The concept of a horror with a second-person perspective is a lost art these days. While those fixed camera angles from old school survival horror titles give off a similar vibe, Out of Sight does it in a whole new way. It becomes a mechanic that gives different viewpoints on Sophie, the game’s protagonist. With only a set area in view during these moments, it offers a fresh way to play. Working out why you are in this creepy mansion and what happened to Sophie’s vision acts as a backdrop to the gameplay.
You play as a young girl called Sophie who has lost her vision. The only way she can see where to go is through her teddy bear. It’s a clever concept yet its story elements are never given enough time to be fully explored. You are stuck in this creepy mansion being pursued by a caretaker and a woman with secrets hidden within the walls. This isn’t a gratuitous horror, nor is it violent or terrifying. The terror comes from the anxiety of getting caught. Out of Sight is perfect for those that’s limit in scariness lies with games like Little Nightmares.
So, this second-person perspective. Certain areas require you to place your teddy on a surface, then go and find the solution to an environmental puzzle. With this limitation comes limited possibility for where the solution is, however, puzzles aren’t particularly difficult. There’s often a switch or pressure panel to pull or press. While they do become more challenging, it’s never overtly difficult. It would have been better if there was a pressure to solve them, such as having one of the unsettling owners coming close to stopping you.
Still, they flesh out the relatively short runtime. It isn’t a difficult game, but Out of Sight does have some anxiety-inducing set pieces that I don’t want to spoil. Out of Sight is unnerving but never outright terrifying. You’re left feeling uncomfortable through the claustrophobic environments and eerie setting. Visually it’s great. It’s never bleak, but the mansion has a quality to it that doesn’t allow you to feel at ease in it. The audio adds to the experience through creaking floorboards and distant noises, and the voices of the two people you’re escaping from.
The story is unravelled the more you play, and while there’s no out right reveals through cutscenes or scattered notes, you do start to piece together the narrative. It’s interesting if never blatantly revealed. I like this approach when a story is involved. Environmental storytelling gives you the opportunity to make your own mind up with limited knowledge and freedom to make up your own conclusions. Sophie is a helpless child being pursued by her relentless captors, and whether it becomes clear to you or not, these people are not good at all.
For those looking for a truly terrifying game, you won’t find it here. It is more about the long game, building tension and leaving an unsettling feeling in the pit of your stomach. I wouldn’t call it child-friendly by any means, but it does fit more with the trappings of titles like Limbo or Inside. Horror is such a broad spectrum and games have such creative freedom to explore this through various mechanics, visual opportunities, and gameplay. Out of Sight tries something different, and it works well.
Out of Sight does a good job of making you nervous. While the antagonists aren’t as relentless as I’d have liked them to be, some of the chase sequences left me sweating. The puzzles aren’t overly challenging yet they help to keep things interesting. The supernatural elements add another layer to its gameplay, with the additional help you gain through meeting the ‘children’ that reside within the mansion. The Gang has tried something different, and I like what they have done with that fear that slow builds throughout.
