Not each autumn fright journey needs to frighten you. From well-known tales such as Scooby-Doo to endearing shows like Over the Garden Wall, many spooky-season titles are enjoyable without causing fear. Additionally, a expanding collection of eerie-charming games including Halloween vibes, yet without the truly terrifying intensity of horror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and stands as an superb cozy option to the intensely frightening titles of the current season.
A Distinctive Collaborative Solo Quest
Known as a solo collaboration puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes teams up a undead youth called Gloomy and a mortal child named Nena as they begin an quest to restore sunlight to their shadowy realm. Their appearance is similar to Funko Pops mixed with the puppets from a Laika film. The pale-skinned and tired-looking aesthetic draws inspiration from the look of Burtonesque cinema, and the story is a classic all-ages adventure. The duo builds an unbreakable bond over the duration of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena attempts to show to her religious guardian that, hey, perhaps living-impaired beings aren’t half bad.
Creative Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” description comes about from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, you’ll swap amidst the newfound friends to solve puzzles and advance through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy can’t walk through the light of a lamppost, while Nena can be captured by idle zombies except if a lamp is focused on them.
It's necessary for them to work in tandem — well, gamers operate them together — to advance through areas. Nena may move or temporarily shut off illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around objects in the environment, creating ways for Nena.
Immersive World Building
These challenges remind me a bit of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the areas are hovering, miniature constructions that the camera moves across in conjunction with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are highly entertaining, taking the duo around a amusement park and through a ghostly building, including other locales. Players can use a “diorama view” button that permits you to pull back and spin the areas, both to admire the visuals and look for ways that may not have been apparent.
Minor Hiccups and Overall Adventure
This represents one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a static view, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists are able to move. Players might have to randomly encounter a multiple different objects to determine which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nevertheless, those minor obstacles don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly three to five hours worth of challenges. Advanced areas integrate minor sneaking and exciting moments with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a satisfying — and somewhat unexpected — conclusion.
Availability and Conclusion
Those steering clear of the scares of intense horror games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is presently discounted for a quarter off on game marketplaces.
Gloomy Eyes is out now on multiple platforms and offers a enjoyable alternative for fans looking for spooky entertainment without the fear factor.
