Not each autumn fright journey has to terrify you. From beloved classics such as mystery-solving cartoons to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of spooky-season staples are enjoyable without needing causing fear. Additionally, a increasing selection of eerie-charming titles including Halloween vibes, but not the keep-you-awake intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes was released in September, and stands as an excellent cozy choice to the deeply scary games of the current season.
An Original Single-Player Cooperative Journey
Known as a single-player cooperative brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a living-impaired child named Gloomy and a living girl called Nena as they start an mission to restore sunlight to their gloomy realm. Their design resembles collectible figures mixed with the figures from a animated feature. The light-complected and heavy-lidded aesthetic borrows heavily from the appearance of Tim Burton’s films, and the story is a classic family-friendly journey. The duo forms an strong friendship over the duration of the game’s multiple stages as Nena strives to demonstrate to her religious guardian that, hey, possibly zombies can be friendly.
Creative Puzzle Mechanics
This unique term originates from the game’s world-based challenges. When Gloomy and Nena cross paths, you’ll swap among the budding companions to complete challenges and progress through the stages. As an undead, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a lamppost, while Nena will get snatched up by wandering undead without a lamp is shone on them.
They must work in tandem — in practice, you’ll use them in tandem — to advance through areas. Nena might relocate or momentarily deactivate lamps to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained boy will employ his undead power to move obstacles in the surroundings, creating routes for Nena.
Immersive World Building
The puzzles evoke memories a little of The Gardens Between, in the way the levels are suspended, model-like structures that the camera moves across in conjunction with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are quite fun, leading the friends around a carnival and through a haunted house, amid other locations. The game includes a “diorama view” option that allows you to view from afar and spin the levels, simultaneously to admire the visuals and hunt for ways that may not have been apparent.
Slight Issues and Overall Experience
This represents one of the only difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Like other games with a static view, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists can and cannot go. You may need to randomly encounter a several various elements to figure out which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
However, those slight speedbumps don't obstruct of a spooky-cute fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately a few sessions worth of challenges. Subsequent stages combine subtle hidden movement and dynamic sequences with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a rewarding — and moderately unforeseen — ending.
Availability and Conclusion
Those steering clear of the scares of terrifying titles won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, computer, and Xbox, and is presently discounted for a quarter off on game marketplaces.
The spooky-cute adventure is available on multiple platforms and offers a enjoyable alternative for players in search of spooky entertainment without the fear factor.
