Look Outside Review

Detailed Review: Look Outside (PC)

Premise and Setting

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“Look Outside” presents a uniquely disturbing premise: a cosmic phenomenon appears in the sky, and anyone who looks at it transforms into horrific monsters—some retaining consciousness, others losing their minds entirely. Players must survive for 15 days in an apartment building that becomes increasingly twisted and nightmarish, potentially uncovering the truth behind this cataclysmic event.

The game draws inspiration from Silent Hill, David Lynch’s works, and most directly, Junji Ito’s “Hellstar Remina,” creating an atmosphere of existential dread that permeates the entire experience.

Visual Design and Technical Execution

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Despite being made in RPG Maker with a 16-bit aesthetic, the game maximizes this limited visual style to create genuinely disturbing imagery:

• Monster designs are described as appropriately horrifying and grotesque
• Semi-dynamic lighting changes your field of vision when moving between light sources
• Environments transform from dilapidated apartment spaces to “eldritch horror scapes” in a single frame
• Battles take place in “Earthbound-esque liminal spaces” that feel like nightmares
• Enemy designs start obscured at a distance and reveal their grotesque details as they approach

Sound Design

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The audio is particularly effective at amplifying the horror:

• Music ranges from unsettling ’80s horror-movie synth to alarming ambient sounds
• Sound effects include crying babies, guttural gurgling, and laboured breathing
• Some monster sounds appear to carry over into battles (possibly unintentionally), which enhances the terror

Gameplay Mechanics

The game implements several innovative survival mechanics:

• Time only passes when exploring new areas, forcing players to venture deeper into danger
• Players must manage both hunger and hygiene stats
• Being hungry reduces maximum health
• Poor hygiene makes it easier for monsters to detect you
• A “Danger Meter” rewards players with experience points for staying out longer
• Combat follows turn-based RPG rules but adds vulnerability through breakable weapons
• Special attacks can make weapons more likely to break, adding strategic tension

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Narrative Approach

Rather than focusing on a single storyline, the game presents a collection of smaller, interconnected stories throughout the apartment building. The reviewer highlights one particularly disturbing encounter involving a mutated baby whose family members develop tooth-like appendages after being bitten. These moments are described as both “horrific and tragic,” leaving a lasting impact.

Memorable Moments

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The reviewer describes at least five legitimate jump scares that felt earned rather than cheap. One specific example involves a room with distant sounds of a screaming baby mixed with ghostly wailing, culminating in a boss fight against what was once a baby girl who mutated after looking outside.

Criticisms

A few minor issues were noted:

• Some interface elements are obtuse, with unclear status effect symbols
• Stats like Morale, Calm, Stress, Hunger, and Hygiene lack visibility in the Status screen
• Visual glitches occur with room looping and enemy positioning after death
• The punishment for looking outside (instant game over) could have been more nuanced or varied

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Overall Impact

The reviewer states that “Look Outside” does something few recent horror games have accomplished—it “stays with you” and “gets under your skin.” It creates a genuine “existential fear at the very idea of not being able to look at the sky” and compels players to push forward despite the horror.

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The ultimate testament to its effectiveness comes in the reviewer’s closing statement: “I never want to play Look Outside ever again, and I mean that as the highest compliment. ” The reviewer compares its lasting impact to that of P.T., which they consider “an exceptionally high bar to clear.”

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