The pinnacle of the unreal engine. Might want to wear a diaper
This game is amazing. Easily the best and most detailed use of the unreal engine i have ever seen. First off i was blown away by gorgeous the graphics looked, they look real. Easily the best looking horror game out there by a longshot. The devil is in the details, and thats what this game does extremely well DETAILS. Every object in this game uses only the highest quality of textures, the grains in the wood, the cement on the wall, the padding in the solitary cells. You can see every stitch in the fabric and every splinter in the wood grain railings, chairs, doors. You can almost feel the cold touch of the concrete when your player puts his hand up to it to peek around the corner (sorry for the poetry). Not only the high quality textures but the gentle swaying of the window curtains, and the little dust particles that float through the air just make this game the most immersive experience i have ever, well.. experienced.The graphics are what MAKES this game. There could be not a single enemy in this game and i would have still given it a 10/10 scariest game of the year. I was also surprised how smooth and evenly paced the framerate was. With everything set to maximum my framerate was 60fps and would not even drop out in the open courtyard which was loaded with trees, fountains, lit backgrounds, multiple fences. These guys REALLY know what they are doing when it comes to optimization. I was also blown away when i looked at my video card usage and the temperature was almost as low as it is when i am not gaming. The game was only using up 22% of my video card core. Man if these guys could play a role in optimizing all PC games.. We would have some smooth ass games.
I highly recommend using a controller for this game because it compliments the smooth/fluid movement. Honestly, i think this game was meant to be played with a controller. If you tried it you would understand what i mean. You use the left/right triggers seamlessly to peak around corners, and if you press it down lightly you only peak a little bit. Also the vibration of the controller is a MUST have. It adds soo much to the immersion/suspense. You can tell they put a ton of work into controller support. they have incorporated vibration better than any game i've ever seen.. OH AND HERE IS THE COOLEST THING THAT YOU JUST CAN NOT EXPERIENCE WITHOUT USING A CONTROLLER! I was in a room looking for stuff and it was dead silent, i did not hear anything but i felt a very microscopic vibration in my controller like once every half second.. i was like wait wtf? than right away i I WAS LIKE OMFG ITS FOOTSTEPS!!! Soo freaking cool! Trust me i am huge mouse/kb fan but controller takes the cake for outlast. Also the smoother motion of a joystick compliments this games smooth performance. Plus the controls are awesome and will never hinder your control over your player. This is a major bonus for me because nothing pulls you out of in-game immersion like struggling to find out which key does what.
Oh yeah also the in game camera also deserves its own segment. Hands down BEST depth of field effect i have ever seen implemented into a game. When you have the camera everything in the foreground is clear and everything in the distance is blurry, this calls for the scariest effects ever. For example when you are hiding under a bed and you see the bed posts with their high definition textures super crisp and in focus while the background (with the killer walking past) is blurry and scary as HELL. It really looks like a home recording. Its fkn scary. Nothing is scarier than seeing blurry blackness, and zooming in with your cameras night vision mode just to see a FACE come into picture in the pitch darkness. Man this is such a great freakin game.
This game is AWESOME. The sounds, the physical movement of your character, the video effects of the camcorder, the way your player opens/closes doors, the way the character sprints. It doesn't even feel like you are playing a game, it feels like you are really a human being in this haunted ass place. You can even look down and see how detailed your own character is dressed, its just a very good addition to the overall immersion. When you hold sprint you dont just magically go faster, your player slowly builds up speed while making realistic sound effects the entire way. The camera also has motion depending on how fast you run which makes it feel real as well. But my favorite part is how much detail they put into opening/closing doors, you can either quickly press x and forward to swing open a door, or you can hold x and slowwwwly push forward to creep open the door and peek in. It's just so perfect for the type of game.
But the sounds are fantastic, when you get scared SH**LESS your player makes authentic panic sounds and you actually feel like you are there. Its hard to describe but all i can say is these guys did an EXCELLENT job of character authenticity which makes for such an immersive experience.
This game will make you SH** your pants, i have never screamed in my life but today i have.. And i can't say im not embarrassed about it. I could go into detail about the ways in which they scare you but i don't want to ruin it. JUST GET THIS GAME.
Outlast really gives amnesia a run for its money