Not every autumn fright adventure must scare players. From well-known tales for example mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, numerous Halloween-themed staples are enjoyable without requiring raising your heart rate. Moreover, a increasing selection of spooky-cute titles with Halloween vibes, but not the truly terrifying level of fear. Gloomy Eyes was released in September, and acts as an excellent relaxing alternative to the deeply scary titles of the current season.
An Original Single-Player Cooperative Quest
Known as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a undead youth known as Gloomy and a mortal child known as Nena as they embark on an adventure to restore sunlight to their dark, dark world. They look resembles stylized dolls combined with the puppets from a Laika film. Their pale-skinned and tired-looking style is influenced by the appearance of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a quintessential family-friendly adventure. The duo develops an strong bond over the course of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to demonstrate to her religious guardian that, hey, possibly the undead aren’t half bad.
Creative Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” term stems from the game’s world-based challenges. Once Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap amidst the budding companions to overcome obstacles and advance through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy can’t walk through the illumination of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by loitering creatures unless a light is directed on them.
They have to cooperate closely — well, players control them together — to advance through areas. Nena might relocate or momentarily deactivate lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the thoughtful boy will use his zombie strength to shift around obstacles in the world, revealing routes for Nena.
Captivating Level Design
These challenges bring to mind a touch of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the levels are hovering, model-like constructions that the view moves across in conjunction with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are highly entertaining, guiding the friends around a fair and through a spooky mansion, amid other locations. The game includes a “diorama view” option that permits you to view from afar and rotate the stages, both for admire the artwork and search for routes that may not have been apparent.
Slight Issues and Complete Gameplay
Here lies one of the few problems with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other titles with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes are able to move. You may need to simply collide with a few random objects to determine which ones are interactive, as clues aren't consistently provided.
However, those slight speedbumps don't hinder of a eerie-adorable good time. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with roughly several hours worth of brain-teasers. Advanced areas integrate subtle sneaking and exciting moments with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and moderately unforeseen — finale.
Release and Final Thoughts
Those steering clear of the scares of terrifying games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Switch console, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X, and is presently discounted for a quarter off on game marketplaces.
This charming title is out now on multiple platforms and offers a delightful choice for gamers seeking Halloween fun without terrifying moments.
