Outlast 2 expanded the structure of some of its levels, giving you more places to run, hide and explore. Because of this, and a few other reasons, Outlast 2 is a lot more difficult than the first Outlast, which was restricted mostly to corridors in the claustrophobic asylum.
So, before you go charging into the cornfields of Outlast 2, take some time with these helpful tips that should keep you from having to reload your save too many times.
1. Follow the Light
“Open areas are confusing!” “Outlast 2 has poor signposting!” “I don’t know where to go and I keep dying!!!!” These are all cries from people who haven’t figured it out yet. Even in the open areas, Outlast 2 does a good job of indirectly showing you where you should go. At one point, I got to a village with a well in the center. I was chased under a house and emerged to find a whole group of angry villagers eager to kill me. This was a scripted event, and all I had to do was figure out where to go.
Of course, I failed to notice that Red Barrels chose to literally illuminate the correct path. As soon as I left the house, a flickering light shined above a door to which I was supposed to go. After that moment, I looked for any paths or buildings that were inexplicably lit up, and it turned out to be a fail-safe process for any chase sequence.
Running away from dudes in a cornfield? Run to the light. How about creepy guys in an underground cave lake? Run to the lights. Remember this tip, and you will never get lost in Outlast 2.
2. Explore
I know it’s hard. On many occasions I thought about exploring a cabin real quick, just to see if there was a battery, bandage or document, but then I also thought “I ain’t exploring sh** while people are trying to kill me.”
But you’ll regret this decision more often than not, especially if you’re playing on a harder difficulty where batteries aren’t as plentiful. Not only that, certain attacks in Outlast 2 can make you bleed, which means you’ll need a bandage or else you’ll bleed to death. In these moments, you’ll thank yourself for taking that deep breath, saying that Hail Mary and looking in that cabin.
3. Listen for Musical Cues
I’ve made no secret of my adoration for Outlast 2‘s score, composed by Samuel LaFlamme. In an interview with GameRevolution, LaFlamme described his score as a “subconscious narrator,” that tells the player how to feel. More than that, it can actually tell the player what to do, or strongly suggesting it at least.
Of course, this works on a basic level: scarier music means danger, mildly ominous music means you’re probably fine, but you can also go ever further and pick up on specific musical cues for different enemies. Each of the main enemies will have their own theme, so you might know when they are around even before they show their face.
More than that, you might be being chased without even knowing it unless you really pay attention to what sort of music plays in those sequences versus other sequences. I’d hate to have you stabbed in the back without even knowing it.
4. Record Everything
This may not exactly be a survival tip. In fact, you may die while recording something important. But for the survival of your peace of mind, this is incredibly important. At least two separate times I missed a crucial recording because I didn’t have my camera up in time and those haunt me just as much as the evil lurking around Outlast 2.
The key is that not everything you need to record is a stationary object or scenery that will stick around forever. Some scenes you need to record are timed. So, it’s really best to just always have your camera pointing and shooting. Trust me, when you miss that first recording, you’ll be surrendering yourself over to Papa Knoth before you can say Ezekiel.
5. Manage Your Battery Usage
Even with all of this in mind, it’s really easy to burn through batteries. If you’re petrified, or waiting for the right opportunity in a dark room, all the while you’re peeking with your night vision and using your directional microphone, you can use two or three batteries before you make any progress. This same thing goes for the Catholic School segments, where most of it is dark.
All it takes to mitigate this is to be a bit more mindful of your usage. Do you have night vision on where there is a decent light source nearby? Did you forget to turn off your directional mic after you crawled out of that barrel? All of these things matter.
Take it from me, during my playthrough on Hard, I found myself stumbling around in the dark with no batteries trying to remember how the level was laid out. It’s not fun. Don’t be like me.
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