Not all spooky season experience must scare players. Including iconic favorites such as mystery-solving cartoons to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of Halloween-themed favorites offer entertainment without causing fear. Moreover, a growing library of ghostly-adorable releases including autumn atmosphere, yet without the keep-you-awake level of terror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in September, and stands as an superb relaxing alternative to the deeply scary games of the current season.
A Unique Single-Player Cooperative Journey
Described as a solo collaboration problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a living-impaired child called Gloomy and a human girl known as Nena as they start an adventure to bring the sun back to their shadowy realm. Their design is similar to collectible figures combined with the puppets from a animated feature. Their light-complected and baggy-eyed style draws inspiration from the appearance of Tim Burton’s films, and the narrative is a quintessential all-ages adventure. These two builds an enduring connection over the span of the game’s multiple stages as Nena tries to prove to her priest uncle that, look, perhaps living-impaired beings are actually good.
Creative Puzzle Mechanics
This unique term comes about from the game’s environmental puzzles. When Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, players alternate between the recent allies to overcome obstacles and move forward through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the light of a lamppost, while Nena can be captured by idle zombies unless a light is shone on them.
They must collaborate effectively — in practice, players control them simultaneously — to advance through areas. Nena may move or briefly disable lights to create passages for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious boy will employ his undead power to shift around objects in the environment, opening up ways for Nena.
Engaging Environment Creation
The brain-teasers bring to mind a touch of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the areas are floating, diorama-like structures that the view moves across in coordination with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are highly entertaining, taking the companions around a fair and through a haunted house, amid other places. There’s a “diorama view” option that permits you to zoom out and rotate the stages, both to admire the designs and look for ways that may not have been obvious.
Minor Issues and General Gameplay
This represents one of the only problems with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists may or may not travel. You may need to simply collide with a few random items to discover which ones are usable, as the game doesn't always indicate.
However, those minor obstacles don't hinder of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with about a few sessions worth of challenges. Later levels combine light stealth and exciting moments with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a rewarding — and moderately unexpected — conclusion.
Availability and Final Thoughts
Players avoiding the terror of terrifying titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo Switch, PS5, computer, and Microsoft console, and is presently discounted for 25% off on online stores.
This charming title has been released on various systems and delivers a enjoyable option for fans looking for autumn enjoyment minus the fear factor.
