Not every spooky season adventure needs to scare you. Including well-known tales for example animated detectives to charming series such as Over the Garden Wall, plenty of Halloween-themed titles offer entertainment without requiring raising your heart rate. Additionally, a increasing selection of eerie-charming releases including spooky themes, yet without the sleep-with-the-lights-on intensity of fear. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and stands as an excellent cozy option to the truly terrifying games of this year.
A Distinctive Self-Coop Quest
Labeled as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a living-impaired child named Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they begin an mission to return daylight to their shadowy environment. They look resembles collectible figures combined with the characters from a stop-motion animation. The light-complected and tired-looking style is influenced by the visual style of Gothic fantasy movies, and the plot is a classic all-ages journey. These two builds an enduring friendship over the span of the game’s numerous levels as Nena strives to prove to her priest uncle that, look, perhaps the undead aren’t half bad.
Original Problem-Solving Features
This unique term stems from the game’s world-based challenges. Once Gloomy and Nena cross paths, you’ll swap between the recent allies to complete challenges and advance through the areas. Being a zombie, Gloomy can’t walk through the light of a lamppost, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies without a beam is focused on them.
They must work in tandem — actually, you’ll use them simultaneously — to finish levels. Nena might relocate or momentarily deactivate lights to open routes for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will employ his undead power to shift around obstacles in the environment, creating routes for Nena.
Captivating Level Design
The brain-teasers bring to mind a bit of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are hovering, model-like designs that the perspective pans around in coordination with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, taking the companions around a fair and through a haunted house, amid other locales. The game includes a “diorama view” option that allows you to pull back and turn the areas, both to appreciate the artwork and search for paths that may not have been clear.
Small Issues and Overall Adventure
This represents one of the sole hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a static view, it’s not always clear where the heroes can and cannot go. You may need to randomly encounter a multiple different elements to discover which ones are usable, as the game doesn't always indicate.
Nonetheless, those slight challenges don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with roughly a few sessions worth of challenges. Advanced areas blend together light stealth and dynamic sequences with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a rewarding — and moderately unforeseen — ending.
Availability and Summary
Those avoiding the frights of intense horror games ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Switch console, PlayStation 5, computer, and Xbox, and is currently on sale for a discount on online stores.
This charming title is out now on several consoles and delivers a delightful alternative for fans in search of Halloween fun minus the terrifying moments.
