Outlast: Whistleblower

A good horror game is not something you find easily, just like horror movies, sometimes it may feel like we are always getting the same things over and over again. That's why we love getting a really good one, and the original title for this was one of those gems. Now, we'll be talking about the DLC released for the base game, the title is Outlast - Whistleblower. With a plot like that of the base game, it was not difficult to think of downloadable content, and the developer Red Barrels has managed to give it a twist by betting on the concept of a prequel. But what is Outlast - Whistleblower all about and how does it fit in the story of the original game? Well, let's talk about it.

About the game

When the reader played Outlast surely left engraved in his memory that desperate message for help sent to the protagonist, the journalist Miles, someone anonymously at the beginning of the adventure from the bowels of a psychiatric facility located in an almost lost place in the United States. Now we know that it is Waylon Park, an employee of Murkoff Corporation who works as responsible for the software of its sophisticated facilities, and, in fact, we will leave all Whistleblower in his skin with a really distressing feeling of oppression.

Similar to the base game, most of the things we will discover through notes and writings that we will find, in addition to the interpretation that the protagonist himself makes of the events that we will see through the classic camera that we will find in the first bars, and that works exactly the same as that of Outlast. Through his eyes, we will see truly shocking and unpleasant events, in a title that bets on carnage practically from its first bars and more graphically and directly than its original.

By coincidence, Waylon also gets a video camera, of course, there is also the night vision mode in the camera, which we have to do so that we do not run out of the few batteries that we can find in the scenarios, all as in the first original game.

We always play from a subjective perspective and, although we will see numerous enemies, we can not attack them. Our only options are to run or hide. If the creeps manage to hit us and attack us a couple of times (once is enough on difficulties higher than normal), all bets are off.

Horror in the dark

Even though we’ve praised that Outlast and Outlast - Whistleblower is what we consider good horror games, it is also true that they do use a lot of jump scares. This is the kind of scare when something spoons you out of a natural reaction to loud noise and something suddenly appearing.

But, it does build an excellent atmosphere, with the help of the darkness and the first-person point of view. Only a few masterpieces of horror games manage to become incredibly terrifying without being in the first person, such is the case of the Silent Hill franchise or the first Dead Space Game. But Outlast is also good at building a scary atmosphere.

Review: 8/10

Outlast - Whistleblower does a great job at the basics of what a good DLC should do, and that’s expanding the basic game.

Pros:

• Even though it’s the same formula, it still works
• It WILL scare you
• Interesting story

Cons:

• Lacks innovation
• Small and without much content

Outlast – Whistleblower is an expansion pack for the renowned horror title that guides players through the events leading up to the story of the original game. Instead of playing as journalist Miles Upshur, you control software engineer Wayland Park, who attempts to leak the horrifying experiments occurring at his workplace. When Wayland's superiors catch wind of his plan, they attempt to kill him, forcing Wayland to escape while evading his captors. As an expansion for one of the scariest games ever made, Whistleblower is every ounce as terrifying as the original.

Main Game Features

• Escape from a deadly underground laboratory
• Hide or evade terrifying enemies
• Record disturbing events on your handheld camera

Story

Outlast – Whistleblower is set several weeks before the events of Outlast, and follows Murkoff employee Wayland Park, who works in an underground lab on the mysterious Morphogenic Engine device. After witnessing the gruesome and painful effects of the machine on some patients, Wayland attempts to send an email to a prominent journalist to expose Murkoff's crimes. Unfortunately, his supervisor realizes what he plans to do and attempts to silence Wayland by hooking him up to the machine. Although Wayland is able to disconnect from the machine due to a malfunction, he must navigate the chaotic laboratory, dodging enemy guards and other insane and disturbed patients.

While the original Outlast game was notable for being violent and depraved, Whistleblower steps things up and delivers a truly revolting story. During his journey, Wayland encounters demented serial killers who make monsters from Silent Hill look inviting, while also fighting back against paramilitary guards who are hunting down survivors. There are plenty of disgusting scenes that will shock even the most hardened horror gamers, so be prepared for some serious scares.

Gameplay

Unlike other modern first-person horror games like Resident Evil: Village, Outlast – Whistleblower contains no gun or melee combat. Instead, players must run and hide from hostile enemies, often backtracking through levels looking for safe places to cower. Aside from running, climbing over obstacles, and hiding in small crevices, the game leaves you with very little room to defend yourself. Areas are often dark and hard to navigate without light, which forces you to use a handheld camera to brighten your surroundings with its night vision.

During Wayland's night of terror, you'll often come across disturbing encounters that you should film to document your findings. However, your camera runs on a limited supply of batteries, so you'll need to conserve energy whenever possible. This presents a tough dilemma, where your battery count can often make the difference when it comes to survival. Without the power of a weapon to rely on, Outlast – Whistleblower encourages players to outwit their attackers while playing as carefully as possible. This results in a wholly frightening experience, where you're never sure if you'll be capable of living past the next encounter.

Conclusion

For horror gamers who consider themselves rigid and impossible to scare, Outlast – Whistleblower presents a challenging experience that will test your limits. It's raw, unhinged, and hard to play at times, as the macabre displays you witness often push the boundaries of what is acceptable in video games.

Pros

• Effective horror and creature design
• One of the scariest games out there
• Expands the original story in interesting ways

Cons

• Content may be too intense for some players
• Lack of weapons makes some sections tough
• Short story and not much replayability