Not all autumn fright adventure has to frighten gamers. Including well-known tales such as Scooby-Doo to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired titles provide fun without requiring increasing anxiety. Moreover, a growing library of eerie-charming releases with spooky themes, though lacking the keep-you-awake level of fear. Gloomy Eyes was released in recent months, and acts as an excellent cozy choice to the intensely frightening titles of this year.
A Unique Self-Coop Adventure
Described as a single-player cooperative brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes unites a undead youth named Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they embark on an mission to bring the sun back to their gloomy environment. They look resembles Funko Pops mixed with the puppets from a animated feature. The fair-toned and heavy-lidded aesthetic is influenced by the visual style of Gothic fantasy movies, and the narrative is a archetypal all-ages journey. The pair forms an strong bond over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to show to her priest uncle that, you know, possibly the undead aren’t half bad.
Innovative Puzzle Mechanics
This unique term stems from the game’s world-based challenges. After Gloomy and Nena meet, players alternate amidst the newfound friends to solve puzzles and progress through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by idle zombies without a beam is directed on them.
They have to work in tandem — actually, gamers operate them in tandem — to advance through areas. Nena may move or briefly disable lights to create passages for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will employ his undead power to rearrange items in the environment, revealing routes for Nena.
Captivating Level Design
The puzzles bring to mind a bit of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are hovering, miniature designs that the camera pans around in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, leading the companions around a fair and through a spooky mansion, amid other locations. Players can use a “diorama view” button that allows you to pull back and turn the stages, simultaneously to enjoy the visuals and look for ways that may not have been apparent.
Minor Issues and Overall Adventure
Here lies one of the sole hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other releases with a static view, it’s not always clear where the heroes may or may not travel. Players might have to simply collide with a multiple different elements to determine which ones are interactive, as clues aren't consistently provided.
However, those slight challenges don’t get in the way of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with approximately three to five hours worth of puzzles. Advanced areas combine subtle sneaking and dynamic sequences with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a fulfilling — and somewhat unforeseen — conclusion.
Release and Summary
Gamers shying away from the scares of intense horror titles won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Switch console, PlayStation 5, computer, and Microsoft console, and is presently discounted for 25% off on online stores.
Gloomy Eyes is out now on multiple platforms and provides a delightful choice for gamers looking for spooky entertainment without the intense scares.
