Parents' Guide to

Outlast II

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Extreme horror game has gore, torture, birth of Antichrist.

Outlast II Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 21 parent reviews

age 18+

Not for children at all.

This game shows some of the most disgusting scenes in game history. Whatever don’t let your kids play it.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
age 13+

Right for teens of maturity

I am a mother of 4, so it’s no shocker when one of my kids asks for a game with violence, language, and sexual content. I was VERY skeptical at this game, but when my son told me he could get it for free I decided to give it a chance, and if it was a no afterwards he could delete it with no money lost. It was very brutal but for a 13 year old boy, is just cool. I still was on the edge, but I guess it wasn’t as bad as most things today in movies, tv and other things. The language was bad but there’s no major dialogue in the 2nd so it’s basically not noticeable with subtitles off, aside from a few minor occasions. The “sexual content” had to deal with rape and a child being born and even as a woman myself it wasn’t very offensive as disturbing, it did have me on the edge but my children know that it’s wrong and I don’t want to take one if there sources of fun for no reason, now, one thing is how badly it displays Christianity, which is not too offensive but a little demonic, but how insane it is, it’s easy to see past and realize how fake it is. After a few minutes I went away and watched some videos on it, and I don’t think ANYONE under 13 should play it but if your child(ren) are mature then it shouldn’t be a problem. Now do I think it’s bad? In some ways, yes. Do I think common sense is fair on this review, yes, mostly. Do I still think mature teens can handle it, yes. So parents out there, despite what other reviews say, this is a great shock horror game and it’s made how one should be made, scary and fun. Give your child a chance (if they are mature enough, of course) but know what’s in it before you do, and after all, it’s just a horror game, and that’s all you should take it for. Have a great one, parents! LSS: Outlast 2 is a good game with shock horror, and although it has gruesome details and moments it is right for teens of maturity.
1 person found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (21):
Kids say (21):

Trial-and-error play resulting in a sense of powerlessness and frustration keeps this survival game from reaching its full potential. Outlast II works hard to create a sense of terror and impending doom by limiting your vision through the inky blackness of its night landscapes and by stubbornly refusing to let Blake fight back against his aggressors, even when potential weapons lay all around him. And while its deeply distorted Christian themes aren't likely to have a very profound impact on nonreligious players, those with strong Christian backgrounds will almost certainly feel their skin begin to crawl while listening to the chilling, abominable monologues of the cult's followers and reading their deranged notes and letters. This is all in service of creating a sense of tension and unease in players, and it works pretty well -- except when it gets sabotaged by the way the game handles encounters.

Not being able to fully see the world certainly makes exploration harder (and often scarier), but it also denies a fair chance of avoiding a grisly end. Most encounters are pure trial and error, with players forced to feel their way around a dangerous environment crowded with enemies while looking for a way to progress or escape -- and typically dying multiple times in the process because they can't properly see (or sometimes hear) enemies or defend themselves once they're spotted. With each grisly death, the action becomes less intense and more frustrating; it ends up as less immersive and more an exercise in figuring out where the designers intend for the player to go. Forced mechanics -- such as disposable batteries needed to power your camera's night vision that last less time than it takes to read this review (yes, it's that kind of game) – serve to increase our aggravation rather than heighten our fear. Outlast II is undeniably shocking and gory and blasphemous and at times terrifying, but it ends up cheating its way to most of these objectives. Gamers enjoy a good challenge but also possess a keen awareness of what's fair. And they won't find much fairness in Outlast II.

Game Details

  • Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
  • Pricing structure: Paid
  • Available online?: Available online
  • Publisher: Red Barrels
  • Release date: April 25, 2017
  • Genre: Survival Horror
  • ESRB rating: M for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Nudity, Strong Language
  • Last updated: May 1, 2017

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