Outlast is primarily a stealth game

Outlast developer Red Barrels has provided some context for the mysterious first-person horror effort, which holds as its main goal "to scare the s**t out of players".

"The core experience is basically a stealth game, but instead of it turning into a shoot out when you get spotted by the enemy, it turns into a chase" studio co-founder Phillipe Morin told Eurogamer.

The game is linear but designed around a series of puzzle hubs, Morin explained.

"You're going to have to explore and figure out what you need to do and in what order you need to do it, and while you're doing that there's going to be enemies doing their own stuff. They mostly become obstacles between you and your objective," he said.

Obstacles that move, too; Red Barrel doesn't want to randomise the game but also doesn't want the player to know exactly when and where they will encounter foes.

"If you do die and respawn, things will not happen the same way," Morin said.

Adding to the tension is a lack of weapons, which Red Barrel is still toying with the idea of including - but not as a regular occurrence.

"If players feel empowered then the stress - the fear - is not as high. Our main goal is to scare the s**t out of players," Morin added.

Instead, flight will be the main mechanic for coping with enemies. Red Barrel's creators - which includes staff from Uncharted developer Naughty Dog and former members of Ubisoft's Prince of Persia team - wanted the player to feel embedded in the world, rather than a floating camera, which is why movement is a little more acrobatic than is usual for a first-person game, Morin explained.

Outlast is expected in the third quarter of 2013, with PC confirmed and other platforms a possibility. Check out the extended Halloween trailer.