It’s no secret that Outlast, the debut game from indie developer Red Barrels, is a truly terrifying experience. It’s an endurance test that manages to push even hardcore fans of the genre, such as myself, to the limit. It’s intense, unapologetically gory, and mechanically simple enough to be easy to pick up and play. Its upcoming expansion, Outlast: Whistleblower serves as a prequel to the events in the main game, and it looks to provide much of what fans loves about Outlast.

We recently had the chance to chat with Red Barrels co-founders David Chateauneuf and Philippe Morin about the game. Without further adieu, let’s dive in.

Interview by T. Blake Braddy, @blakebraddy

BD: How is the narrative focus different for Whistleblower? Will having a different protagonist change the way the game is framed at all?

In Whistleblower, your goal will be to make your way out of there like the first Outlast. But, in addition, we really wanted the player to feel like they are dealing with something bigger and that their actions are crucial to spread the info outside of that asylum. Will he succeed?

We had to take into account that players would already know a lot about the asylum and what’s going on, so it made sense for us to choose a character who’s also an insider. Who knows roughly as much as the player. That’s why we’ve decided to start when the shit hit the fan, so players can see a different side of the story they already know.

BD: Since the expansion is ostensibly a prequel, will Mount Massive look different? Will players be exploring new parts of the asylum?

Some parts will be different in the sense that they will be more populated. But players will spend most of their time in new sections. We could actually give a real map in 3D of the whole asylum. Everything is connected for real and makes sense. We think it’s important to create a feeling of realism.

BD: What changes, if any, can players expect with regard to gameplay? Is anything being added, or tweaked?

We’ve decided to focus on how we structure encounters with patients and for each of these sections we’ve asked ourselves “what can we do differently, so it feels fresh and non-repetitive?”. We hope we’ve succeeded in messing around with players’ expectations.

BD: Can you tease any new enemy types, or is that being kept under wraps?

I guess we can tell that you will encounter a crazy cannibal. You can see him on different pictures that we shared and in our new trailer. But, there is something that we really don’t want to spoil and it is waiting for you inside the asylum. I can only tell you this: “Love is in the air.”

BD: How long will the DLC experience be?

The experience is a little shorter than the base game.

The site announces that this would explicitly show “the final chapter” of the Mount Massive story. Does Whistleblower represent the last of the Outlast franchise, or just the story of Mount Massive?

So far, it is the last of the story of Mount Massive. Right now the team wants to experiment other avenues and other settings. But you know, anything can happen in the future.

Outlast: Whistleblower releases on May 6 in America (PC & PS4) and May 7 in Europe (PS4) for $8.99.