Not every autumn fright journey needs to terrify players. Starting with iconic favorites like Scooby-Doo to charming series such as Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired staples offer entertainment without requiring causing fear. Additionally, a increasing selection of eerie-charming games featuring autumn atmosphere, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in September, and stands as an outstanding comfortable option to the intensely frightening releases of this year.
A Distinctive Self-Coop Quest
Described as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a living-impaired child known as Gloomy and a living girl called Nena as they start an quest to bring the sun back to their shadowy realm. Their appearance is similar to collectible figures blended with the puppets from a animated feature. Their fair-toned and tired-looking appearance is influenced by the appearance of Gothic fantasy movies, and the narrative is a archetypal all-ages journey. The duo develops an enduring friendship over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena attempts to demonstrate to her clerical relative that, look, possibly zombies can be friendly.
Creative Gameplay Systems
This unique description originates from the game’s interactive problem-solving. When Gloomy and Nena meet, players alternate between the recent allies to solve puzzles and move forward through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a lamppost, while Nena can be captured by wandering undead unless a light is focused on them.
It's necessary for them to work in tandem — in practice, gamers operate them together — to advance through areas. Nena might relocate or briefly disable lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will employ his undead power to move obstacles in the surroundings, creating paths for Nena.
Captivating Environment Creation
The brain-teasers remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the way the levels are floating, model-like designs that the perspective pans around in sync with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are highly entertaining, leading the friends around a fair and through a haunted house, amid other locales. Players can use a “diorama view” feature that allows you to zoom out and rotate the levels, simultaneously to appreciate the artwork and search for ways that may not have been apparent.
Slight Hiccups and General Adventure
This represents one of the sole difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other titles with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the characters can and cannot go. Players might have to simply collide with a multiple different items to figure out which ones are interactable, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nonetheless, those minor speedbumps don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly a few sessions worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages blend together minor stealth and action elements with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and moderately surprising — conclusion.
Availability and Summary
Players steering clear of the frights of fear-inducing releases ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo Switch, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is presently discounted for a discount on digital platforms.
The spooky-cute adventure has been released on multiple platforms and delivers a delightful choice for gamers looking for Halloween fun without terrifying moments.
