What’s the single scariest moment in videogame history? The dogs jumping through the windows in the original Resident Evil – that’s the most common choice. Horror connoisseurs might also point to the Mr. Tibbits screamer in Condemned Criminal Origins, or the hospital rooftop in 2001’s Silent Hill 2. Personally, I still lose sleep over the Working Joes in Alien Isolation, when you’re running away and they grab your ankle. But The Outlast Trials gets under my skin. Any time the lights go out and those surgically implanted night-vision goggles come on, well, it’s time to panic. One of the most beloved horror games on Steam, The Outlast Trials Season 3 update makes Red Barrels’ co-op spin off even bigger – and it’s also available at a cut price.
It’s 1959 and a secretive government organization is conducting a series of psychological and physiological tests (the eponymous trials) on a small group of unfortunate volunteers. Exactly why is initially unclear, but if you played Red Barrels’ horror game debut or its 2017 sequel, the core of The Outlast Trials will be familiar. Something awful and unstoppable is chasing you. The doors are locked. The power is out. You’re essentially defenseless. Run, hide, stay alive, and try to find an escape route. The twist, of course, is that you can now play with three other people.
Arriving in 1.0 back in March 2024, new maps, enemies, and story elements have steadily arrived for The Outlast Trials during the past 12 months. The Outlast Trials Season 3, however, which lands today, Tuesday April 22, feels like a red-letter moment – thanks to the new Trial Maker mode, you can now design your own challenges and inflict them upon the unwitting player base.
There’s also a new enemy, The Jaeger. Slow-moving but ruthless, she targets a single player and will hunt them relentlessly until they are dead. A fresh trial, set in a twisted facsimile of a picturesque suburb, is also now available, and there’s a spin on The Outlast Trials’ leveling system. Now, if you reach level 99, you can choose to revert back to level 1. In exchange, you’re granted a permanent upgrade, as well as various other abilities and buffs.
The Outlast Trials Season 3 update is completely free. Also, if you haven’t played the survival game yet, to mark the latest overhauls, The Outlast Trials itself is now 60% off, so you can get it for $15.99 / £13.40. If that isn’t enough to convince you, it’s worth noting that of the more than 50,000 Steam user reviews posted for The Outlast Trials so far, a giant 93% are positive. If you want to give it a try, go here.
Otherwise, you might want to try some of the best zombie games, or maybe the best multiplayer games available right now.
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