Not all autumn fright experience needs to frighten players. Including iconic favorites like mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, many autumn-inspired favorites are enjoyable without needing causing fear. Additionally, a growing library of ghostly-adorable releases including Halloween vibes, though lacking the truly terrifying level of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in the fall, and acts as an superb relaxing choice to the truly terrifying games of this year.
A Distinctive Self-Coop Quest
Known as a “self-coop” problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes unites a undead youth called Gloomy and a mortal child known as Nena as they begin an quest to return daylight to their dark, dark world. Their design is similar to collectible figures mixed with the characters from a animated feature. The light-complected and tired-looking appearance is influenced by the look of Burtonesque cinema, and the narrative is a quintessential all-ages adventure. These two builds an strong connection over the duration of the game’s multiple stages as Nena tries to prove to her clerical relative that, look, maybe zombies aren’t half bad.
Innovative Gameplay Systems
The “self-coop” description stems from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena meet, players alternate between the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and advance through the levels. As an undead, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by loitering creatures unless a light is directed on them.
They must cooperate closely — actually, you’ll use them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena may move or temporarily shut off lights to create passages for Gloomy, while the open-brained boy will use his zombie strength to shift around obstacles in the environment, opening up routes for Nena.
Immersive World Building
The puzzles evoke memories a touch of The Gardens Between, in the manner the levels are hovering, diorama-like constructions that the view moves across in sync with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are quite fun, leading the companions around a carnival and through a spooky mansion, among other locations. There’s a “diorama view” feature that permits you to pull back and spin the areas, both to appreciate the artwork and search for paths that may not have been clear.
Slight Hiccups and Overall Experience
Here lies one of the only problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a fixed perspective, it’s not always clear where the characters may or may not travel. You may need to randomly encounter a few random elements to figure out which ones are interactable, as it’s not always intuitive.
However, those slight obstacles don't obstruct of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with roughly three to five hours worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages combine minor stealth and action elements with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a satisfying — and slightly unforeseen — finale.
Availability and Final Thoughts
Those avoiding the frights of fear-inducing games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, Sony system, Windows PC, and Microsoft console, and is available at a reduced price for 25% off on game marketplaces.
The spooky-cute adventure has been released on various systems and provides a delightful alternative for gamers in search of spooky entertainment without the fear factor.
