank rips open the poor guy’s stomach and, in close-up, begins to eat his insides, smacking his lips passionately and greedily. Noticing the hero Manner, he screams hysterically: “ What are you staring at?! I love him!“Well, his next love, of course, is to become a hero.

Outlast's plot details may soon be forgotten, but there's the shrill sound of a saw and cries of "Feed me!" will be remembered for a long time.	However, Eddie Gluskin does the whole show, outshining even the passionate cannibal. But revealing the details of the meeting with him means ruining the entire impression of the game. So look forward to your health!

You still can't fight, you only have darkness to disappear into, cabinets to crawl into, and beds to crawl under. And, unfortunately, doing all this a second time is not nearly as interesting. Fortunately, the level layout now allows for a more dynamic passage. Fallen boxes and overturned tables, winding corridors and numerous doors - you can always just try to escape from ill-wishers.

Kill us

“A person cannot observe such things without being irreparably changed.”

However, the journey turns out to match the hero. Even though Apsher was strong, he was gradually losing his mind. Veylon is firmly moving towards his goal, and even cannibals raping headless corpses are not able to cloud his consciousness and force him to deviate from his chosen path.

However, since the hero’s moral suffering is unbearable, the developers have prepared a whole bunch of quite tangible physical ones for him. Park will break bones, roast alive in an oven, and endure cuts and blows. And this is the most harmless of the bunch of physical tests that he will have to go through. Compared to this, Miles Upshur's severed fingers are a mere trifle.

In terms of the number of cuts, bruises and broken bones, only Jack Walters can compete with Park. He, however, knew how to patch up an injured body on the fly, but Waylon will have to get along with the newly arrived inconveniences.

All the more surprising is the finale, which is not only not bad in itself, but also smooths out the rough edges of the not-so-successful ending of the original. And something tells us that Mount Massive will make its presence felt again.

The gaming industry rarely indulges players with excellent horror projects. Nowadays, this genre is mainly actively supported by independent developers, who continually release similar games in the hope that large studios and publishers will pay attention to their talent. Last year was, rather, an exception, as the newly created Red Barrels studio gave all horror movie fans a real masterpiece that made the blood run cold. Perhaps no one has ever made such a frank and cruel horror film on the video game market.

Outlast, one of the scariest games of our time

Outlast became so popular and in demand that a couple of months later the game went on sale not only for PC, but also for the new generation console - PS4. Along with the release of the game on the console, there was also an announcement of a major story add-on, which went on sale quite recently and is called Outlast: Whistleblower.

The main “trick” of the original game was that the main character could not stand up for himself, but could only film everything that happened on camera, use the “night shooting” mode and hide under beds, around corners and under the tables of a psychiatric hospital. He was constantly pursued by various kinds of bad people who had serious psychological deviations. All these people constantly tried to “get to know” the hero better, which, of course, could not be allowed. Outlast: Whistleblower is not much different in mechanics from the original, but it has multiplied many times in everything that frightened and disgusted the players so much.

In the original, the player was given the opportunity to be in the shoes of a certain reporter Miles Usher, who, following a tip from an employee of the Mount Massive mental hospital, decided to come personally to the walls of the hospital and film a sensational report. The idea failed and turned into real hell for the main character. But let’s not spoil it, in case someone hasn’t met the original yet...

Background of Outlast

Outlast: Whistleblower, in turn, is a prequel to the original, and tells the story of that same gunner Waylon Park, who, as it turns out, “has a very long tongue that he doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut.” Such employees are certainly not needed at Mount Massive. Having learned about the leak of information about secret experiments on patients, the hospital administration locks up Waylon within its own walls, recognizing him as mentally ill. Now Waylon finds himself alone with psychos and an unknown mystical force. A walk through the corridors of the hospital will be unforgettable, you can be sure of that.

At first, Outlast: Whistleblower may seem like a boring and leisurely addition to the popular video game. But don't be disappointed ahead of time. The variety of situations will increase sharply towards the middle of the game, when you finally get used to the oppressive atmosphere and take increasingly bold steps forward. Moreover, the director's direction in the game is simply amazing, and each meeting with another madman locked within the walls of a hospital is a real work of art that sticks in the memory firmly and for a long time. It is the Hollywood approach and cinematic thinking that distinguishes the developers of Outlast from their direct competitors in the genre.

