Not all Halloween horror journey must terrify gamers. From well-known tales like mystery-solving cartoons to charming series including Over the Garden Wall, numerous Halloween-themed titles are enjoyable without causing fear. Additionally, a growing library of spooky-cute releases with spooky themes, yet without the keep-you-awake intensity of fear. Gloomy Eyes was released in September, and serves as an outstanding relaxing alternative to the intensely frightening titles of the current season.
A Unique Self-Coop Journey
Described as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes unites a undead youth known as Gloomy and a mortal child called Nena as they begin an mission to return daylight to their dark, dark world. They look is similar to stylized dolls combined with the characters from a stop-motion animation. Their fair-toned and tired-looking appearance draws inspiration from the appearance of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a quintessential family-friendly journey. These two builds an unbreakable friendship over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to prove to her religious guardian that, you know, perhaps living-impaired beings aren’t half bad.
Original Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” term stems from the game’s world-based challenges. When Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap between the budding companions to overcome obstacles and advance through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by loitering creatures unless a lamp is directed on them.
They must work in tandem — actually, gamers operate them in tandem — to finish levels. Nena may move or briefly disable lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will employ his undead power to shift around obstacles in the environment, revealing routes for Nena.
Engaging World Building
The puzzles evoke memories a little of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are hovering, miniature constructions that the perspective moves across in sync with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are quite fun, taking the friends around a carnival and through a ghostly building, amid other locales. There’s a “diorama view” option that allows you to pull back and rotate the areas, simultaneously to appreciate the artwork and look for paths that may not have been apparent.
Small Hiccups and Complete Experience
This represents one of the only difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Like other titles with a fixed perspective, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists are able to move. You may need to randomly encounter a few random items to figure out which ones are interactable, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nevertheless, those minor obstacles don't hinder of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with about a few sessions worth of challenges. Subsequent stages combine subtle hidden movement and dynamic sequences with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a satisfying — and moderately unexpected — finale.
Availability and Summary
Gamers shying away from the frights of fear-inducing games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, Sony system, Windows PC, and Microsoft console, and is currently on sale for a discount on digital platforms.
Gloomy Eyes has been released on several consoles and provides a pleasurable choice for players seeking autumn enjoyment without the fear factor.
