Outlast Whistleblower deserves its place in the horror game Hall Of Fame. With its use of the night vision mechanic, thrilling chases and horrifying enemies, Outlast is a game that made your heart beat and your forehead sweat. It made its mark back on the gaming world back in 2013 and I still consider it to be one of the scariest games of the past 10 years.
With the upcoming news about the newest instalment The Outlast Trials, it’s the perfect time to talk about the original game’s DLC, Whistleblower. Simply put, I think it’s one of the most perfect video game DLC’s.
Outlast Whistleblower
For some context about the base game, you play as Miles Upshur, a journalist who’s investigating claims of abuse and unethical experiments going on at the Mount Massive Asylum after receiving a mysterious email.
In the DLC you’re introduced to the protagonist of this DLC, Waylon Park. You quickly learn that Waylon is the one who sent the email to Miles in the original game. Not only has this character started the events of this game but now it gives a lot more context to the events of the original which is a nice way of bringing things back in a neat, narrative way.
Not to disrespect Miles, but I far prefer playing as Waylon. While neither character speaks, they do have a note gathering mechanic where they write their thoughts about specific things they’ll see in-game. While Miles’ notes make you sympathise with him Waylon just has far more personality. Waylon’s are more realistic to how I think most people would react to seeing the number of horrors of this Asylum. His notes are darkly comedic and provide a nice break from being chased around.
Villains
On the other side of the coin, let’s talk about the villains of Outlast Whistleblower. It’s rare that in any game sequel or DLC that the enemies are as memorable or well regarded but the villains are an exception. While the game does have one or two chases featuring the fan favourites of Chris Walker and the Walrider it shines in the two new characters it created. First of you have everyone’s favourite cannibal Frank Manera.
The first time you see him he blows up another patient’s head in a microwave and eats his liver raw, so you know you’re in for a good time. He has the standard chase sequences, but they mix it up a little with a stealth portion of the game which made a nice change from simply running for life. This all culminates with the cannibal stuffing you in an incinerator which you have to quickly find a way out of. It’s nice that you do have some mini chases with him along the way until you run into, what is in my opinion, the game’s best character.
I genuinely don’t believe there will ever be another video game antagonist like that of Eddie Gluskin AKA The Groom. The creep factor was turned up to eleven for this guy, he parades around like a complete gentleman from the 1950s with the temperament of a modern nice guy. Add in a sprinkle of horrific male specific mutilation and you have one hell of a villain. The only indication you have that he’s near is a song he sings in a beautifully haunting voice and when he does start the chase, he switches between calling you his darling and a whole range of dramatic ironies.
Horrifying Injuries
What specifically makes one of his later chases more horrifying is that Waylon suffers an injury to his ankle so not only are you running for your life, but you are also now slowed down a considerable amount which makes for one of the tensest chases in the DLC. His encounters are horrifically satisfying. Great moments and chases like this just help kept the Outlast Whistleblower DLC steamrolling and keep it at a nice pace.
Between the way it varies the enemies, so you’re not stuck being chased by the same guy for too long. It also nicely sprinkles in a mixture of old and new parts of the asylum so even then you may know one part of the building you’ll always be travelling into the unknown and that’s a terrifying prospect.
One thing I think that really makes this DLC special is the way that it entwines the event of the base game. The DLC takes place at the exact same time that the base game does so you’ll see events happening in the different parts of the asylum which I feel really helps strengthen the connection between the two.
The Ending
One final thing to note is the ending and why it improves on the game’s original ending. I think it brings a real sense of closure with it. The ending of the original is a downer. That’s because we believe that Miles dies without achieving his goal of exposing the evil corporation. Now, though, it ends very poetically as Waylon finishes what they both started. Indeed, he releases the documents and finally, truly becomes a whistle-blower. It’s like the Shawshank Redemption when you go through a river of shit to come out clean on the other side.
Summary
Overall, Outlast Whistleblower does what every good DLC item should do. It expands upon the characters of the world. Furthermore, it adds new content so that it stands alone but it’s distinct enough from the original that it isn’t a duplicate. Since it’s a couple years old now, the price is considerably lower for both the base game and the DLC. Therefore, I recommend all horror fans play this game. Or at least attempt to.
What are your thoughts on Outlast Whistleblower? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
