Not all Halloween horror experience has to frighten gamers. From beloved classics like Scooby-Doo to endearing shows like Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired titles offer entertainment without needing increasing anxiety. Moreover, a expanding collection of ghostly-adorable games featuring autumn atmosphere, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in recent months, and stands as an excellent comfortable choice to the deeply scary games of this year.
An Original Collaborative Solo Quest
Described as a solo collaboration puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a undead youth called Gloomy and a human girl named Nena as they begin an quest to bring the sun back to their gloomy realm. Their appearance is similar to Funko Pops combined with the characters from a stop-motion animation. The pale-skinned and tired-looking style borrows heavily from the appearance of Tim Burton’s films, and the story is a archetypal family-friendly journey. The pair builds an strong bond over the duration of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena strives to demonstrate to her religious guardian that, hey, possibly the undead can be friendly.
Innovative Puzzle Mechanics
This unique label comes about from the game’s interactive problem-solving. Once Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, you’ll swap between the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and progress through the areas. As an undead, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the brightness of a lamppost, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead without a light is directed on them.
It's necessary for them to work in tandem — actually, players control them simultaneously — to complete stages. Nena may move or momentarily deactivate lamps to clear paths for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious youth will utilize his supernatural ability to move items in the world, opening up paths for Nena.
Captivating World Building
These challenges evoke memories a touch of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are suspended, model-like designs that the perspective rotates in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are highly entertaining, leading the duo around a fair and through a ghostly building, amid other locations. Players can use a “diorama view” option that permits you to pull back and turn the levels, simultaneously to admire the designs and search for routes that may not have been obvious.
Slight Issues and General Experience
And that’s one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other titles with a static view, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists may or may not travel. Players might have to simply collide with a several various objects to figure out which ones are interactive, as the game doesn't always indicate.
However, those slight challenges don't hinder of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with about several hours worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages combine subtle sneaking and exciting moments with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a satisfying — and somewhat unexpected — ending.
Availability and Final Thoughts
Players shying away from the frights of fear-inducing titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox, and is currently on sale for 25% off on online stores.
The spooky-cute adventure is out now on various systems and delivers a pleasurable alternative for gamers in search of autumn enjoyment without fear factor.