The gameplay has not changed a bit; you still only have access to a video camera, which will be your only “friend” until the very end. Your main weapon is caution and ingenuity. Outwitting crazy enemies will not be difficult if you don’t panic and do everything clearly. Of course, almost all situations in the game are deliberately structured so that the player panics, but the main thing is not to forget that your only trump card is calm.

It’s worth going through the expansion if only for its magnificent ending, which will knock the rug out from under even the most hardened fans of the horror genre. The developers really have quite a few surprises in store in the latest third chapter of the add-on.

The Outlast: Whistleblower add-on is a short excursion and a “bridge” to the original, which combines all its best developments. If you weren’t able to get acquainted with the original at the right time, then feel free to start playing through the addition; if it captivates you, then you can without a doubt start playing through the original game.

Outlast became, perhaps, the main horror film of last year. The game had problems with variety and creativity in mechanics and plot, but it was naturally a very scary “movie”: it seems that nowhere else have we felt such a defenseless, hunted and intimidated victim, literally a trembling creature hiding under the bed from sadistic psychos. The game shocked us with its very naturalistic murder scenes and how often the hero himself was injured, remaining wounded, bloodied, but alive. However, judging by the addition Outlast: Whistleblower, those were just flowers...

They still kill here with two hits.

Stay alive

Let's remember that in the original we played as journalist Miles Upshur, who, having received information about violations in the Mount Massive psychiatric clinic, came there to personally check these rumors. And he encountered a crowd of psychos who actually took over the hospital. The plot, frankly speaking, was not particularly elegant (unlike, for example, the one released in the same days Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs), but the madness here was shown so naturalistically, creepily and openly that there was no time to think about the banality and cliché of the script.

So here's the addition Whistleblower tells the backstory - this time we play as the very person who, in fact, sent Miles the information, violating the non-disclosure agreement. Waylon Park worked under a contract for the Murkof company, which carried out inhumane experiments on human brains in the clinic. Having demonstrated his civic position, he, in his own words, screwed up big time: Park himself became one of the test subjects. And now, in order to get out of the hospital and stay alive, he is forced to personally encounter the victims of the experiments. And these meetings, to put it mildly, are not pleasant.

They killed Freud!

However, the DLC is rather disappointing at first. The paucity of game situations in Whistleblower It's getting really blatant. In fact, for the entire first half of the two-hour expansion, Waylon Park simply runs away from a bloody naked man with a saw, who shouts after him: “Feed me!”

Playing with a full stomach is still strictly not recommended!

Yes, no doubt, the presentation of this cannibal was impressive: perhaps someone even felt sick at the sight of what he was doing to people who were still alive. Yes, the production is still at its best - we watch unpleasant scenes with the participation of local madmen, look at the blood that the hero spits out, and shy away when some crazy person suddenly jumps out right in front of our noses and hits Park in the face. It was the directing that distinguished Outlast from other indie horror films, and in addition this is also okay.

But all this works only in the first 10 minutes. We already saw this in the original, but nothing new Whistleblower does not offer. Still the same video camera in his hands, the same jumping over fallen tables, a nervous search for where to run and hide, how to quickly close the door and climb into the next ventilation shaft. And when the same guy with a saw is chasing you, you no longer want to hide from him under the bed, but hit him on the head with something heavy and ask: “Hey, are you going to calm down already or not?”

The addition is saved by its last third. Here again, let's face it, the unhealthy imagination of the developers makes itself felt. Sexual deviations and perversions have previously been a distinctive feature Outlast, but here they came to the fore, and the authors seem to have outdone themselves. Unhappy Park finds himself in the lair of a local sexual maniac, who arranges such a thing that at the same time you want to cry from fear and humiliation, and laugh from the fact that he persistently calls us... However, we will not give away spoilers.

We probably won’t even comment on what this crazy guy is doing here.

In the last third Whistleblower all the main arguments came together very well Outlast: and chic direction, and the unhealthy imagination of the authors, and naturalism, and the perfectly conveyed feeling of a hunted, cornered victim, and madness brought almost to the point of grotesque with sexual overtones. And everything intertwined into a crazy bloody performance, which naturally makes your blood run cold. Here comes the paradox: Whistleblower even shorter and more monotonous than the original, but at the same time scarier.

Pros: even more horror and madness.
Minuses: the variety of game situations still leaves much to be desired.