Out of Sight is a 'second-person' horror game

The second-person perspective is extremely rare in games. In contrast to its first-person and third-person counterparts, this perspective has a character move from the viewpoint of another person or object. While the second-person camera is occasionally used as a gimmick for a boss fight, like the Tall Walker in the classic Battletoads or the Den Mother from Psychonauts, the number of games that use this perspective are vanishingly small. But Out of Sight, an atmospheric horror game from The Gang (and not to be confused with two other games with the same name), is attempting to change that.

A bear’s-eye view

Using a controller for a beta PC demo for Out of Sight at the Day of the Devs event during GDC 2025, I played through the first 20 minutes of the game as the teddy bear of a blind girl named Sophie. Confined against her will by a woman dubbed The Lady, Sophie describes how she used to be able to see and is surprised that the world has suddenly become visible to her through my eyes. It’s unclear why the woman is keeping the child under lock and key, but given the ominous metal chains attached to the wall in her room, the girl would rather not find out. And I don’t either.

While the exercise in controls and perspective is unusual, it’s surprisingly easy to pick up. To help Sophie navigate through the house, I had her carry the teddy bear and set it down on specifically marked pillows. Once the stuffed animal is placed, the girl has the vision to climb ledges, slide rolling carts, pull handles, crawl through tight spaces, and otherwise solve the light platforming puzzle of a room. As the teddy bear, I also had the job of turning its head enough in one direction or another to give the child space to see where she’s going. Upon finding a way forward, Sophie can grab the teddy bear again so they can both continue to the next section.

Quiet time

All of the platforming puzzles are simple, in the first level at least, though the demo was likely lenient on noise. Making a loud sound will blur the borders of the screen as an alert that The Lady and her partner Clayton have noticed Sophie scuttling about. Staying still will eventually make them ignore the area, allowing her to advance further.

Along the way, I managed to find a wooden racecar, a hidden collectible at the end of a crawlspace. The developer on site told me that these items have stories connected to them, particularly to children who were imprisoned in the house before Sophie. Well, if that’s not motivation to save her, I’m not sure what is.

Out of Sight is expected to release in 2025 for PC (Steam), Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. A VR version of the game is slated for PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, and Quest 2 and 3. The developer said that he anticipates the full game to be five-hours long and that it is aiming for a $20 to $30 price point. While The Gang has something in mind for DLC, nothing is settled yet on that front.

This preview is based on a demo provided by the publisher at the Day of the Devs: San Francisco Edition event during GDC 2025. A demo of the game is available on Steam.

Nick Tan

Contributing Editor

Once upon a time, Nick's parents confiscated his Super Nintendo because he was "playing it too much." He has secretly sworn revenge ever since. Nick is now a freelance writer for various video game sites. Powered by iced green tea, he typically plays RPGs of all kinds like Shin Megami Tensei, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout. In his spare time, he follows the latest season of Critical Role.