Not every autumn fright adventure needs to frighten you. Starting with beloved classics such as animated detectives to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of autumn-inspired staples are enjoyable without requiring raising your heart rate. Moreover, a growing library of spooky-cute titles including spooky themes, yet without the keep-you-awake level of fear. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and acts as an superb comfortable option to the deeply scary releases of this year.
A Distinctive Collaborative Solo Adventure
Described as a solo collaboration problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a undead youth known as Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they start an adventure to bring the sun back to their shadowy realm. Their appearance is similar to Funko Pops combined with the characters from a animated feature. Their fair-toned and heavy-lidded aesthetic borrows heavily from the visual style of Gothic fantasy movies, and the plot is a quintessential all-ages adventure. The duo builds an unbreakable connection over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena strives to demonstrate to her clerical relative that, hey, possibly living-impaired beings can be friendly.
Original Puzzle Mechanics
The “self-coop” term originates from the game’s interactive problem-solving. When Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, players alternate amidst the newfound friends to complete challenges and advance through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a streetlight, while Nena can be captured by wandering undead without a beam is focused on them.
It's necessary for them to work in tandem — in practice, gamers operate them in tandem — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or momentarily deactivate illumination to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will employ his undead power to shift around items in the environment, opening up ways for Nena.
Captivating Level Design
The brain-teasers evoke memories a touch of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the areas are suspended, model-like designs that the perspective moves across in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are quite fun, guiding the friends around a carnival and through a haunted house, among other locales. The game includes a “diorama view” feature that enables you to zoom out and turn the levels, simultaneously to admire the artwork and look for ways that may not have been apparent.
Minor Hiccups and General Experience
And that’s one of the few problems with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other games with a locked camera, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists may or may not travel. You may need to simply collide with a several various items to figure out which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nonetheless, those minor challenges don't hinder of a eerie-adorable enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with approximately three to five hours worth of puzzles. Advanced areas combine minor hidden movement and action elements with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a fulfilling — and slightly unforeseen — ending.
Release and Summary
Those avoiding the scares of fear-inducing games won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is presently discounted for a discount on digital platforms.
Gloomy Eyes is out now on various systems and provides a delightful choice for gamers seeking Halloween fun without the terrifying moments.
