By KEVIN HOOVER
Gamers have come to expect the unexpected from Devolver Digital. The publisher’s brazen approach to marketing, oddball press conferences and unapologetic willingness to call out the industry on some of its own bullshit has earned it the admiration of those who get their kicks from gutsy, genre-bending fare. Their latest, LOOK OUTSIDE, is a 16-bit stylized, turn-based RPG survival horror that punches way above its weight and proves that the publisher knows precisely who is buying their games.
A PC exclusive from developer Francis Coulombe, LOOK OUTSIDE started as a month-long side project, but player interest and media attention spurred the pixel artist and animator to move the idea towards a full-fledged release. It was a decision well worth the effort, as many are now heralding the title as one of the best horror games ever released.
The premise is deceptively simple: there’s trouble outdoors, but the news insists that the problem will be resolved in fifteen days. Staying indoors is the best course of action until it all blows over, so everyone would do well to sit tight and while away the time until given the all-clear.
Oh, and don’t look outside.
The game emphasizes curiosity above all else and does its part in enticing players to venture outside the safety of their hidey holes into the warped hallways of their apartment complex. Neighbors will come a’knockin’, forcing decisions between trusting others or skulking back into the isolation of being left with only video games for the next two weeks. Resource scavenging– and management–is a must, but stepping out into the unknown means facing battles against pixelated monstrosities with enough eyeballs to make an Italian horror director giddy with delight.
LOOK OUTSIDE may look familiar. It will feel familiar. And it’s a rewarding romp that packs a lot of substance into its budget-friendly $9.99 package. But don’t let its retro stylings fool you–and for god’s sake, don’t look out the window.
Just look at what it did to your neighbors …
LOOK OUTSIDE is available now on Steam.
