History YMMV / OutlastII

* FranchiseOriginalSin: As noted under ItsTheSameNowItSucks, the game's lack of offensive options shifts fully into IdiotBall territory. The first game and [=DLC=] justified the lack of combat by having genetically-enhanced {{Mooks}} with SuperStrength and NighInvulnerability [[spoiler: and a final boss who was essentially impervious to any kind of physical attack]]. With the exception of Marta, the enemies here are physically human, and very unhealthy too, so it makes no sense for Blake not to scrounge up some kind of weapon. (Fortunately, unlike Miles, Blake at least has the ability to shove enemies out of his way to escape instead of

* ViewerGenderConfusion: Val, the leader of the Heretics. She has a very obvious female body, but is referred to as a man by Knoth and stated to be incapable of becoming pregnant, suggesting Val is either UsefulNotes/{{transgender}}, or an infertile/sterile woman and Knoth is mocking her and insinuating she's not a "true" woman.

** Are the new mechanics more realistic than automatic healing and infinite stamina, making the game more challenging and immersive, or are they unnecessary headaches to make the game even more frustrating than it already is? In addition, unlike the first installment, the game forces you to film a scene for a set amount of time before it can be added to to the archives (allowing Blake time to narrate it) and documents are much harder to read and no longer pause the game when reviewing them.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: As noted under ItsTheSameNowItSucks, the game's lack of offensive options shifts fully into IdiotBall territory. The first game and [=DLC=] justified the lack of combat by having genetically-enhanced {{Mooks}} with SuperStrength and NighInvulnerability [[spoiler: and a final boss who was essentially impervious to any kind of physical attack]]. With the exception of Marta, the enemies here are physically human, and very unhealthy too, so it makes no sense for Blake not to scrounge up some kind of weapon.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: ** [[https://youtu.be/wLLH1MRi3ZY?si=JZr8i2kzKDzVy7-Y Marta's Theme]] is considered one of the best tracks of the game.

* BrokenBase: In a similar vein to the first game, the sequel divided fans due to its [[DownerEnding depressing outcome]]. Some people have defended it by saying it stays true to the formula and fits the tone of the game, while others have stated that it just makes everything you've done feel pointless.

* SequelDifficultySpike: You no longer regenerate health on your own. Instead, you have to [[HealThyself collect and use bandages]] (which take a while to use) to restore your health. It's also a lot harder to find places to hide, as the place has wider space and enemies can use their flashlights to search for you in the dark. The newly added SprintMeter doesn't help either. Expect to die a lot more while trying to figure out how to progress.

** Ethan is also quite popular too, but virtue of being the only non-playable character so far in the ''Outlast'' universe to be a genuine NiceGuy.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: There's some evidence to believe that Blake is a sexually suppressed gay man. He has had a 4-month long SexlessMarriage with Lynn and Jessica's crush on him didn't develop into their later years on the account of her death, their age, as well as the fact that he loved her as a friend. [[spoiler:Blake is constantly haunted by a hallucination of Father Loutermilch calling him a "diseased cocksucker" and telling him he's "not evil, just confused". The main vision of Blake is that he's sexually dysfunctional due to his warped and fearful view of sex brought upon by his experience with Jessica and Father Loutermilch. However, it's not hard to believe that Blake suppressed his sexuality due to his Catholic upbringing and his true sexuality started emerging in his adulthood.]]

* ContestedSequel: While positively received, the sequel still garnered mixed reactions from fans of the first game. For the most part, players praised the more open-ended outdoor settings as opposed to the enclosed asylum setting, the physiological drama approach that allowed Blake's character to be fleshed out, and the overall gloomier atmosphere that increases the sense of anxiety. Others, however, criticized the sequel's increased difficulty, lack of changes to the core gameplay, and ramping up the already depressing tone of the original.

