Not each autumn fright journey has to scare players. From iconic favorites for example mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired favorites offer entertainment without causing fear. Additionally, a expanding collection of eerie-charming titles with Halloween vibes, but not the keep-you-awake intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and acts as an superb comfortable option to the deeply scary releases of the current season.
An Original Self-Coop Quest
Labeled as a “self-coop” brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a living-impaired child called Gloomy and a human girl named Nena as they begin an quest to bring the sun back to their shadowy realm. Their appearance resembles stylized dolls mixed with the figures from a animated feature. The light-complected and tired-looking style is influenced by the appearance of Burtonesque cinema, and the story is a classic all-ages journey. These two builds an strong friendship over the duration of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to show to her priest uncle that, you know, possibly zombies are actually good.
Creative Puzzle Mechanics
This unique label originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. When Gloomy and Nena meet, players alternate amidst the newfound friends to solve puzzles and advance through the stages. Being a zombie, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a light source, while Nena can be captured by wandering undead except if a lamp is focused on them.
It's necessary for them to collaborate effectively — well, you’ll use them together — to advance through areas. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off illumination to open routes for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will use his zombie strength to shift around items in the environment, creating ways for Nena.
Immersive Level Design
The brain-teasers remind me a little of The Gardens Between, in the way the levels are floating, model-like structures that the view pans around in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, guiding the friends around a amusement park and through a spooky mansion, amid other locales. Players can use a “diorama view” feature that enables you to view from afar and spin the levels, both to admire the designs and look for paths that may not have been obvious.
Slight Issues and General Gameplay
This represents one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other releases with a static view, it’s not always clear where the protagonists can and cannot go. You may need to randomly encounter a multiple different objects to figure out which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nonetheless, those slight speedbumps don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable good time. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with about several hours worth of brain-teasers. Later levels integrate subtle sneaking and exciting moments with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a satisfying — and slightly unexpected — finale.
Release and Summary
Gamers avoiding the terror of intense horror releases ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo Switch, Sony system, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is presently discounted for a quarter off on game marketplaces.
Gloomy Eyes is out now on several consoles and offers a delightful alternative for players in search of spooky entertainment without the intense scares.
