Not every Halloween horror experience has to scare gamers. Including beloved classics for example mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired titles offer entertainment without needing raising your heart rate. Additionally, a expanding collection of ghostly-adorable titles including autumn atmosphere, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in September, and acts as an excellent relaxing option to the intensely frightening games of this year.
A Unique Collaborative Solo Journey
Known as a solo collaboration puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a undead youth known as Gloomy and a human girl known as Nena as they embark on an adventure to return daylight to their shadowy realm. Their appearance is similar to collectible figures combined with the characters from a Laika film. The light-complected and tired-looking aesthetic draws inspiration from the look of Tim Burton’s films, and the narrative is a archetypal suitable for everyone adventure. The duo develops an unbreakable friendship over the duration of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena attempts to prove to her priest uncle that, you know, possibly living-impaired beings aren’t half bad.
Original Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” term stems from the game’s interactive problem-solving. When Gloomy and Nena cross paths, you’ll swap among the budding companions to solve puzzles and progress through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a streetlight, while Nena will get snatched up by loitering creatures without a lamp is directed on them.
They must work in tandem — in practice, you’ll use them together — to complete stages. Nena might relocate or momentarily deactivate illumination to clear paths for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious boy will employ his undead power to shift around objects in the surroundings, opening up ways for Nena.
Captivating World Building
The puzzles bring to mind a bit of The Gardens Between, in the manner the levels are suspended, model-like designs that the perspective moves across in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are highly entertaining, guiding the companions around a fair and through a haunted house, including other locations. Players can use a “diorama view” feature that permits you to view from afar and rotate the levels, both for admire the visuals and look for paths that may not have been apparent.
Minor Issues and General Gameplay
Here lies one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other games with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the protagonists can and cannot go. You may need to just bump into a few random elements to discover which ones are interactive, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nevertheless, those minor speedbumps don't obstruct of a ghostly-charming good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with approximately a few sessions worth of challenges. Later levels combine light hidden movement and exciting moments with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and somewhat surprising — conclusion.
Availability and Conclusion
Gamers avoiding the scares of terrifying games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo Switch, PS5, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is presently discounted for 25% off on online stores.
This charming title is available on several consoles and offers a enjoyable option for players seeking autumn enjoyment without intense scares.
