The Outlast Trials Review (PS5) | Push Square

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Converting a traditionally single player IP into one meant for multiplayer too is a process with just as many hits as there are misses, so developer Red Barrels will be delighted it's landed on the right side of history. With up to three friends along for the ride, The Outlast Trials is a slightly different ballgame to its offline counterparts, but it retains enough horror to appeal to those fans picked up through entries past.

An online-focused take on the Outlast series, the game can be played by yourself or with up to three other players, all of whom must work together to solve a series of trials put on by scientists treating you like lab rats. Prison quarters act as your hub, with your own cell to decorate and NPCs rewarding better equipment for your loadout in each scenario. Either going at it alone or having partied up with teammates, you'll choose a trial to complete with upgrades, XP, and currencies your rewards.

These scenarios play out like mini Outlast campaigns, with an overall objective to work towards and a labyrinth of rooms, corridors, and enemies standing in your way. This is where you feel the multiplayer spin-off confidently clutching to its roots: hiding from the patrolling monstrosities is a necessity, limited night vision adds a lot of tension, and objects sourced from the environment can make or break your run. You'll perform poorly at first, but as you get to grips with the locations and upgrades, higher ranks and better gear enter your periphery.

And, overall, it's a loop that works well. While only a few elements like item locations and locked doors are randomly generated — everything else is set in stone — the game has that sort of addictive quality where you want to jump straight back in for a higher score having acquired better gear. With friends also eager to enhance their characters, it's easy to see how a group could spend night after night yearning for that next improvement — whether it be a greater score in a trial or tools to