Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 300 sampled Steam reviews (254 positive / 46 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing27% mention it
- Visuals & art10% mention it
- World & exploration9% mention it
- Music & audio5% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing50% mention it
- Visuals & art20% mention it
- World & exploration17% mention it
- Music & audio11% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
74%
66 reviews
5-15h
86%
189 reviews
15-40h
94%
35 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 75 | 6 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 70 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 91% | 85 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 71 | 87 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 88% | 82 | 160 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 300 reviews sampled · 456 total reviews in window · weighted 176.4 up / 23.3 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (46)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 60
“Outlast 2 might have had a better shot if it released years ago and hadn’t followed Outlast. As it stands, it’s a lower quality photocopy of itself, with any attempts at improvement acting more as defacement of an element that needed no correction.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The horror in this game is reaching new levels of gore, and audio component is great, but unfortunately game fails at capitalising on some good, but unfinished story parts.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“A faltering sequel that borrows even more liberally from well-worn horror tropes than its predecessor, Outlast 2 ends up a middling entry despite its high production values and some shining moments of found footage fright.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Outlast 2 is a sequel that delivers. It's prettier, scarier, longer and more interesting. If you want a true revolution and tons of new features - you'll be disappointed. If you don't like ambiguous stories - you'll be disappointed. But if you crave a perfectly crafted evolution of a really good survival horror, you're in the right place.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The fact that it's not as breathtaking as its predecessor shouldn't really stop horror fans from picking up this creepy run-and-hide simulator.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“Outlast 2 has a sinister, foreboding ambience and offers more tension and horrifying moments than its predecessor. There is still some trial and error involved, aggravated by unpredictable enemy A.I. at times and insufficient enemy awareness feedback to the player, but overall this is a game I can wholeheartedly recommend to horror fans.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Without redefining the foundations of the original, Outlast 2 weaves an intriguing tale- paced expertly through environments that breed a sense of tension and paranoia only the best in the genre can muster.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Think of it as a ride through a really amazing haunted house: you don't have a ton of control and sometimes the ride breaks down for a moment or two, but it's basically guaranteed to leave you scared out of your mind.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Outlast 2 is relentless in its assault on your senses with palpable feelings of tension, danger, and anxiety. You’re always on the run, constantly at risk, and lost in the Arizona wilderness, surrounded by menacing nightmares. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Outlast 2 may have proven to be controversial, but it's also proven to be a genuinely unnerving survival horror game. [Issue#262, p.60]”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Some gameplay improvements and a slight shift in style have turned Outlast 2 into one of the most terrifying games ever made.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Stealth and pursuit haven’t changed much in Outlast 2, but it excels as a beautiful, brutal journey through extreme spiritual anxieties.”
read full review ↗
The Jimquisition
PLAY Zine
GRYOnline.pl
PC Invasion
ZTGD
GameSpot
Easy Allies
We Got This Covered
PC Gamer…and 34 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- New patch: Story ModeMar 27, 2018
- New patch: Story ModeMar 27, 2018
- New patch just released!May 5, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- New patch just released!May 5, 2017significant · resets scoring window