DreadOut, an Indonesian-inspired survival horror game with a premise inspired by Project Zero, initially saw a limited PC release. A sequel with broader console support followed, but the original remained inaccessible to many. DreadOut: Remastered Collection aims to rectify this by bringing the original game to consoles. The initial PC version is infamous for its technical snafus and rough presentation. Expectations for the “remastered” console release were high, with hopes for significant improvements in gameplay and polish to elevate the game to a deserved cult classic status. However, this release has been revealed to be neither a true remaster nor a comprehensive collection of anything.
DreadOut seems like it could be great with its intriguing initial premise. The opening sequence, serving as both a tutorial and a nightmarish premonition, establishes the core mechanics and sets a dreary mood. This prologue highlights the game’s reliance on environmental puzzle solving, often lacking clear guidance and relying heavily on the player’s ability to deduce hidden paths using Linda’s smartphone, which is admittedly unreliable due to some shoddy game design. Early on, there is a puzzle requiring a significant leap in logic that stands out. A sequence involving candles presents a perplexing and seemingly illogical design choice, necessitating an online walkthrough to make sense of it. This is only the tutorial, and it gets worse deeper in the game. 
The combat system, though rudimentary, presents a more manageable challenge compared to its sequel, DreadOut 2. The generous bounding box for the viewfinder makes snapping shots easier, but still challenging enough to keep the scenarios tense. It lacks the depth and strategic complexity found in titles like Project Zero‘s photography, but thankfully Linda will not need to be swinging any lead pipes at shambling monsters.
The core mechanic of taking photographs to exorcise ghosts presents a novel challenge, often integrated into environmental puzzles. For instance, players may need to align their camera to capture a specific image within the environment, revealing hidden objects or pathways. Combat encounters are mercifully limited in scope. Linda will rarely encounter more than one threat at a time. Exorcisms emphasise very slow and plodding evasion mixed with strategic use of her camera. She can only take a few hits before being shunted to limbo where she must trudge a few metres to refight the offending spirit with restored health.
Winning some encounters requires a little luck due to inconsistent inputs and extended cooldowns on Linda’s camera. Her susceptibility to stun-locking and lengthy recovery periods significantly hinder combat effectiveness and enjoyment. In many cases, if Linda is knocked down, her recovery animation gets interrupted by an aggressive phantom, sending her back down to the dirt until she dies. The camera system contributes to player disorientation and frustration with its overly twitchy behaviour, often resulting in inaccurate targeting.
DreadOut is quite an ugly-looking game, but it aligns with the unique blend of Indonesian-inspired horror and unexpected comedic elements. Linda is designed to be pretty attractive, and the unsettling creature designs effectively contribute to the atmosphere. For a low budget game from Indonesia from ten years ago, it is not without its charm. The ugliness of the visuals and environment enhance the grimy and horrible ambiance of a run down, derelict Indonesian school. Cutscenes are especially amusing and are quaint with a sincerity to them where it is unclear if the comedy is intentional or not.
Like it does on PC, DreadOut still suffers from significant technical issues, including persistent bugs that can permanently lock players out of progression and dooming Linda to eternal torment in an infinitely looping room. Some glitches demand restarting entire acts, leading to hours of lost progress because of the autosave system retaining glitches after booting up and reloading. Given the game’s deliberately languid pace and large environments, restarts are extremely frustrating and time consuming.
While DreadOut: Remastered Collection has “collection” in its title, it, in fact, does not include DreadOut 2. It should have been titled “DreadOut Complete”, because it consists of DreadOut and its existing DLC, Keepers of the Dark. The expansion focuses heavily on combat, a feature that was not fully refined in the base game. Keepers of the Dark primarily features boss fights with minimal exploration. While some bosses incorporate puzzle elements, the combat itself is flawed on a foundational level. The environments utilise assets from the main game, and the bosses may represent unused content from the original development.
