Project Lupara Is The Best Thing That Could’ve Happened To The Outlast Trials

As a co-op title, The Outlast Trials was practically begging for new content after its initial release. While the core gameplay was solid and immersive, it needed something to sustain its dedicated fanbase. Then, on July 16, 2024, Red Barrels brought its players a much-awaited update, Project Lupara, which promised several refinements over the base title, both in gameplay and general navigation.

The update opened up to massive success, boosting the peak player count on Steam by roughly +200% compared to prior months, along with the community praising the new content. And, as someone who initially doubted The Outlast Trials’ potential to grow beyond the niche, I must say that Project Lupara is a welcoming sight, showing that the developers continue to stick with their tried-and-true identity.

My Previous Gripes With The Trials Are Slowly Fading Away

Although I gave The Outlast Trials an admirable 4.5/5 in our official review, there were some setbacks with the game’s tenacious co-op-only approach, and one of these was the general horror aspect. Compared to Outlast 1 and 2, the Trials somewhat lacked that feeling of helplessness because the AI was so exploitable.

Outlast trials isn’t even scary.
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You could easily run away from the enemies or use one of your friends as a distraction while you complete the objectives. Fortunately, Project Lupara adds something unique to their newest big bad villain, Franco Barbi—ranged combat.

Franco carries a beefy shotgun that can reach a considerable distance, and believe me, this guy is not afraid to use it. Whenever he was around, I genuinely felt fear because I knew escaping him would be much more challenging than any other Prime Asset. That, along with a baby-like personality to instill Franco’s sense of instability, adds a new level of watchfulness that Red Barrels surprisingly pulled off.

Another complaint I had with the base game was how some trials had extremely vague objectives. Unless you were using a guide or with another experienced player, completing those trials felt more tedious than horrific. Thankfully, the newly added trials in Project Lupara focus on being lengthy rather than lackluster clarity, which is why I’m even more impressed that Franco Barbi maintains his menacing presence.

The Other Successes Of Project Lupara Shine Light On The Trials’ Potential

Moving on from addressing my personal grumbles, Project Lupara adds a ton of quality-of-life features and mechanics to the point where you might mistake this update for a complete DLC. Aside from the map and Prime Asset, we got more currencies, rigs, and my favorite—mini-games.

There’s also a brand-new game mode, Escalation Therapy, where you must survive through endless trials in an arcade-like manner, putting the “Outlast” name to good use. Escalation is perhaps the most valuable idea The Outlast Trials could have implemented, where you and your friends survive through several challenges and monsters uninterrupted.

Escalation Therapy is no joke
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Other additions, such as Quick Play and Difficulty options, have made the overall experience significantly smoother and more tailor-made. However, I believe that Project Lupara’s biggest achievement isn’t just the new content; rather, it demonstrates the dedication and level of innovation that Red Barrels is prepared to invest in this title.

It is indeed a milestone that the developers were able to put so much into a genre as archaic as horror, and yet, here we are. Project Lupara seems like a stepping stone toward a promising future for a risky yet progressive game. The update does everything you want from it—add new mechanics, improve upon the existing features, and generally give The Outlast Trials a fresh outlook.

Despite being a free update, Red Barrels channeled their heart and soul into Project Lupara, and I personally tend to stick around for The Trials a lot longer this time around just to support the team. Not only does ambition itself serve as a lesson for other game developers, but sheer creativity is also an inspiration for others who want to be inventive in the horror co-op genre.