Not each autumn fright journey needs to frighten players. Including beloved classics such as Scooby-Doo to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, many Halloween-themed staples offer entertainment without causing fear. There’s also, a growing library of ghostly-adorable games with spooky themes, yet without the keep-you-awake intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in September, and stands as an outstanding relaxing alternative to the truly terrifying titles of the current season.
A Distinctive Single-Player Cooperative Adventure
Labeled as a “self-coop” brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a undead youth named Gloomy and a mortal child called Nena as they start an adventure to return daylight to their shadowy world. Their design evokes stylized dolls mixed with the characters from a stop-motion animation. Their fair-toned and tired-looking appearance borrows heavily from the look of Gothic fantasy movies, and the plot is a classic all-ages journey. The pair forms an enduring bond over the duration of the game’s multiple stages as Nena attempts to prove to her priest uncle that, hey, maybe living-impaired beings aren’t half bad.
Innovative Puzzle Mechanics
The innovative description comes about from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap amidst the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and progress through the levels. As an undead, Gloomy can’t walk through the illumination of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies unless a lamp is focused on them.
They must collaborate effectively — well, players control them together — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or briefly disable lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around items in the environment, opening up paths for Nena.
Engaging Level Design
The brain-teasers remind me a touch of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the stages are hovering, miniature structures that the view moves across in conjunction with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are very enjoyable, taking the companions around a fair and through a spooky mansion, among other locales. There’s a “diorama view” button that allows you to zoom out and turn the areas, both for admire the designs and hunt for routes that may not have been apparent.
Small Issues and General Experience
This represents one of the few hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other games with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes are able to move. You may need to simply collide with a few random elements to discover which ones are interactive, as the game doesn't always indicate.
Nevertheless, those minor speedbumps don't obstruct of a spooky-cute fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with approximately a few sessions worth of challenges. Subsequent stages combine light sneaking and action elements with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a rewarding — and moderately surprising — finale.
Availability and Final Thoughts
Gamers avoiding the terror of intense horror titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Nintendo Switch, PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on online stores.
This charming title is available on multiple platforms and offers a delightful option for fans seeking Halloween fun without the terrifying moments.
