New survival horror to Outlast adventure gamers next summer

Written by Jack Allin — November 20, 2012 at 13:34

It turns out Senscape's Asylum isn't the only hospital for the mentally ill to be concealing hidden horrors, as indie Canadian developer Red Barrels has recently unveiled its chilling new survival horror, Outlast.

Long abandoned, the Mount Massive Asylum was "recently re-opened by the 'research and charity' branch of the transnational Murkoff Corporation", but has been operating under total secrecy ever since. When independent journalist Miles Upshur breaks into the facility, however, he discovers an atrocity that walks "a terrifying line being science and religion, nature and something else entirely. Once inside, his only hope of escape lies with the terrible truth at the heart of Mount Massive."

As the game's terrifying "found footage" video from Upshur suggests, Outlast is no traditional adventure, but rather a "true survival-horror experience" in which players must "survive encounters with opponents who are not simple monsters, but humans with their own often-unhinged agendas." This is not a run 'n gun action game, however, because "you can’t fight the horrors waiting for you in the Asylum, so you'll have to act smart to avoid getting killed... or worse."

The name Red Barrels might be unknown to most, but the new Montreal-based studio has an impressive pedigree, founded by experienced industry veterans whose credits include the likes of Prince of Persia, Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell, and Uncharted. In their first independent title, they're committed to creating a "fear-based emotional rollercoaster" for players when Outlast is released for download in summer 2013.