‘Look Outside’ Blends Survival Horror and Turn-Based RPG to Perfection — And Is the Best $10 You’ll Ever Spend (Review)

Devolver Digital, thank you for publishing and representing Look Outside. I need to say that first before anything else. Francis Coulombe is a twisted individual for putting out something like Look Outside. Which has catapulted way up my “Best Horror Games Of All Time” list — no hyperbole. If this review ends up being a little on the shorter side, trust me, it’s not because I lack talking points for this beautiful bastard of a game. Rather, part of the appeal is not knowing what the hell is going on.

So, here’s where I’ll start: with some inside baseball. Usually, when a games journalist reviews a game, you get sent a handy Review Guide. Not always, but mostly. It typically offers reviewers loose tips so that they progress smoothly through the experience. Before I even hit Look Outside‘s main menu, I should’ve known something was up when the Review Guide was so minimalistic. “Makes sense,” I thought, “horror games tend to lose their steam if too much is spoiled.”

But, one sentence in that guide truly does reflect the main theme of Look Outside: “This is a survival horror game about curiosity.” And, boy, was it a horrible time for my naturally inquisitive self to be as curious as I’ve ever been about a video game.

Francis Coulombe is the best pixel artist in the business

Y’all. When I tell you I’ve never been as unnerved on a moment-to-moment basis in any horror game as I’ve been with Look Outside, please believe me. It’s no wonder Devolver Digital jumped on the opportunity to publish this game — look at that above screenshot. Now, you tell me: what the hell is that thing? Coincidentally, that’s a question I’d ask myself time and again as I sprinted away from some truly abominable creatures. But, let’s back up for a second. “What is Look Outside about anyway?”

Well, here’s as spoiler-free of a synopsis as I’m willing to offer. In Look Outside, an “unprecedented event” has completely changed the world as we know it. Whatever “it” is, humans can’t “perceive” it without being… changed. Hence: Look Outside. Because you, “Sam” — or as I named him, “Beepis” — were lucky enough to have your curtains drawn when the event happened. I know, I know. “You think this is one of the first horror games to do some Eldritch/Lovecraftian stuff like that?”

It’s all in the execution. Plus, you’re more than allowed to look outside! How bad could it possibly– –the first thing I did was acquaint myself with Beepis’ apartment. You have many options, actually! You can shower, brush your teeth, whip up a TV dinner in your oven. All of which is important to varying degrees. Hell, even playing video games to pass the time ends up being more significant than you would think! You have to let that curiosity run wild, though.

…what was i talking about? oh, right, horror games and visuals!

The most primal, universal fear shared among most people is a fear of the unknown. When it comes to horror games, a lot of that “unknown” is dampened by hyper-realistic graphics. “I know what that is — it’s a spooky witch lady that wants to eat me.” You see every horrific detail, and somehow, that ruins the scare factor a bit. Coulombe, I suspect, knows this perfectly well. And he makes Look Outside the scariest goddamn game in existence because of it.

You see, pixel art already has an otherworldly and “unnatural” quality. When you combine that “unreality” with a truly talented pixel artist in Coulombe? The mundane suddenly becomes fantastical. Even when you encounter a creature in the game, you still aren’t entirely sure what you’re looking at. Extra limbs, eyes where they shouldn’t be, pulsating wounds. You know, normal stuff like that.

Additionally, I wasn’t prepared for Look Outside to be one of the most mechanically rich horror games ever. You have your turn-based RPG staples, of course. Status effects, a nice variety of weapons of differing types, the whole nine. But, the game’s greatness lies in the fact that often, you’ll just stumble upon some new shit out of nowhere. And you’re left to figure out what this new mechanic is and how you can use it to its fullest effect.

your curiosity is your greatest friend and worst enemy

…Is it just me, or is this review a little disjointed? Oh, right! The survival horror bits and bobs. So, you have the option of two difficulties: Easy and Normal. On Easy, resources are apparently plentiful! You can save whenever you want, and life’s a breeze. Being a turn-based RPG master and lover of horror games, I chose Normal. And, man, let me tell you. Look Outside isn’t playing around when it says, “You better learn to shore up your resources. If not, you’re in for a bad time.”

Am I doing a good job of burying the lede and not telling you anything? Good. Because that’s what Devolver Digital did to me with that Review Guide. You have 15 days to survive. And, no, you can’t just play video games in your apartment the entire time. In fact, sometimes, people will knock on your door! And they can be friend or foe! You can also have multiple “party members,” but you know how many I had? Zero. Because Look Outside made me a paranoid, distrustful sociopath who learned that everybody in this world sucks the hard way.

I threw forks at eyeballs. My pool cue broke at a critical point, leaving me to run when I had a monstrosity on the ropes. And the first floor. God, the first floor. An ever-changing nightmare realm. …What? I… huh. There are also mysteries and secrets around every corner. You can do side quests and learn more about your apartment’s… “inhabitants.” Look Outside is one of those horror games that is full of awful, horrible surprises.

horror comes. horror goes. horror arrives.

I looked outside. How could I not? You’re not a reviewer if you don’t, you know? Look Outside is a game that breaks and rebuilds curious minds. But, if you decide to go on this journey? Listen to me: throw away everything you know about turn-based games. I thought my tricks would work. However, you have to embrace it if you want to succeed — to survive until it passes.

Look Outside knows. The more you know, the less you understand. You can’t. Not until it decides you’re worthy. And trust me, we aren’t worthy. Not yet. Not until all of you see what I saw. Then, you’ll thank me. You’ll hate me. Every mystery you uncover is more gruesome than the last. The more you suffer, the more you heal. Trust me, friends. Just Look Outside…

Verdict: Highly Recommended

Look Outside is available now for $9.99 on Steam. A copy was provided by the publisher for the sake of review. Reviewed on PC.