Let me start this review off by mentionning I loved everything about the first game. The atmosphere was on point, the sound design was terrifying and the gameplay was passable. This is not the case for this sequel. I do not believe I have ever been so disappointed by a sequel.

Story:
The story is unbelievably confusing and devoid of interesting plot points. It's basically this: crashland, run to somewhere, run somewhere else, run some more, find side character in different state you left them in 7 hours ago, end of the game. The game lacks in any kind of character development apart from Knoth's (only gets basic character development in the last minutes of the game through a badly executed redemption arc). There are a ton of plot holes that could only be explained if you are a Outlast lore expert (and even then it is a reach in some cases). The game basically blames the radio towers for everyone and everything being so aggressive and evil through the game. I think the dumbest plot line is the one concerning Lynn and the psychosomatic pregnancy she goes through. Why even include it? The plot is already pointless if you have read "Miscarried Profits" in Outlast: Whistleblower. This is a reoccuring theme with Outlast 2's story; a lot of references are made to already known information and when they are trying to create "new" lore, it just ends up being terrible because it directly contradicts with the lore already established in Outlast 1 and Whistleblower. The including of the scenes in the school are very unnecessary and only serve to extend the Outlast universe's cast and bring you past the point you can no longer refund the game.

Gameplay:
The handling of your character in this game feels like it has improved since the last game (or is it just that you are constantly moving in large, open spaces unlike in the first game where almost every map is cramped and tightly packed). I have rarely seen such bland world design. Adding meat hooks and piles of dead bodies to fill up a space can be interesting, as long as it's not overdone (in this case, it is very much overdone). Here is a fun drinking game; drink every time you see a dead body or an unexplained pile of flesh and blood, you will go into ethylic coma within the first hour of the game. There are two things this game does better than its predecessor; chase scenes and the behaviour of roaming AI. Chase scenes in this game can be legendary (as long as you don't take a wrong turn, run out of batteries for your camcorder or simply get deleted from reality by an enemy teleporting in front of you and one-tapping you). The behaviour of roaming AI in this game is so much better than in the first one (but not for other larger "bosses", they are somehow more braindead than in the first game). One of the main problems with the character is the sheer size of his hitbox, it is massive and enemies will be able to get to you even though you are not within arms reach of them.

Other criticism:
If you are an easily offended person, defintely do not play Outlast 2, this game's story feels like it was written by a an edgy teenager going through a weird phase. The enemy's vision is 20/20 in all conditions regardless of blinding storms, thick darkness or sometimes even objects (pretty much wallhacks by moments). If you are a dark souls 3 player, this game will bring back memories everytime you get stunlocked (which is pretty much everytime an enemy gets within a meter of you). Even though the chases in this game can be fun, there are simply too many (moderation is always key in game design).

Conclusion:
Outlast 2 is a terrible sequel that you should stay away from if you are a fan of the Outlast franchise. The story is mediocre at best and will bore you an hour into the game. The game features bland level design and feels like a walking simulator for most of the playthrough. The dark setting of the game quickly becomes tedious because it is impossible to see a thing (in some cases even night vision becomes useless). The only improvements being made in the chase scenes (which get repetitive after the 5th one in 20 minutes of playing) and in the roaming AI's brain-damage. Some of the NPC models are slightly better than in the first one (not surprising for a game release 4 years later). This dosen't even feel like an outlast game. Definetly not worth the 30$ price tag (the 5$ price tag is more appropriate for a game this bland and tedious). The camcorder in this game is an absolute pain in the ass to use, it is always taking the focus away from the game to remember you that you haven't fed it it's 9 battery in the last 5 minutes and that you need to go back and look for more batteries.

Final score: 3/10