The Outlast Trials by Red Barrels revolves around the events at Murkoff Corporation during the Cold War era. The game builds upon the established lore of the previous two Outlast titles while giving some backstory about the events that took place in the Mount Massive Asylum.
The Outlast Trials brings some new features to the franchise, including a multiplayer mode, new combat mechanics, new weapons, and a whole new way to play the game. Players take on the role of a human test subject trapped by the Murkoff Institute, which is once again experimenting with brainwashing technology.
The Outlast Trials story
Red Barrels Studio takes you back to the Cold War era when tensions were high between the United States and the Soviet Union. Murkoff Institute is brainwashing patients and you are one of them. The original Outlast game’s foundation is established during this post-WWII period, particularly with the MKUltra project conducted at Mount Massive Asylum.
The game features both multiplayer and single-player modes, giving a chance for players to try to escape alone or fight with fellow test subjects. Unlike the previous Outlast games, The Outlast Trials offers character customization and does not have a specific set of protagonists. The story takes place before the events of Outlast and Outlast 2, so players don’t need to have played the previous titles to understand the storyline.
The Outlast Trials lore
In The Outlast Trials, set during the Cold War era, the Murkoff Corporation lures desperate individuals with promises of purpose and a better life. However, once inside the Murkoff Facility, they become unwitting participants in brutal experiments designed to alter their minds and bodies. Through a series of trials, players are subjected to gruesome acts, brainwashing, and torture, all aimed at molding them into heartless individuals. The experiments involve hallucinogenic gas, hostile agents, and the installation of Rigs and Prescriptions to induce new abilities.
The next paragraph contains spoilers about the game’s ending.
The goal is to destroy the participants’ past selves and create something new. Failed subjects, such as Mother Gooseberry and Leland Coyle, serve as antagonists in the trials. The game’s ending reveals that the protagonist has been reborn through a birthing process, but the true intentions behind their transformation and the extent of Murkoff’s influence remain unclear. While the protagonist gains freedom from the Facility, the lingering effects of brainwashing and trauma raise questions about their true identity and the number of others who may be affected by Murkoff’s experiments.
New characters in The Outlast Trials
The Outlast Trials introduces new antagonists, including Mother Gooseberry and Officer Coyle.
Mother Gooseberry
Mother Gooseberry serves as the first boss encountered in the game. She was once a beloved children’s TV host, which is evident from her puppet arm she calls Doctor Flutterman. Due to the influence of Murkoff, she now has a burnt face covered with a mask made from human flesh.
The developers have hinted that her puppet symbolizes her father and the mistreatment she endured during her upbringing.
Officer Coyle
Players meet Officer Leland Coyle, who serves as the main boss during the first Outlast Trials in The Police Station map. Equipped with a shock baton, Officer Coyle patrols the station and carries out his own distorted form of justice by electrocuting the patients.