* ContestedSequel: While positively received, the sequel still garnered mixed reactions from fans of the first game. For the most part, players praised the more open-ended outdoor settings as opposed to the enclosed asylum setting, the phycological drama approach that allowed Blake's character to be fleshed out, and the overall gloomier atmosphere that increases the sense of anxiety. Others, however, criticized the sequel's increased difficulty, lack of changes to the core gameplay, and ramping up the already depressing tone of the original.

** The school segments. Despite the more enclosed setting, TrialAndErrorGameplay are ''really'' in effect since there is no set objective beyond trying to figure out how to leave. Thus, you're just kinda just stuck exploring the school until you can get a clue on how to proceed. On top of that, the school is mostly in complete darkness, meaning that you'll be going through a ''lot'' of batteries each time. [[FromBadToWorse Then there's the eventual appearance of the Stalker]], an enemy who not only tends to pop up when you least expect it, but can only be evaded by running away from it.

* AcceptableTargets: The Red Barrels team REALLY don't have a very positive opinion of 'devoted' Catholic priests. Seems to be a running theme for these games. Then again, only one (presumably) Catholic priest is encountered in the game, [[spoiler:and that particular priest happens to be a child-raping murderer; considering the real-life child abuse scandals in the Catholic church]], it could be argued that they don't have any particular beef with Catholic priests as a whole.

%% * ContestedSequel: While most consider Outlast II to be a very effective horror game, whether it's a worthy successor to the first game and its DLC tends to be divisive.

* ClicheStorm: The game uses basically every horror trope there is, with varying degrees of {{humanoid abomination}}s (ranging from BodyHorror monsters to AmbiguouslyHuman), tons of {{jump scare}}s, {{cat scare}}s, no way to defend yourself, a MaybeMagicMaybeMundane situation, an ambiguous DownerEnding, having [[ClosedCircle no way to contact the outside world or escape]], implausibly strong killers, [[GreaterScopeVillain an evil influence]], a main character with a DarkSecret, and a ridiculous amount of almost over-the-top {{Gorn}} (such as the piles of dead babies for a start), far more than even the first game. Although these were all traits present to some degree in the first game, it's taken UpToEleven in this one.

* ContestedSequel: While most consider Outlast II to be a very effective horror game, whether it's a worthy successor to the first game and its DLC tends to be divisive.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: One of the game's major problems, from the tacky, excessive use of [[spoiler:rape in many forms, to and from men and women]], to the murder of innocent children. All the gratuitous gore and violence quickly starts to feel tiresome instead of scary. This reaches its logical conclusion in the ending, with little about the situation being explained, [[spoiler: the protagonist once again either dead or in a serious pickle, and Loutermilch apparently getting away with his crimes]]. In the original game, this was counterbalanced with ''Whistleblower'', but since no such DLC exists here, many find the main game's ending pointlessly miserable.

* ViewerGenderConfusion: Val, the leader of the Heretics. She has a very obvious female body, but is referred to as a man by Knoth and stated to be incapable of becoming pregnant, suggesting Val is either {{transgender}}, or an infertile/sterile woman and Knoth is mocking her and insinuating she's not a "true" woman.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: A good chunk of players felt that the Jessica and Loutermilch subplot had a lot of potential that wasn't utilized enough. Not only do the flashbacks not wind up leading to a plot that intersects with the main game at any point but neither Jessica or Loutermilch have much background that gets explored much outside the flashbacks, making them entirely incidental.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: The Jessica and Loutermilch flashbacks do not wind up leading to a plot that intersects with the main game at any point, making both characters entirely incidental.

* ContestedSequel: Just looking at the the massive influx of different review scores should tell opinions on the game are all over the place, and the fandom is similarly split on the quality of the game.

* BrokenBase: In a similar vein to the first game, Outlast 2 divided fans due to its [[DownerEnding depressing outcome]]. Some people have defended it by saying it stays true to the formula and fits the tone of the game, while others have stated that it just makes everything you’ve done feel pointless.

