Not each autumn fright journey must terrify gamers. Including iconic favorites like animated detectives to endearing shows like Over the Garden Wall, plenty of spooky-season staples offer entertainment without causing fear. Moreover, a expanding collection of eerie-charming titles with autumn atmosphere, yet without the sleep-with-the-lights-on intensity of fear. Gloomy Eyes debuted in recent months, and acts as an excellent relaxing option to the intensely frightening games of the current season.
A Unique Collaborative Solo Journey
Labeled as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes unites a zombie boy called Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they embark on an mission to return daylight to their shadowy realm. Their design resembles stylized dolls combined with the characters from a stop-motion animation. Their light-complected and tired-looking appearance is influenced by the appearance of Burtonesque cinema, and the story is a classic all-ages adventure. These two builds an unbreakable connection over the duration of the game’s multiple stages as Nena attempts to prove to her priest uncle that, look, maybe the undead aren’t half bad.
Creative Puzzle Mechanics
The innovative description originates from the game’s interactive problem-solving. Once Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, you’ll swap amidst the recent allies to overcome obstacles and move forward through the levels. Being a zombie, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a streetlight, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies unless a lamp is focused on them.
They have to work in tandem — well, gamers operate them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena may move or temporarily shut off lights to open routes for Gloomy, while the open-brained youth will use his zombie strength to move objects in the world, opening up routes for Nena.
Captivating World Building
The puzzles remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the manner the stages are hovering, model-like designs that the perspective moves across in sync with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, guiding the duo around a carnival and through a haunted house, among other locations. There’s a “diorama view” button that enables you to view from afar and turn the levels, both for admire the artwork and hunt for ways that may not have been clear.
Slight Issues and Complete Adventure
Here lies one of the few hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other releases with a locked camera, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists may or may not travel. You may need to just bump into a multiple different items to determine which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nevertheless, those minor obstacles don't hinder of a ghostly-charming enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with roughly several hours worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages integrate subtle hidden movement and exciting moments with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a rewarding — and moderately unforeseen — ending.
Accessibility and Summary
Players steering clear of the scares of terrifying games won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo platform, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, and is currently on sale for 25% off on digital platforms.
Gloomy Eyes is available on multiple platforms and delivers a enjoyable option for fans looking for spooky entertainment without intense scares.
