How Outlast 2 Makes Players Feel Powerless

gamerant.com:

The Outlast series has terrified fans since the first game released in 2013. Developed by Red Barrels, the games can be instantly recognized by their green aesthetic and liberal use of darkness. The first game was successful and led to a sequel, Outlast 2, in 2017. Red Barrels has no intentions to end the series yet, with plans to release Outlast 3 at an undetermined date, as well as The Outlast Trials in 2022 that will serve as a prequel to Outlast 2.

Part of what made Outlast 2 good at inducing terror is its ability to make gamers feel powerless. While many titles give players the most powerful weapons imaginable and let them go crazy, Outlast 2 strips players down to the bare essentials before setting them up against all kinds of horrors. The result is an experience that makes players suffer from sweaty palms.

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Outlast 2 tells the story of Blake Langermann, a journalist who travels to Arizona with his wife, Lynn, to investigate the murder of a pregnant woman. Things take a turn when their helicopter crashes, causing Lynn and Blake to be separated. As he searches for his wife, Blake soon finds himself in a creepy forest inhabited by unfriendly folks.

The feeling of powerlessness begins when players realize how lost they are. They find themselves in a forest with no map, and that feeling of disorientation can be frightening. The enveloping darkness makes things worse, and all they have to aid them is a camcorder that grants temporary night vision. The camcorder is powered using whatever batteries players can find lying around. However, batteries drain rapidly, meaning that oppressive darkness is always around the corner, and there is not much that players can do