8.5 hrs in on launch day

THE GOOD: Graphics are lovely, game is totally playable solo, but a lot more enjoyable co-op. Took me around 47 mins to beat the first trial solo and maybe 15-20 with other players. Hosting/joining random lobbies is very easy and quick, I never waited more than 15 seconds to find a group of 3 other players to play with. The game incorporates a lot of cool puzzles for co-op play that makes sticking together rewarding. Everyone I played with was super friendly and constantly saving each other, dropping each other items when needed, distracting enemies, and reviving one another. There's a really good 'ping' system to alert other players of enemies and item pickups. Speaking of which, you can now pick up certain objects in your inventory of 4 slots, including healing items, lockpicks, throwable weapons, etc. You still can't kill any baddies in true Outlast fashion, but you can delay them long enough to escape. There's also a new 'backpack' system you bring into the trials with a refreshable consumable, some of them have distraction devices but I think everyone will stick to the healing one as a brick would do about the same as the others. Still lots of graphic violence and weiners everywhere, so I don't think anything got censored. There's a new store feature where you can buy things with the currency you receive from completing trials. I really like being able to change the cosmetics of your character, and the room customization is cool too, but I don't think anyone will ever have a reason to go to your room. After playing almost 9 hours I feel like I barely scratched the surface for what's on offer here so I'd say you're safe dropping the full $30.

THE BAD: Long load times occasionally, got stuck in multiple infinite loading loops and had ALT+TAB out a few times to restart the game. Got booted out of like 2 games due to connection issues which can really suck as some of the Trials can take a LONG time. Lost many good men in some of the Trials I was in and it wasn't to Outlast goons. There's a quick communication's tab where you can say phrases like 'hello' 'danger' 'follow me' etc., but I think a cool store feature would be adding more lines you can swap out as the current options are pretty limiting. I'd love to be able to say things like 'GG (GT?), I'll distract them, run!' etc. I completed numerous Trials tonight but the only one that's marked as checked off is the first, not sure if that's a bug. The performance was pretty iffy on my end, but my PC is starting to show it's age (1070ti, i5) so that's to be expected. Some areas run buttery smooth but others are incredibly choppy, making some deaths feel cheap. There's a new sanity bar that fills up really quickly and when it hits its peak there is an invulnerable ghost that constantly spawns near you and drains your HP really quick...not too sure how I feel about that yet. No Steam achievements? Hopefully added in a patch soon.

Overall I'd give it a 7-8 in the state it's in on launch. Really good for a PC launch in 2023 and has a lot of potential. With the grading system and stuff to buy with earnable currency I can definitely see this being more replayable than the previous titles. With some server fixes and patches I could see this being a 9-10/10.

*edit at about 50 hours*

So I've pretty much unlocked everything there is to unlock during early access, and I've had a lot of fun doing it. The gameplay loop is really solid and enjoyable enough to repeat, but I think there are some things that could bring this game from early access to masterpiece. A truly offline mode should be incorporated eventually, if it stays purely online then when the servers go down this game will be gone. I really wish there were a 2x multiplier for rewards or something similar for completing trials solo, it would incentivize players to try it a lot more. A steam workshop addition would add infinite replayability to this game. I hope more contraband and prescription upgrades becomes available in the future. Steam achievements are a necessity. Speedrun challenges for levels could add a whole new layer how levels are played. When you hit around lvl 30-40 currently you run out of new stuff to unlock, so some good ideas for new unlockables would be emotes, voice lines, shoes, songs for your room radio, etc. I'm still having a blast with the game but starting to hit a content wall at about 50 hours. Might take a break soon until the next big update. Great work Red Barrels!

8.5 hrs in on launch day THE GOOD: Graphics are lovely, game is totally playable solo, but a lot more enjoyable co-op. Took me around 47 mins to beat the first trial solo and maybe 15-20 with other players. Hosting/joining random lobbies is very easy and quick, I never waited more than 15 seconds to find a group of 3 other players to play with. The game incorporates a lot of cool puzzles for co-op play that makes sticking together rewarding. Everyone I played with was super friendly and constantly saving each other, dropping each other items when needed, distracting enemies, and reviving one another. There's a really good 'ping' system to alert other players of enemies and item pickups. Speaking of which, you can now pick up certain objects in your inventory of 4 slots, including healing items, lockpicks, throwable weapons, etc. You still can't kill any baddies in true Outlast fashion, but you can delay them long enough to escape. There's also a new 'backpack' system you bring into the trials with a refreshable consumable, some of them have distraction devices but I think everyone will stick to the healing one as a brick would do about the same as the others. Still lots of graphic violence and weiners everywhere, so I don't think anything got censored. There's a new store feature where you can buy things with the currency you receive from completing trials. I really like being able to change the cosmetics of your character, and the room customization is cool too, but I don't think anyone will ever have a reason to go to your room. After playing almost 9 hours I feel like I barely scratched the surface for what's on offer here so I'd say you're safe dropping the full $30. THE BAD: Long load times occasionally, got stuck in multiple infinite loading loops and had ALT+TAB out a few times to restart the game. Got booted out of like 2 games due to connection issues which can really suck as some of the Trials can take a LONG time. Lost many good men in some of the Trials I was in and it wasn't to Outlast goons. There's a quick communication's tab where you can say phrases like 'hello' 'danger' 'follow me' etc., but I think a cool store feature would be adding more lines you can swap out as the current options are pretty limiting. I'd love to be able to say things like 'GG (GT?), I'll distract them, run!' etc. I completed numerous Trials tonight but the only one that's marked as checked off is the first, not sure if that's a bug. The performance was pretty iffy on my end, but my PC is starting to show it's age (1070ti, i5) so that's to be expected. Some areas run buttery smooth but others are incredibly choppy, making some deaths feel cheap. There's a new sanity bar that fills up really quickly and when it hits its peak there is an invulnerable ghost that constantly spawns near you and drains your HP really quick...not too sure how I feel about that yet. No Steam achievements? Hopefully added in a patch soon. Overall I'd give it a 7-8 in the state it's in on launch. Really good for a PC launch in 2023 and has a lot of potential. With the grading system and stuff to buy with earnable currency I can definitely see this being more replayable than the previous titles. With some server fixes and patches I could see this being a 9-10/10. *edit at about 50 hours* So I've pretty much unlocked everything there is to unlock during early access, and I've had a lot of fun doing it. The gameplay loop is really solid and enjoyable enough to repeat, but I think there are some things that could bring this game from early access to masterpiece. A truly offline mode should be incorporated eventually, if it stays purely online then when the servers go down this game will be gone. I really wish there were a 2x multiplier for rewards or something similar for completing trials solo, it would incentivize players to try it a lot more. A steam workshop addition would add infinite replayability to this game. I hope more contraband and prescription upgrades becomes available in the future. Steam achievements are a necessity. Speedrun challenges for levels could add a whole new layer how levels are played. When you hit around lvl 30-40 currently you run out of new stuff to unlock, so some good ideas for new unlockables would be emotes, voice lines, shoes, songs for your room radio, etc. I'm still having a blast with the game but starting to hit a content wall at about 50 hours. Might take a break soon until the next big update. Great work Red Barrels!