Not all spooky season journey must terrify players. Starting with beloved classics like Scooby-Doo to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, numerous Halloween-themed titles are enjoyable without needing increasing anxiety. Additionally, a expanding collection of ghostly-adorable titles featuring autumn atmosphere, yet without the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of horror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and stands as an outstanding comfortable option to the truly terrifying games of the current season.
An Original Self-Coop Quest
Described as a solo collaboration puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes unites a zombie boy called Gloomy and a mortal child known as Nena as they begin an adventure to restore sunlight to their dark, dark realm. Their appearance is similar to stylized dolls blended with the figures from a Laika film. Their pale-skinned and heavy-lidded appearance is influenced by the visual style of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a classic family-friendly journey. The duo develops an enduring friendship over the course of the game’s multiple stages as Nena attempts to show to her religious guardian that, hey, perhaps living-impaired beings are actually good.
Original Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” description stems from the game’s environmental puzzles. When Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap amidst the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and progress through the stages. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by wandering undead unless a lamp is focused on them.
They must collaborate effectively — well, players control them simultaneously — to finish levels. Nena might relocate or temporarily shut off lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will utilize his supernatural ability to move obstacles in the world, revealing routes for Nena.
Captivating World Building
The brain-teasers remind me a little of The Gardens Between, in the manner the levels are hovering, miniature structures that the perspective pans around in conjunction with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are quite fun, guiding the friends around a amusement park and through a haunted house, among other locations. The game includes a “diorama view” feature that allows you to view from afar and rotate the stages, both to appreciate the designs and search for routes that may not have been obvious.
Slight Hiccups and Complete Gameplay
Here lies one of the few hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other games with a static view, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists can and cannot go. You may need to randomly encounter a multiple different items to determine which ones are usable, as the game doesn't always indicate.
However, those slight obstacles don’t get in the way of a ghostly-charming fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately three to five hours worth of challenges. Later levels blend together light hidden movement and exciting moments with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a satisfying — and moderately unforeseen — conclusion.
Accessibility and Final Thoughts
Players avoiding the terror of fear-inducing games won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Switch console, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox, and is currently on sale for a quarter off on game marketplaces.
Gloomy Eyes is available on several consoles and provides a pleasurable alternative for players seeking Halloween fun minus the intense scares.
