Not all spooky season adventure must scare players. From beloved classics like animated detectives to delightful stories such as Over the Garden Wall, numerous Halloween-themed titles provide fun without needing causing fear. Moreover, a increasing selection of spooky-cute releases with autumn atmosphere, but not the keep-you-awake level of horror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in the fall, and stands as an superb relaxing choice to the intensely frightening releases of this year.
An Original Single-Player Cooperative Quest
Known as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a zombie boy called Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they embark on an adventure to return daylight to their gloomy environment. They look evokes stylized dolls combined with the characters from a Laika film. Their fair-toned and tired-looking style draws inspiration from the appearance of Burtonesque cinema, and the narrative is a classic all-ages adventure. The pair forms an unbreakable friendship over the course of the game’s multiple stages as Nena attempts to show to her priest uncle that, hey, maybe living-impaired beings aren’t half bad.
Innovative Puzzle Mechanics
This unique term originates from the game’s world-based challenges. Once Gloomy and Nena meet, gamers switch among the newfound friends to solve puzzles and progress through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy can’t walk through the light of a streetlight, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead without a beam is focused on them.
They have to collaborate effectively — well, you’ll use them together — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or momentarily deactivate lights to open routes for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious boy will utilize his supernatural ability to rearrange obstacles in the surroundings, creating ways for Nena.
Engaging World Building
The puzzles bring to mind a touch of The Gardens Between, in the manner the stages are floating, model-like designs that the view rotates in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, guiding the friends around a carnival and through a spooky mansion, among other locations. The game includes a “diorama view” option that enables you to view from afar and spin the stages, both to enjoy the visuals and search for routes that may not have been obvious.
Small Hiccups and General Adventure
This represents one of the few difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Like other titles with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists are able to move. You may need to randomly encounter a few random items to figure out which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nonetheless, those minor obstacles don't obstruct of a ghostly-charming enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately several hours worth of brain-teasers. Advanced areas integrate subtle sneaking and dynamic sequences with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a rewarding — and somewhat unforeseen — finale.
Release and Summary
Gamers avoiding the terror of intense horror releases won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, Sony system, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for 25% off on digital platforms.
This charming title is available on various systems and offers a delightful option for players in search of spooky entertainment without the fear factor.