** The school segments. Despite the more enclosed setting, TrialAndErrorGameplay are ''really'' in effect here since there is no set objective beyond trying to figure out how to leave. Thus, you're just kinda just stuck exploring the school until you can get a clue on how to proceed. On top of that, the school is mostly in complete darkness, meaning that you'll be going through a ''lot'' of batteries each time. [[FromBadToWorse Then there's sudden appearance of a the Stalker]], an enemy who not only tends to pop up at random but can only be evaded by running away from it.

** The school segments. These are the sections where TrialAndErrorGameplay are ''really'' in effect, despite the most enclosed setting. There is no set objective beyond trying to figure out how to leave, so you're just kinda stuck exploring the school until you can get a clue on what to do. Combine that with the school being mostly in complete darkness, meaning that you'll be going through a ''lot'' of batteries each time, and the sudden appearance of a HumanoidAbomination who seems to pop up completely randomly, and you got one tough subplot.

* AcceptableTargets: The Red Barrels team REALLY don't have a very positive opinion of 'devoted' Catholic priests. Seems to be a running theme for these games.
** As only one presumably Catholic priest is encountered in the game, [[spoiler:and that particular priest happens to be a child-raping murderer; considering the real-life child abuse scandals in the Catholic church]], it could be argued that they don't have any particular beef with Catholic priests as a whole.

* BrokenBase: In a similar vein to the first game, Outlast 2 divided fans due to its [[DarknessInducedAudienceApathy depressing outcome]]. Some people have defended it by saying it stays true to the formula and fits the tone of the game, while others have stated that it just makes everything you’ve done feel pointless.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Blake Langermann, the protagonist of the game, has gotten some of this, with many feeling that he has lower characterization than the silent protagonist of the first game and therefore makes him less engaging, others feel that it’s what makes him work, as you are meant to feel like you’re in the same hell that he’s in.
* CaptainObviousReveal: The fate of Jessica Gray. To wit, in his hallucinations, Blake is repeatedly sent back in time to his old Catholic school the night Jessica died. He is subjected to so many images of Jessica hanging that you'd swear the game developers just learned what a RedHerring is. Stalking the darkened school is a mysterious suited man, likely a teacher, who eventually appears as a [[FullFrontalAssault nude]] HumanoidAbomination with [[MultiarmedAndDangerous a dozen arms]] and an OverlyLongTongue, who attacks Blake in extremely invasive and lascivious ways. [[SarcasmMode Hmm... What could it all mean?]]

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Despite only appearing sporadically through the game, Marta has become surprisingly popular with the fandom, mostly for her character design, HiddenDepths, and appearing to be one of the few main antagonists who ''isn't'' a serial rapist.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: As noted under ItsTheSameNowItSucks, the game's lack of offensive options shifts fully into IdiotBall territory. The first game and DLC justified the lack of combat by having genetically-enhanced {{Mooks}} with SuperStrength and NighInvulnerability [[spoiler: and a final boss who was essentially impervious to any kind of physical attack]]. With the exception of Marta, the enemies in ''Outlast 2'' are physically human, and very unhealthy too, so it makes no sense for Blake not to scrounge up some kind of weapon.

** Beating the game on Insane difficulty, where you're a OneHitPointWonder and there are [[CheckpointStarvation no checkpoints whatsoever]]. While the first game had the exact same difficulty, the sequel is more challenging due to its longer length[[note]]the first game could be completed in less than three hours. The sequel, on the other hand, is ''double'' that[[/note]], increased TrialAndErrorGameplay, and several bugs that cause enemies to get stuck in areas that are ''required'' to explore.
** "Messiah" requires the player to never reload the battery for your camcorder at any point. Considering the aforementioned increased length and that 90% of the game is in pitch black darkness, good luck getting ''that'' achievement.

** The forest segment. There's hard-to-see [[GoddamnedBats Scalled]] crawling along the ground ready to creep up on Blake and grab his ankles, then Laird the crack shot (despite it being both foggy and ''nighttime'') shows up. The only saving grace is that his arrows aren't a OneHitKill.
** The school segments are with fraught bad level design and TrialAndErrorGameplay.