Not each Halloween horror experience needs to scare players. From iconic favorites for example animated detectives to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, plenty of autumn-inspired staples are enjoyable without requiring raising your heart rate. There’s also, a growing library of eerie-charming releases including Halloween vibes, though lacking the keep-you-awake level of horror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in recent months, and acts as an superb comfortable alternative to the intensely frightening releases of this year.
A Unique Self-Coop Journey
Described as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a undead youth called Gloomy and a human girl called Nena as they start an adventure to return daylight to their gloomy environment. Their design evokes stylized dolls blended with the puppets from a Laika film. The light-complected and baggy-eyed aesthetic is influenced by the visual style of Tim Burton’s films, and the plot is a classic all-ages journey. The duo forms an strong bond over the duration of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena tries to demonstrate to her religious guardian that, look, possibly the undead aren’t half bad.
Innovative Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” term stems from the game’s interactive problem-solving. After Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, gamers switch amidst the newfound friends to solve puzzles and move forward through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the light of a light source, while Nena can be captured by idle zombies except if a light is shone on them.
They have to collaborate effectively — well, gamers operate them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or briefly disable lamps to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will use his zombie strength to move objects in the environment, opening up paths for Nena.
Engaging Level Design
The puzzles remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the manner the areas are suspended, diorama-like constructions that the view moves across in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, leading the duo around a fair and through a ghostly building, amid other locations. Players can use a “diorama view” feature that permits you to zoom out and turn the stages, both to enjoy the designs and look for routes that may not have been apparent.
Small Challenges and General Adventure
Here lies one of the few problems with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other titles with a fixed perspective, it’s not always clear where the characters are able to move. Gamers could require to just bump into a multiple different objects to figure out which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.
However, those slight obstacles don't obstruct of a ghostly-charming fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with approximately three to five hours worth of puzzles. Advanced areas blend together subtle sneaking and exciting moments with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a fulfilling — and somewhat unforeseen — conclusion.
Availability and Final Thoughts
Players steering clear of the terror of intense horror games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo Switch, PS5, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is presently discounted for a quarter off on online stores.
Gloomy Eyes has been released on multiple platforms and offers a enjoyable choice for fans in search of autumn enjoyment without the fear factor.
