Not all autumn fright journey needs to scare you. From beloved classics like animated detectives to charming series including Over the Garden Wall, many autumn-inspired titles are enjoyable without raising your heart rate. Moreover, a expanding collection of eerie-charming releases including autumn atmosphere, but not the keep-you-awake intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in the fall, and acts as an superb relaxing choice to the intensely frightening titles of this year.
A Distinctive Self-Coop Quest
Described as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes teams up a zombie boy called Gloomy and a mortal child called Nena as they embark on an quest to return daylight to their dark, dark environment. They look evokes Funko Pops combined with the figures from a Laika film. Their light-complected and heavy-lidded aesthetic draws inspiration from the appearance of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a quintessential all-ages adventure. The pair develops an unbreakable bond over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena tries to demonstrate to her priest uncle that, you know, possibly the undead are actually good.
Original Gameplay Systems
This unique term stems from the game’s world-based challenges. Once Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, gamers switch among the budding companions to solve puzzles and progress through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy can’t walk through the light of a streetlight, while Nena may be grabbed by idle zombies without a beam is directed on them.
It's necessary for them to cooperate closely — well, players control them together — to advance through areas. Nena may move or temporarily shut off illumination to open routes for Gloomy, while the open-brained boy will employ his undead power to rearrange obstacles in the surroundings, creating routes for Nena.
Captivating Environment Creation
The puzzles remind me a little of The Gardens Between, in the manner the stages are hovering, miniature designs that the camera rotates in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are quite fun, leading the duo around a fair and through a haunted house, amid other places. There’s a “diorama view” button that enables you to view from afar and turn the areas, both for appreciate the visuals and look for routes that may not have been obvious.
Minor Issues and Complete Adventure
This represents one of the sole problems with Gloomy Eyes. Like other games with a locked camera, occasionally it's confusing where the characters can and cannot go. Players might have to just bump into a few random items to discover which ones are interactable, as the game doesn't always indicate.
However, those minor challenges don't hinder of a eerie-adorable enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with approximately a few sessions worth of brain-teasers. Advanced areas blend together light stealth and dynamic sequences with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a satisfying — and moderately unforeseen — finale.
Accessibility and Final Thoughts
Gamers avoiding the frights of fear-inducing titles won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. The game is out on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Microsoft console, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on game marketplaces.
The spooky-cute adventure has been released on several consoles and provides a pleasurable option for players in search of autumn enjoyment without terrifying moments.
