Outlast PS4 1

Republished on Monday, 31st October 2016: We're bringing this article back from the archives to celebrate Hallowe'en today. The original text follows.

Originally published on Thursday, 30th October 2014: Are you looking for a scary, thrilling, and extremely gory game to play this Hallowe'en? Do you want to scream, cry, and laugh in the face of fear? Outlast on the PlayStation 4 can offer you all of these things and more, all from the comfort of one very chilling, dark, and gloomy asylum.

This game tosses you into a mental health hospital equipped with only a camera, so your plan of action tends to revolve around running as fast as you can. This sense of helplessness makes the build up to jump scares even more tense, and results in most situations feeling more dangerous. What's more, the camera that you're equipped with – which has night vision functionality – will quickly run out of batteries, meaning that you'll have to have a fresh stock of juice sticks if you don't want to be plunged into the darkness.

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There are some real memorable moments in this game, but some of which will stick with me forever. For example, there's one part early on where I needed to sneak past a guy in a wheelchair, and I was literally on tenterhooks as I slipped by his side, waiting for him to jump and grab me. I managed to get past him unscathed, so, after searching a room beyond him for batteries, I walked past more casually upon my return. Sadly, this time he launched from his chair straight at my face, and boy did I scream!

Outlast PS4 1

This is also a very gruesome game, and at one particular point, it almost made me sick. There's this bit where I found myself strapped into a chair, and was taken to a torture chamber by a very evil looking doctor. He pulled out a long pair of scissors... And, well, let's just say that I ended up with a few less fingers to operate my camera as a consequence. I've got to say, this scene actually prevented me from getting sleep for a few days. I'm a wimp, what can I say?

These moments alone are just two reasons why you should play Outlast this Hallowe'en, but the whole game is great from start-to-finish, and it will leave you with some memories that just can't be washed away. The best news is that the developer has just announced a sequel, so I can't wait to get scared all over again. I may be a glutton for punishment, but the sleepless nights will be worth it for more of this great series.

Did the free PlayStation Plus version of Outlast tempt you to try out this title? Count your fingers in the comments section below.