Embracing the Grotesque: A Tapestry of Compassion in Body Horror

Look Outside is a horror game with some truly visceral moments—teeth erupting from neighbors’ skin, snapping at anything within reach. Originally launched on March 21, this game has repeatedly surfaced on my social media feeds as players express their awe and terror over the shocking surprises it offers.

I take on the role of Sam, an everyday guy struggling to make ends meet and dealing with overdue rent. However, these everyday worries vanish when a cosmic force known as The Visitor approaches Earth, distorting the minds and bodies of all who gaze upon it. The only advice? Don’t look outside. Ignore the enticing shine of the moon and the soft songs of your neighbors. Just don’t look. No pictures, no reflections, and certainly no staring at The Visitor.

With this tension in mind, Look Outside showcases its strengths in body horror effectively. Witnessing The Visitor’s influence brings about immediate and grotesque transformations. One character, wracked with pain, opts for a chilling solution: he carves into his own skin until eyes emerge, darkly glimmering and rolling inside his body. In another haunting scene, a family is overtaken by an insatiable hunger for teeth, revealing a frantic young boy who brushes his molars incessantly until his face collapses into a mass of teeth.