My review on about online in Outlast

[Yuri]

As a fan of the Outlast series, I went into The Outlast Trials hoping for an intense, cooperative horror experience. What I got was a buggy, unbalanced, and painfully frustrating online mess.

First off, the core horror vibe that made the original games so gripping? It’s diluted. When you’re running around with three other players, cracking jokes or screaming over each other in voice chat, all the suspense just evaporates. And if you're playing with randoms, good luck—half the time they’re trolling or rage quitting halfway through a trial.

But the biggest letdown? The online system itself.

Matchmaking is a nightmare. You wait forever, only to get dropped mid-game or stuck in a lobby that never starts. The servers are shaky at best, with frequent disconnects, lag spikes, and rubberbanding that can completely ruin tense moments.

Progression is inconsistent, especially if the game crashes (which it does, often). I’ve lost XP, cosmetics, and mission progress more times than I can count. Playing with friends doesn’t always help either—desync issues and lobby bugs are so common it's almost comical. Almost.

And don’t get me started on the forced co-op mechanics. Some puzzles and tasks require multiple players, which is fine in theory—until someone goes AFK or quits. Suddenly you’re stuck, unable to progress, or forced to restart. Why isn’t there a better fallback system?

The devs clearly had an interesting concept here—Outlast in a Saw-meets-Black-Mirror reality show setting could’ve been amazing. But the online execution kills the entire vibe. If you're looking for a smooth, reliable multiplayer horror game, this ain't it.

Verdict: Skip it unless they overhaul the online system. This game feels more like a beta than a finished product.

[kawaii bats]

What puzzles/tasks require multiple players? I have always gotten out of a trial on my own if everyone else leaves

Agree the matchmaking / grouping system needs work. It's not reliable enough, though in my region (NA EAST) I can generally get a game in under 10 minutes during the day consistently. It's split across difficulties and you can't select the group leader, plus it only searches for like a couple minutes -- it needs changes

My game also does not crash ever

[Evan]

Bro used chatgpt lol

[Evan]

Disappointing Step Back for the Series
As a huge fan of the first two Outlast games, I was really excited for The Outlast Trials, but after sinking several hours into it, I’m honestly disappointed. The concept of multiplayer horror sounded amazing, but the execution just isn’t there. The atmosphere tries to capture the same tension and dread as the originals, but it feels watered down when you're running around with other players. It’s hard to stay scared when your teammates are goofing off or running in circles.

The trial system gets old fast. It’s basically the same formula: sneak around, avoid enemies, complete objectives, repeat. After a while, it feels more tedious than terrifying. The AI is also super inconsistent. Sometimes enemies completely ignore you when you’re right in front of them, and other times they somehow sense you through walls. It takes away any feeling of real danger and makes it more frustrating than scary.

Multiplayer has potential, but it’s really hit or miss. If you’re playing with friends who communicate well, it’s not bad, but if you’re stuck with randoms who don’t know what they’re doing, it quickly becomes a mess. There are also some technical issues—lag, bugs, and random disconnects that break the immersion.

I really wanted to love this game, but it feels like a step backward. It’s not unplayable, but it lacks the intensity and tight storytelling that made the first two games so great. If you’re a die-hard fan, maybe give it a shot, but if you’re looking for that same terrifying experience, you might end up disappointed like I was.

[kdals_guy]

everytime i played this game there like no player playing, even if there a player, its very hard to play cuz its rare too i found player. and the most common issue is when im matchmaking, im wait forever and there no one grouped with me. what is wrong with this game? are this game is acctually low played?

[Sierra]

"And don’t get me started on the forced co-op mechanics. Some puzzles and tasks require multiple players, which is fine in theory—until someone goes AFK or quits. Suddenly you’re stuck, unable to progress, or forced to restart. Why isn’t there a better fallback system?"

^This in particular makes no sense. Every single trial in the game is soloable.