Not each Halloween horror adventure must terrify players. From iconic favorites like Scooby-Doo to charming series including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of spooky-season staples are enjoyable without needing causing fear. Moreover, a growing library of ghostly-adorable titles featuring spooky themes, but not the truly terrifying intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes was released in September, and stands as an excellent cozy choice to the intensely frightening titles of the current season.
A Distinctive Self-Coop Adventure
Known as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes unites a living-impaired child named Gloomy and a living girl called Nena as they embark on an mission to restore sunlight to their shadowy environment. Their appearance resembles collectible figures combined with the figures from a stop-motion animation. Their light-complected and heavy-lidded appearance is influenced by the look of Gothic fantasy movies, and the plot is a quintessential family-friendly tale. The duo builds an unbreakable connection over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena tries to prove to her religious guardian that, hey, maybe the undead aren’t half bad.
Creative Puzzle Mechanics
This unique label stems from the game’s interactive problem-solving. After Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap amidst the newfound friends to solve puzzles and advance through the areas. Since he's not alive, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the illumination of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead unless a light is directed on them.
They have to collaborate effectively — in practice, players control them simultaneously — to advance through areas. Nena might relocate or briefly disable lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious boy will employ his undead power to rearrange objects in the environment, creating routes for Nena.
Immersive World Building
The brain-teasers evoke memories a touch of The Gardens Between, in the manner the areas are floating, miniature structures that the view pans around in conjunction with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are highly entertaining, guiding the duo around a fair and through a spooky mansion, among other places. Players can use a “diorama view” feature that permits you to view from afar and spin the levels, both to appreciate the designs and look for ways that may not have been apparent.
Minor Hiccups and Complete Experience
And that’s one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other titles with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the characters may or may not travel. Players might have to randomly encounter a few random objects to figure out which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
However, those minor challenges don’t get in the way of a ghostly-charming enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with about three to five hours worth of brain-teasers. Advanced areas integrate subtle hidden movement and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a satisfying — and somewhat unforeseen — conclusion.
Accessibility and Conclusion
Those avoiding the terror of terrifying releases ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo Switch, PS5, PC, and Microsoft console, and is currently on sale for a discount on game marketplaces.
This charming title has been released on several consoles and provides a delightful option for fans in search of Halloween fun without terrifying moments.
