Gamescom 2021 has revealed a horrifying gameplay trailer for co-op-enabled survival game The Outlast Trials. As the third installment in Red Barrels' bone-chilling Outlast series, the release will allow multiple players to experience terror together. was first announced back in December 2019, although the prequel has long remained a mystery.
2013's Outlast, and its 2017 sequel Outlast 2, are intense first-person survival horror games. Mimicking the popular found-footage style of many modern horror movies, both games put players in the shoes of investigative journalists as they become entangled in disturbing and deadly mysteries. Players are left unarmed and forced to flee or hide from attackers, creating an extremely tense atmosphere. The characters' cameras define the series gameplay, as using their night-vision modes is a how players can avoid their deadly adversaries. However, will differ from other games in the franchise due to the addition of cooperative play, which will allow players to help each other survive the game's events.
An Outlast Trials gameplay trailer was revealed during Gamescom 2021's Opening Night livestream and posted to Red Barrels' YouTube channel. It appears to be predictably set in a twisted hospital, where monsters roam the halls and patients are subjected to grotesque experiments. The series' typical gameplay is teased to be returning, as several characters are seen being pursued by enemies down narrow blood-streaked corridors. However, co-op gameplay was also demonstrated, as one character makes a daring jump with the aid of two allies. Combat was also glimpsed to be another big change from prior installments, as players are seen using explosive mines and smoke bombs to disrupt enemies.
Outlast is a beloved horror game series, with a disturbing atmosphere and tense gameplay bringing players to the edge of their seats. The franchise's overarching story has been generally praised, and the events seem to keep audiences coming back to the experience even after being downright petrified. The decision to deprive players of any weapons, instead forcing players to use the environment in order to escape or hide, may not be very original in the horror space by 2021, but it's still an effective tool if used well by developers. The main point of doubt about The Outlast Trials is its co-op, which is optional but could potentially diffuse much of the first games' immersive isolation.
The Outlast Trials looks to be an intriguing next installment in the popular survival horror franchise. While cooperative play threatens to ruin the series' tense atmosphere and isolated terror, the game's trailers still appear to contain many of the previous installments' staples. Bringing friends along may feel safe, but The Outlast Trials seems it may be able to deliver enough scares for every players to justify its multiplayer experiment.
The Outlast Trials will release in 2022 for PC.
Source: Red Barrels/YouTube
