Not all autumn fright journey has to scare you. Starting with iconic favorites like mystery-solving cartoons to endearing shows such as Over the Garden Wall, plenty of spooky-season favorites offer entertainment without causing fear. Moreover, a increasing selection of eerie-charming titles with Halloween vibes, though lacking the keep-you-awake intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and acts as an excellent relaxing choice to the intensely frightening releases of this year.
A Distinctive Single-Player Cooperative Adventure
Described as a “self-coop” brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a undead youth called Gloomy and a living girl known as Nena as they embark on an mission to restore sunlight to their gloomy realm. They look evokes stylized dolls blended with the characters from a stop-motion animation. Their light-complected and baggy-eyed appearance borrows heavily from the look of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a classic family-friendly journey. The pair forms an strong friendship over the duration of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena strives to demonstrate to her clerical relative that, look, maybe zombies aren’t half bad.
Original Problem-Solving Features
This unique description stems from the game’s world-based challenges. Once Gloomy and Nena cross paths, gamers switch amidst the newfound friends to complete challenges and progress through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy can’t walk through the light of a lamppost, while Nena can be captured by idle zombies except if a light is shone on them.
They must cooperate closely — actually, gamers operate them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena may move or temporarily shut off lights to open routes for Gloomy, while the open-brained boy will utilize his supernatural ability to rearrange obstacles in the environment, creating ways for Nena.
Engaging World Building
The puzzles evoke memories a little of The Gardens Between, in the way the areas are floating, miniature structures that the view pans around in sync with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, guiding the friends around a carnival and through a ghostly building, amid other locales. The game includes a “diorama view” option that enables you to view from afar and spin the levels, simultaneously to admire the visuals and hunt for paths that may not have been apparent.
Small Hiccups and Overall Gameplay
Here lies one of the only difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Like other games with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes may or may not travel. You may need to randomly encounter a multiple different items to discover which ones are interactable, as the game doesn't always indicate.
However, those minor speedbumps don't obstruct of a ghostly-charming enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with roughly three to five hours worth of challenges. Subsequent stages blend together minor sneaking and exciting moments with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a rewarding — and somewhat surprising — ending.
Release and Conclusion
Gamers steering clear of the scares of terrifying releases should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Switch console, PlayStation 5, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on game marketplaces.
This charming title is out now on various systems and provides a enjoyable choice for fans in search of Halloween fun without intense scares.
