By:Aileene-Bjork Novascotia, Staff Writer 

I have seen and done horrible things in The Outlast Trials. I’ve had to saw a man’s legs off at a recreation of the Last Supper, I’ve electrocuted a police informant, and I’ve melted a politician all the way down to the bone. But, while you might say “Jeez,” it’s all a part of the messy fun, as the game is willing to go the extra mile to keep you on your feet, whether you’re screaming or laughing all the way.  

The Outlast Trials begins with your character down on their luck—no home, job, or reason to persevere. To escape this state of affairs, you volunteered for rehabilitation under the Murkoff Corporation. What you didn’t sign up for was being subjected to lethal trials within labyrinthian gauntlets. 

Each map is a makeshift location full of psychos and murderers lurking about. Every session requires you to enter the premises, complete objectives, then evacuate. How hard this will be depends on how quiet and vigilant you are, which affects your score at the end as well as your rewards. 

For the most part, The Outlast Trials adopts the series’ stealth-horror structure, but here, it’s at its peak. You don’t want to draw attention, so it pays to watch for hazards like broken glass on the floor or traps. Then again, you must move with a sense of urgency. 

What’s interesting is how you can use the dark as camouflage since most enemies don’t have night-vision. You could practically be standing next to them without triggering them, which is very useful and oftentimes hilarious. 

Another interesting mechanic is psychosis, which is caused by inhaling dangerous gas if you fall into specific traps or encounter an enemy called the Pusher. You’ll be left scrambling for an antidote while hallucinations like tentacles and menacing figures cause you real damage, leading to you exposing yourself to real enemies if you have to move from your hiding spot. 

Like its predecessors, you can’t fight in The Outlast Trials, but you can evade your pursuers and slow them down. Every map grants a slew of feats for avoiding enemies if you’re spotted. You could slide through an open vent, hide in places like a large toybox or a cabinet, or throw a bottle at an enemy to stun them. 

Then, there’s your rig that allows one of six special abilities, like being able to barricade a doorway or disable electronics. They improve with upgrades, but I was confused about why their upgrades had to be consecutively unlocked. One of the final upgrades for each rig reduces its cooldown timer, so having an ability at your convenience will take some investing. 

Helping the gameplay is how the map has a unique aesthetic with a dose of social commentary. The narrative behind everything might not be up front, but who needs exposition when you’ve got bucketloads of style? 

Take the fun park, for example. Tasks sometimes resemble carnival games, but the entire attraction feels like something from Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. However, the map is also poking a spear at the spoiled rotten members of society who think they’re entitled to everything. 

The level of disturbing horror is nailed thanks to how gruesome and crude the game presents itself. There is excessive gore, torture, sexual debauchery, and graphic nudity–sometimes all at once. 

All of the maps’ strengths alleviate how similar the chapters’ objectives might be. Dumping evidence files into a grinder at the police station functions the same as placing expensive boxes at a checkout area in the mall, but the atmosphere covers it up. 

Of course, it’s not an Outlast game without psychopaths. The Outlast Trials has its own motley crew of stone-cold killers. Mother Gooseberry is exceptionally terrifying with her duck hand-puppet equipped with a built-in drill, but I also loved how Liliya camouflages with mannequins on her associated map and hides inside of hiding spots to throw you a curveball. Every enemy will handle you differently, and it’s best you stay out of their path before things get messy. 

This madness is best experienced in co-op. You and up to three other players can take on trials together to cover more ground and get things done faster.  

Then again, everything can turn darkly comedic when your plans go wrong. Me and my friends frequently found ourselves laughing at our misfortunes, picking ourselves back up whenever we would go down. Although, this never detracted from the disturbing atmosphere the game creates. 

Besides multiplayer, helping the replayability of The Outlast Trials is how many different modes, difficulties, and tasks there are, combined with how many skills you can equip your character with. With this many ways to handle all the scenarios, you’re bound to have hours upon hours of fun (and blood-curdling screams). 

Overall, The Outlast Trials is definitely one of the best cooperative horror experiences to date, especially because there’s nothing else like it. It’s definitely the most mature title in the series, but the sheer amount of enjoyment that comes with being cautious or chased around with your friends is outstanding. This is a gauntlet I’m willing to come back to again and again and again. 

I give The Outlast Trials an 8/10.