Not all Halloween horror journey needs to terrify gamers. From beloved classics such as animated detectives to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired titles are enjoyable without requiring increasing anxiety. Additionally, a increasing selection of ghostly-adorable releases with spooky themes, but not the truly terrifying degree of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in recent months, and acts as an outstanding cozy alternative to the deeply scary games of this year.
A Unique Collaborative Solo Journey
Labeled as a solo collaboration puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes unites a zombie boy called Gloomy and a mortal child known as Nena as they embark on an quest to restore sunlight to their shadowy world. They look evokes Funko Pops blended with the puppets from a stop-motion animation. The pale-skinned and heavy-lidded style borrows heavily from the appearance of Gothic fantasy movies, and the narrative is a classic family-friendly journey. These two develops an unbreakable friendship over the duration of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena attempts to show to her priest uncle that, you know, possibly the undead are actually good.
Innovative Problem-Solving Features
This unique label originates from the game’s world-based challenges. After Gloomy and Nena meet, gamers switch between the budding companions to complete challenges and progress through the areas. Being a zombie, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a lamppost, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies without a beam is directed on them.
They must work in tandem — in practice, you’ll use them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena could adjust or briefly disable lights to open routes for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious youth will employ his undead power to move items in the surroundings, revealing paths for Nena.
Immersive World Building
The puzzles remind me a little of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the areas are hovering, miniature designs that the perspective rotates in sync with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are highly entertaining, guiding the friends around a carnival and through a haunted house, among other locations. The game includes a “diorama view” button that permits you to zoom out and rotate the levels, simultaneously to admire the artwork and search for ways that may not have been obvious.
Minor Hiccups and Complete Adventure
This represents one of the few hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other releases with a fixed perspective, it’s not always clear where the protagonists are able to move. Players might have to randomly encounter a few random elements to determine which ones are interactive, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nevertheless, those small challenges don’t get in the way of a eerie-adorable good time. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with about a few sessions worth of puzzles. Advanced areas integrate minor hidden movement and dynamic sequences with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and slightly unforeseen — ending.
Release and Summary
Those shying away from the scares of terrifying titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Nintendo Switch, Sony system, Windows PC, and Microsoft console, and is currently on sale for 25% off on digital platforms.
The spooky-cute adventure has been released on several consoles and provides a enjoyable option for gamers looking for spooky entertainment without the intense scares.
