Not each autumn fright journey needs to terrify gamers. Starting with beloved classics for example mystery-solving cartoons to endearing shows like Over the Garden Wall, numerous spooky-season favorites provide fun without needing increasing anxiety. Additionally, a growing library of eerie-charming releases including Halloween vibes, though lacking the truly terrifying degree of fear. Gloomy Eyes was released in September, and serves as an excellent cozy alternative to the intensely frightening games of this year.
An Original Collaborative Solo Quest
Known as a “self-coop” brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes teams up a zombie boy called Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they begin an adventure to bring the sun back to their dark, dark environment. Their design resembles Funko Pops blended with the characters from a animated feature. Their light-complected and heavy-lidded aesthetic draws inspiration from the visual style of Tim Burton’s films, and the story is a quintessential family-friendly tale. The pair forms an enduring connection over the duration of the game’s multiple stages as Nena strives to prove to her priest uncle that, you know, perhaps zombies aren’t half bad.
Innovative Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” label stems from the game’s world-based challenges. Once Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap among the budding companions to solve puzzles and advance through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the light of a light source, while Nena can be captured by loitering creatures without a light is shone on them.
They must work in tandem — well, gamers operate them simultaneously — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or briefly disable illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will use his zombie strength to shift around obstacles in the world, revealing routes for Nena.
Engaging World Building
The brain-teasers remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are floating, diorama-like constructions that the camera moves across in sync with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are highly entertaining, guiding the friends around a carnival and through a haunted house, including other locales. The game includes a “diorama view” option that allows you to view from afar and turn the levels, both for appreciate the designs and look for routes that may not have been apparent.
Minor Issues and Overall Gameplay
Here lies one of the sole difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a static view, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists are able to move. You may need to just bump into a few random objects to discover which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nevertheless, those small speedbumps don't obstruct of a ghostly-charming good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with about a few sessions worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages combine minor hidden movement and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a satisfying — and somewhat surprising — conclusion.
Accessibility and Summary
Those shying away from the scares of intense horror titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo platform, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is currently on sale for a quarter off on digital platforms.
This charming title is out now on multiple platforms and provides a pleasurable choice for players seeking autumn enjoyment without intense scares.
