When comparing Outlast vs Costume Quest, the Slant community recommends Costume Quest for most people. In the question“What are the best PC games to play on Halloween?” Costume Quest is ranked 7th while Outlast is ranked 10th. The most important reason people chose Costume Quest is:
Combat is what you would expect for a normal turn-based RPG, but there is a cool timing based mechanic that allows a quick time action, that can help boost attacks. This gives a bit of a twist to the combat, making it a bit more enjoyable than your bog standard RPG as the player is given more choice as to how they want to execute more powerful moves.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Really scary
Outlast combines its tense atmosphere, creepy setting, stellar sound design, and a cast of horrifying inpatients to deliver a truly nightmarish experience. The developers even replaced the usual flashlight found in horror games with a camcorder, which has this really creepy nightvision mode.
Pro Unpredictable inpatients make exploration more tense
Outlast proves that people can be much scarier than ghosts. As you explore the dark hallways of the insane asylum, you’ll encounter many inpatients. Some of them good, some of them bad, but all of them crazy. So it’s sometimes really hard to tell which one will attack you. While some of them make it very obvious by holding knives or looking especially atrocious, sometimes they will attack unexpectedly. This uncertainty will creep inside your head, making exploration a lot more tense.
Pro Your character is really agile
Unlike most horror games where your character is clumsy and slow, in Outlast your character can actually move really well. Not only is your character fast enough to be able to outrun most enemies in the game, he also knows how to parkour. You can jump, grab ledges and climb them, and even slide over a table during a chase. This makes it a really refreshing horror experience.
Pro Great turn-based combat
Combat is what you would expect for a normal turn-based RPG, but there is a cool timing based mechanic that allows a quick time action, that can help boost attacks. This gives a bit of a twist to the combat, making it a bit more enjoyable than your bog standard RPG as the player is given more choice as to how they want to execute more powerful moves.
Pro Good amount of content
The game is pretty linear, but there are three areas you get to explore (a suburban neighborhood, a grim mall, and the dark countryside) that each have hidden secrets and items to collect. This should take a good bit of time for those that enjoy completing a game 100 percent.
Pro Good save system
The included DLC has a newer save system (over consoles) that works better, which is applied to the whole of the game. This way there should be no issue with game saves, which is great for an RPG (as no one want to repeat content due to lost saves).
Pro PC version includes DLC from consoles
For what was an extra $5 DLC for consoles is included with the normal price of the game on PCs.
Cons
Con A little too reliant on jump scares
In some parts of exploring the insane asylum there are too many jump scares one after another. After a while it loses its scare factor and instead becomes somewhat annoying. This feels like a missed opportunity to build on the dark and gritty atmosphere of the insane asylum.
Con No substance, unrealized potential and utterly disappointing
Once you get past the jump scares, gore and shock value you might find that there's very little to keep you invested and going back for more. Boredom may sink in nearing the end, with a sense of longing for the game to just be over. However, the night vision mechanic was fresh and unique at the time and introduced a sense of suspense, which other developers have lent from Outlast since. If you're a fan of traditional western horror games you will not disappointed, but if you're looking for something more to your horror games besides learning paths and jump scares, you might want to steer clear of Outlast.
Con Cliche story
The typical horror story protagonist goes to investigate a location that simply oozes danger. As if the abandoned SWAT trucks, locked doors, and boarded up windows were not telling enough, the protagonist realizes his terrible mistake right when there's no way back already.
Con May be too child centric
While this game is great for kids, adults may find it too easy or cartoony.