Not each autumn fright journey must terrify players. From beloved classics such as Scooby-Doo to endearing shows like Over the Garden Wall, plenty of autumn-inspired titles are enjoyable without needing increasing anxiety. There’s also, a growing library of ghostly-adorable titles with spooky themes, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in the fall, and acts as an excellent relaxing choice to the intensely frightening games of this year.
A Unique Collaborative Solo Journey
Labeled as a solo collaboration problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a living-impaired child called Gloomy and a human girl called Nena as they begin an adventure to bring the sun back to their dark, dark realm. They look resembles Funko Pops combined with the puppets from a Laika film. The pale-skinned and tired-looking style draws inspiration from the visual style of Tim Burton’s films, and the plot is a classic suitable for everyone journey. The pair forms an unbreakable friendship over the course of the game’s multiple stages as Nena attempts to demonstrate to her priest uncle that, hey, perhaps zombies can be friendly.
Innovative Puzzle Mechanics
This unique label originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena cross paths, gamers switch amidst the recent allies to solve puzzles and advance through the levels. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a lamppost, while Nena can be captured by wandering undead without a beam is directed on them.
They have to collaborate effectively — well, players control them simultaneously — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or briefly disable illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful character will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around obstacles in the surroundings, revealing ways for Nena.
Captivating World Building
The puzzles evoke memories a bit of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are suspended, miniature constructions that the view moves across in conjunction with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, guiding the friends around a carnival and through a ghostly building, including other locations. There’s a “diorama view” button that allows you to pull back and rotate the areas, simultaneously to appreciate the visuals and look for paths that may not have been apparent.
Small Challenges and General Experience
And that’s one of the sole difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other releases with a locked camera, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes may or may not travel. You may need to just bump into a few random items to discover which ones are interactable, as the game doesn't always indicate.
However, those minor speedbumps don't hinder of a spooky-cute enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly several hours worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages integrate minor sneaking and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a satisfying — and slightly unforeseen — finale.
Availability and Final Thoughts
Gamers avoiding the scares of intense horror releases should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo platform, Sony system, Windows PC, and Microsoft console, and is currently on sale for 25% off on digital platforms.
This charming title has been released on multiple platforms and provides a enjoyable alternative for gamers in search of autumn enjoyment without fear factor.
