Not each Halloween horror adventure needs to scare gamers. Starting with iconic favorites such as Scooby-Doo to delightful stories such as Over the Garden Wall, numerous Halloween-themed titles are enjoyable without raising your heart rate. There’s also, a expanding collection of eerie-charming releases including spooky themes, though lacking the truly terrifying level of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in the fall, and serves as an outstanding cozy option to the intensely frightening releases of the current season.
An Original Single-Player Cooperative Adventure
Described as a “self-coop” problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes teams up a undead youth known as Gloomy and a mortal child called Nena as they begin an adventure to return daylight to their dark, dark environment. Their design is similar to Funko Pops combined with the figures from a animated feature. The light-complected and baggy-eyed aesthetic is influenced by the look of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a archetypal all-ages tale. The pair builds an unbreakable bond over the duration of the game’s numerous levels as Nena tries to show to her religious guardian that, look, maybe the undead can be friendly.
Creative Puzzle Mechanics
This unique label originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap between the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and advance through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the illumination of a streetlight, while Nena can be captured by loitering creatures unless a light is focused on them.
They have to cooperate closely — in practice, players control them in tandem — to advance through areas. Nena might relocate or temporarily shut off lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will employ his undead power to rearrange objects in the environment, creating ways for Nena.
Captivating Level Design
The brain-teasers evoke memories a touch of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are floating, diorama-like constructions that the view pans around in sync with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are very enjoyable, guiding the duo around a carnival and through a ghostly building, including other places. The game includes a “diorama view” button that allows you to zoom out and rotate the levels, both to admire the visuals and hunt for paths that may not have been clear.
Small Issues and Overall Gameplay
Here lies one of the few problems with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a static view, it’s not always clear where the heroes can and cannot go. Players might have to just bump into a multiple different items to discover which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nonetheless, those minor challenges don't hinder of a ghostly-charming fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with approximately a few sessions worth of puzzles. Later levels integrate light stealth and action elements with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a rewarding — and moderately unexpected — ending.
Availability and Final Thoughts
Players shying away from the frights of terrifying titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo platform, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is presently discounted for a discount on digital platforms.
This charming title has been released on various systems and provides a enjoyable option for fans looking for autumn enjoyment without the terrifying moments.
