Not each Halloween horror journey has to frighten players. From iconic favorites like Scooby-Doo to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, plenty of spooky-season titles are enjoyable without needing raising your heart rate. Moreover, a growing library of ghostly-adorable releases with Halloween vibes, but not the sleep-with-the-lights-on intensity of horror. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and serves as an excellent relaxing option to the truly terrifying games of this year.
A Distinctive Single-Player Cooperative Adventure
Known as a “self-coop” problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes teams up a zombie boy known as Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they embark on an quest to return daylight to their gloomy world. They look resembles stylized dolls blended with the puppets from a Laika film. Their fair-toned and tired-looking appearance draws inspiration from the look of Gothic fantasy movies, and the plot is a quintessential family-friendly tale. These two develops an unbreakable friendship over the span of the game’s numerous levels as Nena tries to demonstrate to her clerical relative that, look, possibly living-impaired beings can be friendly.
Innovative Gameplay Systems
This unique description comes about from the game’s interactive problem-solving. Once Gloomy and Nena meet, players alternate between the recent allies to complete challenges and move forward through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a light source, while Nena can be captured by loitering creatures except if a beam is shone on them.
They must cooperate closely — actually, you’ll use them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena may move or momentarily deactivate illumination to open routes for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around obstacles in the surroundings, revealing ways for Nena.
Immersive Level Design
The puzzles evoke memories a little of The Gardens Between, in the manner the levels are suspended, model-like structures that the camera rotates in coordination with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, guiding the duo around a fair and through a spooky mansion, among other locations. Players can use a “diorama view” option that allows you to pull back and spin the stages, both for appreciate the artwork and search for paths that may not have been obvious.
Small Hiccups and Complete Adventure
Here lies one of the few problems with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other releases with a fixed perspective, sometimes it's unclear where the heroes can and cannot go. You may need to just bump into a several various items to discover which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nevertheless, those minor speedbumps don't obstruct of a ghostly-charming enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately three to five hours worth of brain-teasers. Subsequent stages blend together minor stealth and action elements with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a satisfying — and somewhat unforeseen — conclusion.
Release and Final Thoughts
Gamers shying away from the terror of terrifying titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, PlayStation 5, computer, and Xbox, and is available at a reduced price for 25% off on digital platforms.
This charming title has been released on various systems and provides a delightful alternative for gamers seeking autumn enjoyment without fear factor.
