The Outlast Trials is a first-person psychological horror survival video game developed and published by Red Barrels. As the Murkoff Corporation has captured you to test new brainwashing methods, you must undergo serious ethical ordeals to survive in this terrific place. Alone or with your friends, overcome the therapy and get out of here. The question remains, will you still be the same if you survive?

Plot

Your adventures are set in the era of the Cold War when the Murkoff Corporation involuntarily recruits poor or vulnerable people to conduct and test illegal advanced methods of brainwashing and mind control. In this world full of violence and distrust, your morals will be challenged, your sanity crushed, and your endurance tested. Yes, you may survive, but at what cost?

The protocol is simple but insanely efficient. First, Break the Self; forcing the person to purge anything held taboo or sacred. Second, Build the Self; as the old ideology has been banned, the formed vacuum is the perfect receptacle for the new doctrine. Finally, Reach Salvation; the subject stops identifying with the old personality and now feels like reaching the only possible and believable truth.

Gameplay

Cooperate: You and your team of up to 4 survivors must undergo trials and MK challenges to complete Murkoff's therapy and earn the right to be released back into society. You will face many monsters and crazy creatures and will have to avoid all the numerous traps set throughout this hellish journey.
Trust is everything: You will have the pleasure of discovering the complete madness the therapy is based on. But, you should know that sometimes you will encounter doppelgangers of your teammates who will try to slash you if you get too close. And another exciting mechanic is the poisonous gas that may make you see mysterious mirages or imagined enemies who can harm you if you're drained of your sanity. Hence, it results in interesting situations where you will question who you can trust.

Levels: Each map offers its own atmosphere and shady twisted objectives you must complete with your partners for your untimely death. Among others, you will have to transform an orphanage into a malevolent religious establishment by replacing secular items with unholy ones. Oh, and they all feature variations named MK-Challenges, and you may even find a hidden trial (but we don't want to spoil it).
Weapons and items: You have no weapon (pretty tough, isn't it?) but only have to rely on your abilities to stealth in the dark, hide anywhere, or use objects like bricks to stun or temporarily distract enemies. Communication and synchronization are keys.

Upgrades: As you earn more XP, you can permanently unlock many valuable active and passive abilities to increase your skills and probability of succeeding. Among active abilities, you can unlock the one to stun enemies with a thrown bomb or see enemies and items through walls with X-ray vision. Among passive abilities, you can slide when sprinting into a crouch or automatically escape from weaker enemies that manage to catch you.
Customization: You will unlock cosmetics to customize your character and decorate the prison cell you're living in between trials. Even though it won't alter your chances of success, it adds more fun to the whole experience.

Graphics and sound

The Outlast Trials uses the Unreal Engine 4 game engine, and the game clearly offers very detailed and atmospheric environments throughout the levels. The artistic direction is bloody and gory, offering a scary and disturbing experience. In addition, the soundtrack and all the audio effect makes every bit of this universe frightening and keep you on your toes.

Duration and game modes

The Outlast Trials features single-player and multiplayer game modes where up to four players can play together. The overall experience lasts a minimum of 15-30 hours depending on if you play solo or with friends (playing with your friends is highly recommended as it truly spices the experience, and specific gameplay mechanics have been tailored for that scenario).