Not all spooky season journey must terrify you. From well-known tales for example Scooby-Doo to delightful stories such as Over the Garden Wall, plenty of Halloween-themed staples provide fun without needing causing fear. Moreover, a increasing selection of eerie-charming games with Halloween vibes, yet without the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of fear. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and serves as an excellent relaxing alternative to the deeply scary games of the current season.
A Unique Single-Player Cooperative Adventure
Described as a single-player cooperative puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes unites a undead youth named Gloomy and a mortal child known as Nena as they begin an adventure to restore sunlight to their dark, dark realm. Their design evokes Funko Pops combined with the characters from a stop-motion animation. The pale-skinned and tired-looking appearance borrows heavily from the look of Gothic fantasy movies, and the plot is a quintessential family-friendly adventure. The pair develops an enduring bond over the duration of the game’s multiple stages as Nena tries to prove to her clerical relative that, hey, possibly living-impaired beings are actually good.
Creative Problem-Solving Features
This unique term originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, gamers switch between the recent allies to overcome obstacles and progress through the areas. Being a zombie, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a streetlight, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead unless a light is shone on them.
They have to work in tandem — actually, you’ll use them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the thoughtful youth will employ his undead power to shift around items in the world, opening up paths for Nena.
Captivating World Building
The puzzles bring to mind a bit of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the areas are hovering, model-like designs that the perspective pans around in conjunction with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, leading the duo around a carnival and through a spooky mansion, amid other locales. The game includes a “diorama view” button that enables you to zoom out and rotate the areas, both for enjoy the visuals and search for ways that may not have been obvious.
Minor Hiccups and General Experience
And that’s one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other titles with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes may or may not travel. Players might have to randomly encounter a few random elements to determine which ones are interactable, as the game doesn't always indicate.
Nonetheless, those minor speedbumps don’t get in the way of a ghostly-charming enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately three to five hours worth of brain-teasers. Advanced areas blend together light stealth and dynamic sequences with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and somewhat unexpected — conclusion.
Availability and Final Thoughts
Gamers avoiding the scares of fear-inducing titles won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Nintendo platform, PlayStation 5, PC, and Microsoft console, and is currently on sale for 25% off on game marketplaces.
This charming title has been released on several consoles and delivers a delightful option for fans looking for autumn enjoyment without the fear factor.
