"Outlast Trials" was released 1.0 in 2024, a year before the game was released in Early Access, slowly releasing small updates and patches for players to enjoy and critique. However, after a few months of minor changes, a major update with new adversaries, maps, trials, etc.

Initially, the multiplayer horror game launched with three locations: the police station, the fun park, and the orphanage, but after it was fully launched, a toy factory map was also added. My favorite map is still the Police Station, but that is largely due to how scary and fun it is to move around the map pushing payloads while running away from giant enemies while distracting them with a sledgehammer. The latest update, however, also adds a dock, home to a new antagonist, Franco "II Bambino" Balbi.

Here, you will be faced with new MK challenges and trials. Poison the Medicine, in which you and your teammates try to outwit Franco by solving various puzzles; the very simple Mansion Escape; Fuel the Release, in which you collect fuel cylinders for a generator to power the courtroom; and finally, the precinct s training film, "Teach the Police Officer," which simply replaces Markov's reel.

But if this seems daunting, alas, another surprise awaits: he has a shotgun. He has a shotgun. He will be the first enemy capable of dealing long-range damage, since the others are close-range melee attackers.

While not impossible to complete The Outlast Trials, the challenge is certainly not easy, and when working in teams of four, I spent countless hours trying to get my teammates out of difficult situations. I've guided enemies to achieve their objectives, and I've used myself as a human flesh shield to protect my teammates. But even with some pretty decent teamwork, I never coasted through an ordeal or challenge. Then again, the update introduced four difficulty settings, so there is a little more leeway in the severity of the challenges.

There is also a new rogue light game mode for players to enjoy. Known as Escalation Therapy, this mode will feature an endless series of random trials until all players die. Also, since players will start empty-handed, upgrades and perks will have to be found while completing puzzles.

This is a really cool feature for "Outlast Trials. Not only because it allows old trials to be utilized in a new way, but also because repeating trials, even for new MK challenges (where the objectives change only slightly), can get a bit tedious. I am a big fan of Rogue Lite, so the idea of testing myself against changing odds sounds like a lot of fun. There will also be some sort of prize at the end of each run, and the longer you survive, the better the prize.

All of the additions in this update seem like great ideas, and despite the absolute terror I face every time I play "Outlast Trials," I'm really looking forward to jumping in and trying them out.