Look Outside Reviews
Look Outside isn’t perfect—it suffers from some pacing issues and a level of difficulty that, at times, is a bit too forgiving—but it offers enough to justify every hour spent in its distorted corridors.
Review in Italian | Read full review
When I saw that Coulombe was involved in the cult classic, Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden, I knew I was in for a ride simply by association. But I wasn’t fully prepared for the depths of creative madness I was gazing into with Look Outside.
Look Outside is a moody horror RPG that is greater than the sum of its parts. Despite having a frustrating level design at times, a lack of map and being a little too breezy, what's forefront and centre is the vibes and setting. Francis Coulombe nails this, providing richly detailed pixel art that depicts grotesque beasties and monsters. Amalgams are made of teeth and limbs. Guys with eye clusters poring out of their torso. The designs are the whole nine yards. It's also a quality little bite-sized RPG with lots of charming systems and tidbits to flesh out the experience. Just, whatever you do, do not think too hard about the flesh monster that is knocking at your door. I promise all is OK.
Look Outside is genuinely one of the scariest games I've played since P.T., and that's an incredibly high bar to clear.
Look Outside is an extremely original project and gameplay-rich masterpiece created in just half a year. The game offers deep narrative, a great variety of actions and possibilities, a multitude of endings, and much more. It is capable of delivering many indescribable emotions that are worth experiencing for yourself.
Will you manage to survive for 15 days and not look outside?
On Nintendo Switch 2, Look Outside is an easy recommendation for anyone who appreciates retro RPGs with a genuinely nasty streak. It’s disturbing, inventive and occasionally infuriating, but those frustrations rarely overshadow its considerable strengths.
Look Outside is an original and surprising survival horror game that transforms a simple apartment complex setting into a grotesque and fascinating nightmare. The excellent art direction, the oppressive atmosphere, and a narrative rich in mystery more than make up for a rather traditional combat system and a few balance issues. The management of daily life and the numerous narrative possibilities further enrich an experience that is unsettling, yet also unexpectedly human. A little indie gem that deserves the attention of fans of the genre.
Review in Italian | Read full review
With deliciously detailed and often horrifying pixel art driving the experience, this is an indie horror game that demands some attention
Look Outside is a game that’s more enjoyable than not. There are some frustrations, particularly with how it handles the Switch controls, though they’re few and relatively minor overall. It’s not revolutionary in anything that it does but it finds a way to blend a lot of different influences into a wonderfully morbid and arguably non-traditional approach to cosmic horror. There is a little bit of Lovecraft in there, to be sure, but mostly as cosmetic trappings (perhaps, save for something that’s spoiler territory.) The idea seems like it was born out of early internet creepypasta, however, or at least the iterations that have arisen in the years since, which roots it in something like a modern urban legend. There’s otherwise a smorgasbord of various game and media influences that shine through in how the narrative and visuals come together. Now, where’s my knife? The sun is glaring through the window right now and there’s an itchy feeling in my stomach…
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.
Look Outside is a brilliant blending of genres that has me going from one extreme to another. From laughing at a character’s dialogue to being utterly terrified the next. Full of replayability, great game mechanics, and raw storytelling emotion, Look Outside is an essential play in the horror genre.
Look Outside is a powerful horror RPG, capable of turning simplicity and imperfections into a strong authorial identity. Version 2.0 also adds a ton of content to the experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Francis Coulombe surprises us with Look Outside, a survival horror RPG that uses a simple premise to construct a disturbing, grotesque, and uncomfortably wonderful experience. It makes excellent use of its resources to invite us to discover the mystery that lies outside, with decisions that can change the course of events and characters that are as disturbing as they are endearing. All of this is packaged with a grotesque aesthetic that is graphic at times, while at other times leaving things to our imagination.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Despite its simple appearance, it manages to deliver an immersive and terrifying experience thanks to its great use of sound, and the grotesque, but memorable character design by François Coulombe-Fortier.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Look Outside is a wonderfully eerie adventure with some of the most unique scenarios and sights I’ve seen in a horror game in years. While it makes a strong first impression, though, as time went on, I sometimes wondered if I’d be better off just looking outside. However, there are still enough strong moments to make it worth checking out for those who love horror games and RPGs.
Smart, unsettling, and expertly made, Look Outside stands out as a cosmic horror gem; ten hours of dread-filled exploration that far exceeds its modest price, even if some balance issues remain
Review in Italian | Read full review
Look Outside is a deeply unsettling horror RPG that mixes exploration, cosmic dread, and unforgiving combat into one unforgettable package. While the punishing difficulty and lack of guidance may frustrate some, the rewards for perseverance make it a must-play for horror enthusiasts. If you’re looking for a game that challenges not just your reflexes but also your sanity, Look Outside delivers an unforgettable journey into the unknown.
Look Outside stands out as a must play for survival horror fans. It’s tense, grotesque, funny, and genuinely unique.
Look Outside has been one of the most unexpected and stimulating surprises of this 2025. Its proposal, between turn-based RPG and survival horror, works thanks to a suffocating atmosphere, a grotesque and imaginative visual design and a gameplay structure that rewards exploration and experimentation. It's special, you have to play it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review