Not each autumn fright journey has to terrify gamers. Starting with beloved classics like mystery-solving cartoons to charming series including Over the Garden Wall, numerous spooky-season titles offer entertainment without requiring increasing anxiety. There’s also, a growing library of eerie-charming games featuring autumn atmosphere, yet without the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of terror. Gloomy Eyes was released in September, and serves as an superb relaxing choice to the truly terrifying titles of the current season.
A Unique Collaborative Solo Journey
Known as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes teams up a living-impaired child named Gloomy and a human girl known as Nena as they begin an mission to bring the sun back to their gloomy realm. Their design evokes collectible figures mixed with the puppets from a Laika film. The pale-skinned and heavy-lidded style draws inspiration from the visual style of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a quintessential all-ages adventure. These two forms an unbreakable connection over the span of the game’s multiple stages as Nena strives to prove to her religious guardian that, you know, perhaps the undead can be friendly.
Creative Gameplay Systems
The innovative description stems from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena meet, players alternate among the recent allies to solve puzzles and advance through the levels. Being a zombie, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies unless a beam is directed on them.
They must collaborate effectively — actually, gamers operate them together — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or momentarily deactivate lights to open routes for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around obstacles in the surroundings, revealing routes for Nena.
Immersive Level Design
The puzzles bring to mind a touch of The Gardens Between, in the manner the areas are hovering, miniature constructions that the perspective pans around in conjunction with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, leading the companions around a amusement park and through a spooky mansion, amid other locales. The game includes a “diorama view” option that enables you to zoom out and turn the stages, both to enjoy the designs and look for routes that may not have been obvious.
Slight Issues and Overall Gameplay
Here lies one of the only difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a static view, it’s not always clear where the protagonists can and cannot go. You may need to randomly encounter a several various items to figure out which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nevertheless, those small challenges don't hinder of a eerie-adorable fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with approximately a few sessions worth of puzzles. Later levels integrate subtle stealth and action elements with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a fulfilling — and slightly unexpected — finale.
Accessibility and Conclusion
Those steering clear of the scares of terrifying games won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Switch console, PS5, PC, and Xbox, and is currently on sale for a discount on online stores.
The spooky-cute adventure is out now on several consoles and provides a pleasurable option for gamers seeking autumn enjoyment without terrifying moments.
