Outlast

Outlast is a pure-blooded horror experience in which the player, as a journalist, infiltrates a remote psychiatric asylum on an anonymous tip and very quickly learns something terrible happened inside. There's no weapon, no help, and the only advantage is a camera with night vision, without which the dark corridors would be completely invisible. The game is thus built on one simple equation: find a way forward, gather batteries, and run when someone spots you before you spot them.

Gameplay rests on running, vaulting over obstacles, squeezing through windows and hiding in closets or under beds. The camera also doubles as a recorder, turning the filming of key scenes into a ritual that forces the player to stay put a few seconds longer than they'd like. Batteries are scarce, so night vision has to be rationed and a lot of the fumbling happens in the dark, keeping the game in a state of constant discomfort. Progression is linear and rather short, yet dense, and the Xbox One version handles chases in tight spaces smoothly, where the picture judders and blurs.

The atmosphere is carried above all by sound. The player's own breathing, distant footsteps, door thuds and buzzing electricity work better than most of what's visible on screen, and the music comes in more as a warning signal than an accompaniment. The game reaches for cheap jump scares more often than necessary, but at its best it can create genuine panic. Contemporary reception was very favorable, and Outlast helped kick off a wave of weapon-free horror games that also grew popular thanks to videos of players reacting to jump scares. Today it feels raw and concise, which is more a strength than a flaw. The game can be finished in one long evening, and that suits it well, since the tension has no time to grow stale or dilute. The follow-up expansion offers a standalone story in a different setting that many players find even more unsettling than the original asylum. On Xbox One it remains one of the most effective horror games you can start up without lengthy preparation.