Not every Halloween horror adventure needs to frighten you. From iconic favorites for example animated detectives to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired titles offer entertainment without requiring causing fear. Moreover, a increasing selection of eerie-charming titles with Halloween vibes, but not the truly terrifying level of horror. Gloomy Eyes was released in the fall, and serves as an outstanding cozy choice to the truly terrifying releases of this year.
A Unique Single-Player Cooperative Quest
Labeled as a solo collaboration puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes teams up a zombie boy known as Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they embark on an adventure to bring the sun back to their dark, dark world. Their appearance resembles Funko Pops mixed with the puppets from a Laika film. The fair-toned and tired-looking appearance borrows heavily from the appearance of Gothic fantasy movies, and the plot is a classic all-ages journey. The pair forms an unbreakable bond over the course of the game’s multiple stages as Nena strives to demonstrate to her priest uncle that, look, perhaps living-impaired beings can be friendly.
Original Problem-Solving Features
This unique description stems from the game’s environmental puzzles. After Gloomy and Nena meet, gamers switch between the newfound friends to solve puzzles and move forward through the stages. Being a zombie, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the brightness of a lamppost, while Nena can be captured by idle zombies unless a lamp is focused on them.
They have to cooperate closely — well, players control them simultaneously — to finish levels. Nena may move or briefly disable lamps to create passages for Gloomy, while the open-brained boy will employ his undead power to move obstacles in the world, opening up paths for Nena.
Engaging World Building
The puzzles evoke memories a bit of The Gardens Between, in the manner the areas are suspended, diorama-like structures that the view moves across in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are highly entertaining, guiding the friends around a carnival and through a ghostly building, amid other places. Players can use a “diorama view” button that allows you to zoom out and rotate the stages, simultaneously to appreciate the artwork and look for routes that may not have been clear.
Small Issues and Complete Adventure
And that’s one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other games with a fixed perspective, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists may or may not travel. You may need to just bump into a several various items to discover which ones are interactive, as clues aren't consistently provided.
However, those small challenges don't hinder of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with about three to five hours worth of challenges. Advanced areas integrate light sneaking and exciting moments with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a rewarding — and slightly unforeseen — finale.
Release and Final Thoughts
Gamers shying away from the scares of intense horror titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. It’s available on Switch console, PS5, PC, and Microsoft console, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on online stores.
This charming title is available on several consoles and offers a pleasurable option for gamers seeking autumn enjoyment without terrifying moments.
