Not all autumn fright adventure has to frighten gamers. Including beloved classics such as animated detectives to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, many autumn-inspired staples offer entertainment without needing causing fear. There’s also, a increasing selection of ghostly-adorable games including Halloween vibes, but not the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of fear. Gloomy Eyes arrived in recent months, and stands as an excellent comfortable option to the intensely frightening releases of this year.
A Unique Self-Coop Adventure
Described as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes teams up a undead youth named Gloomy and a human girl known as Nena as they start an quest to restore sunlight to their shadowy world. They look is similar to stylized dolls combined with the puppets from a stop-motion animation. Their fair-toned and heavy-lidded style draws inspiration from the visual style of Burtonesque cinema, and the story is a classic all-ages adventure. These two builds an enduring connection over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena tries to show to her religious guardian that, hey, possibly the undead are actually good.
Original Puzzle Mechanics
The “self-coop” label stems from the game’s interactive problem-solving. After Gloomy and Nena meet, gamers switch among the budding companions to overcome obstacles and move forward through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a streetlight, while Nena can be captured by idle zombies unless a lamp is shone on them.
They must work in tandem — in practice, you’ll use them in tandem — to finish levels. Nena might relocate or briefly disable lamps to create passages for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will employ his undead power to move obstacles in the surroundings, opening up paths for Nena.
Engaging Environment Creation
These challenges remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the manner the stages are hovering, miniature structures that the perspective pans around in conjunction with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are quite fun, guiding the friends around a amusement park and through a spooky mansion, amid other locations. The game includes a “diorama view” option that enables you to pull back and turn the levels, both to admire the designs and hunt for paths that may not have been apparent.
Slight Issues and Complete Adventure
Here lies one of the only problems with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes may or may not travel. You may need to simply collide with a multiple different items to discover which ones are interactive, as the game doesn't always indicate.
Nevertheless, those minor challenges don't obstruct of a ghostly-charming fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with approximately several hours worth of puzzles. Advanced areas integrate subtle sneaking and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a satisfying — and somewhat unexpected — ending.
Release and Final Thoughts
Those shying away from the scares of fear-inducing titles won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo platform, PS5, computer, and Microsoft console, and is presently discounted for 25% off on game marketplaces.
Gloomy Eyes is out now on various systems and offers a pleasurable choice for gamers looking for autumn enjoyment without terrifying moments.
