‘Look Outside’ is a bizarre and quirky game, so it was no wonder it got picked up by the connoisseurs of the weird and wonderful publishers  Devolver Digital. Developed by Francis Coulombe, this survival RPG with turn-based combat is not what I expected, but it was my kind of eccentric fun, and I lived for it.

What seems like an ordinary day turns into a mystery as twisted as an episode of ‘The Stranger Things’. A strange cosmic event turns your character’s world upside down, transforming your apartment building into a vessel of grotesque and twisted monsters. With the help of your neighbour, the prying eye in the wall, you must now collect resources, weapons, and supplies to defeat your newly deformed neighbours and discover the meaning and origin of the anomaly outside your bedroom window. The narrative is well-written and intriguing; it has a very 80s sci-fi feel with just the right amount of scares and retro body-like horror.

I love the gameplay; it’s not convoluted, just simple. You can use the traditional WASD to move around the 2D corridors and environments, but I preferred the point-and-click approach. This is more handy, as you need to click on items to pick them up or interact with them anyway, making it more streamlined.

You will discover rooms you can enter as you search around apartment building areas. Here, you will encounter some of the many surrounding enemies. This will throw you into a fight interaction that is turn-based in style. Here, you will take turns to fight or escape, using weapons and moves to chip away at the mutated monstrosity in front of you. Once defeated, you get to reap the spoils of precious resources.

Why might you need resources? Well, there is a solid RPG element to the gameplay. Using tools at a crafting bench, you can turn chemicals and everyday bathroom items into throwable weapons like acid or a Molotov. Collect enough food, and you can cook meals to restore your health and, more importantly, your stamina, which is vital for using special attack moves in combat. Acquire more video games to add to your collection, and you can calm your nerves in preparation for new fights outside your apartment doors.

Scrubbing in your shower, brushing your teeth, and climbing into bed will all keep you sane as you battle your way through for answers. This can all be done in your apartment, which acts as your hub, gas stations, and rooms to prepare for your next day of fighting.

Clicking into a menu of your character, you will be able to equip different weapons with different stats, clothes that boost aspects of your personal stats such as luck, defence, attack, agility, ballistics, etc. and can look at status effects such as burning, bleeding, or how much EXP is needed to go to the next level of personal levelling. I wish they had fleshed out the weapons more, allowing them to be sharpened or infused with monster parts and making them more interesting with alternative attacks. I felt the combat become a little dry some of the time.

The game is in a gorgeous 16-bit, pixelated art style, further driving that familiar 80s retro horror feel. The game is very dark and eerie, with shades of greys, greens, and purples accentuating any visceral splashes of reds. The enemy character models are insanely good, with such macabre detailing that encountering each is a joy. The synth retro music and the minimalistic sounds complement the overall tone. They even threw in a few jumpscare sounds, too, which sent a chill down my spine before wanting to progress.

Look Outside is such a solid title. It was appealing in many ways, from the sickening body horror portrayed stylishly to the easy-to-pick-up and play combat and RPG elements. While some of these could have been fleshed out a bit, it is truly an accessible, fun time, albeit short.

Written by: Stacey