Not each Halloween horror experience must scare you. Including beloved classics such as Scooby-Doo to charming series like Over the Garden Wall, many Halloween-themed titles provide fun without needing increasing anxiety. Additionally, a expanding collection of ghostly-adorable titles with autumn atmosphere, but not the sleep-with-the-lights-on degree of fear. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and serves as an excellent relaxing choice to the intensely frightening games of this year.
A Unique Self-Coop Adventure
Described as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes unites a living-impaired child called Gloomy and a human girl known as Nena as they start an mission to restore sunlight to their gloomy world. Their appearance evokes stylized dolls mixed with the figures from a animated feature. The pale-skinned and baggy-eyed aesthetic draws inspiration from the appearance of Tim Burton’s films, and the narrative is a classic all-ages adventure. These two builds an enduring bond over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena attempts to show to her priest uncle that, hey, possibly zombies aren’t half bad.
Creative Puzzle Mechanics
The innovative description stems from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap among the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and progress through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a light source, while Nena may be grabbed by loitering creatures unless a light is focused on them.
They have to collaborate effectively — in practice, players control them together — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or momentarily deactivate illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious youth will utilize his supernatural ability to move objects in the surroundings, opening up ways for Nena.
Engaging World Building
These challenges evoke memories a bit of The Gardens Between, in the way the levels are hovering, diorama-like constructions that the view rotates in coordination with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are highly entertaining, taking the companions around a carnival and through a haunted house, among other locales. The game includes a “diorama view” button that allows you to view from afar and spin the stages, both to enjoy the artwork and search for routes that may not have been apparent.
Slight Hiccups and General Adventure
Here lies one of the sole hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the characters can and cannot go. Gamers could require to randomly encounter a few random elements to figure out which ones are interactive, as it’s not always intuitive.
However, those slight speedbumps don't hinder of a eerie-adorable good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with approximately three to five hours worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages integrate light hidden movement and dynamic sequences with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and slightly surprising — finale.
Accessibility and Final Thoughts
Gamers steering clear of the frights of terrifying games won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Switch console, PlayStation 5, computer, and Xbox, and is presently discounted for a quarter off on online stores.
This charming title is out now on various systems and offers a enjoyable alternative for players looking for spooky entertainment without the terrifying moments.
