Not every Halloween horror journey must terrify players. From iconic favorites like mystery-solving cartoons to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of autumn-inspired favorites provide fun without needing causing fear. There’s also, a expanding collection of eerie-charming releases featuring Halloween vibes, yet without the keep-you-awake intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and acts as an outstanding cozy option to the intensely frightening games of this year.
An Original Self-Coop Adventure
Described as a single-player cooperative problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a living-impaired child named Gloomy and a human girl called Nena as they begin an adventure to bring the sun back to their dark, dark environment. Their appearance resembles stylized dolls mixed with the puppets from a animated feature. The fair-toned and tired-looking style draws inspiration from the look of Gothic fantasy movies, and the narrative is a quintessential suitable for everyone journey. These two builds an unbreakable connection over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena attempts to prove to her priest uncle that, you know, possibly zombies aren’t half bad.
Original Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” term comes about from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap between the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and advance through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the light of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by loitering creatures except if a light is shone on them.
They have to collaborate effectively — actually, players control them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or briefly disable illumination to create passages for Gloomy, while the thoughtful character will use his zombie strength to shift around obstacles in the world, revealing routes for Nena.
Engaging Level Design
The brain-teasers bring to mind a bit of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the areas are floating, diorama-like constructions that the perspective pans around in conjunction with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are highly entertaining, leading the duo around a fair and through a haunted house, among other locations. Players can use a “diorama view” feature that allows you to pull back and spin the levels, simultaneously to appreciate the visuals and hunt for paths that may not have been clear.
Small Challenges and Overall Experience
And that’s one of the sole hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other titles with a static view, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists can and cannot go. Players might have to simply collide with a few random objects to figure out which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.
However, those minor speedbumps don’t get in the way of a ghostly-charming fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately a few sessions worth of challenges. Advanced areas combine light stealth and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a rewarding — and moderately unforeseen — conclusion.
Availability and Conclusion
Those steering clear of the frights of fear-inducing titles won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, Sony system, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is currently on sale for a discount on digital platforms.
The spooky-cute adventure is out now on multiple platforms and offers a delightful option for players in search of Halloween fun without the fear factor.
