Upon first starting Look Outside, I was sceptical on how it would deliver its horror chills through such limited visuals. Comprised of pixel graphics, giving it a retro SNES or early PlayStation feel, the developers only have so much to work with, and I found myself asking, how this game would manage to creep me out? The answer happened to be, quite easily.
Due to the design, using an isometric view and old school viewpoint, much of this game’s horrors are delivered through a genius use of sound, but also the crunchy aesthetics of pixel graphics, that provide pieces of an image, broken into fractured squares, filled in by an overactive imagination. There are also plenty of grotesque moments waiting in the darkness, often sprung upon the unsuspecting player.
In fact, a good example of this grotesque happens in the opening minute of the game, and while I don’t want to spoil exactly how this plays out, but I will say there’s a wonderful death scene where our protagonist has his eyes literally sucked out of his head, in gory spatters and body horror that would stir the loins of David Cronenberg.
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Look Outside could be underestimated by describing as a Lovecraftian nightmare, but that’s the easiest inspiration to tug at. Players control the protagonist who lives in an apartment building where anyone who looks outside, into the world beyond the walls, is taken over, or warped, into some disgusting monster. It seems that some spectral creature, or Godlike entity, has come to Earth and is twisting humanity in its image.
Some residents in the building are still whole and will task you with small errands, or piecing together the mystery. Your next-door neighbour, simply represented by an eye peering through the cracks in the apartment walls, acts as a save point for progress, while also pondering on the goings-on in the empty, blood trailed corridors beyond the safety of home. There are vendors who have set up shop, selling weapons, and food, and you’ll meet some who are happy to fight alongside you.
I couldn’t help but think of the film [REC] while playing. This film, though fuelled by zombies rather than intergalactic body horror, also plays out in an apartment building where residents are simply trying to survive. There’s mystery in how this all happened, shunted up alongside the outlandish gore and monstrosities lurking.
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Survival is a big part of Look Outside, as, when you awake in the opening moments, you find out there are only two weeks to live - ticking along as in-game days - before ‘something’ happens and things go from bad to horrific. Surviving here isn’t simply about navigating the turn-based battle system where you utilise household objects as weapons, and equip yourself with any form of armour you can scavenge. Players have to feed this little guy, ensure he showers, keeps up his morale by playing video games or watching TV, even brushing his teeth.
These actions all play into the nuts and bolts of the RPG mechanics - taking care of our hero gives him a larger health pool, or more stamina for special attacks; while crafting in your little apartment adds to the weapons and health items needed in desperate moments. It’s all rather familiar, playing off of mechanics we’ve seen in several other games, but here, stripping away the chaff and leaving the best bits. Perhaps my favourite mechanic here, is the earning of XP, which is done the usual ways, but also is rewarded in bonuses for how long you explore while the fear metre rises. The longer you can stand the horror, the more XP you get when you close the door to your apartment.
I got into a lovely little routine with digital me, trying to survive the long nights. Get up, have a shower, brush my teeth, grab some breakfast using scrounged ingredients, then tool up for a day of exploring, talking to a bunch of people clearly going insane after looking into the sky, and battling walking nightmares. I could bang on about the turn-based battles, but it’s exactly what you’d expect. I’ll note that some difficulty spikes weren’t particularly fun, and the save system felt a little restrictive at points, but there’s nothing offensive in the nuts and bolts.
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What Look Outside does, better than anything, is tension and delivering a constant sense of unease. Unless you’re offended by the bodies of humans being twisted and contorted, there’s nothing outrightly scary here, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t horrific or incredibly unsettling. At one point, I met a neighbour who looked outside while holding their infant child. Whatever the evil presence is here, then combined them into a hobbling creature, arms covered in small baby teeth, eyes sprouting from limbs and their torso.
Eyes are a big part of the horror here, with many creatures being covered in them, evoking a want to look away, but ultimately keeping your own eyes locked onto each monstrosity. And everything happens in dingy, darkened hallways, or empty apartments, adding to that sense that something is stood a little behind you at all times, just over your shoulder.
This is only heightened by tremendous sound design that grates and pulsates, echoing screams and groans, banging hands on locked doors as whatever is outside seeps in and takes them over. And the fear I had, that the pixel graphics wouldn’t carry any horror, is quickly obliterated when every character, good or bad, is shadowed in lingering pools of darkness, letting you constantly wonder, ‘are they hiding a monstrous deformity, or a simple weapon?’
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Having been released with no build-up, Look Outside is unlikely to feature in conversations alongside gaming horror greats like Silent Hill 2 or Resident Evil, but it deserves to be. Sure, some of the retro designs feel obtuse, or archaic at points, but that doesn’t take away from horrific moments that will stay with me when I’ve switched the game off, and crawled into bed.
Pros: Impeccable pixel art, terrific sound design, genuine unease, creepy throughout
Cons: Slightly frustrating save system, difficulty spikes
For fans of: Silent Hill 2, Resident Evil, Outlast
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8/10: Excellent
Look Outside is available now for PC (tested on Steam Deck). A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.
Topics: Indie Games, Devolver Digital, PC, Steam, Reviews