Not all autumn fright adventure needs to frighten gamers. Including iconic favorites like Scooby-Doo to delightful stories such as Over the Garden Wall, many autumn-inspired staples provide fun without needing causing fear. Moreover, a growing library of eerie-charming games including autumn atmosphere, but not the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of horror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and acts as an excellent comfortable option to the truly terrifying titles of the current season.
A Distinctive Collaborative Solo Journey
Described as a “self-coop” brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes unites a zombie boy known as Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they start an adventure to bring the sun back to their gloomy environment. Their appearance is similar to stylized dolls blended with the characters from a animated feature. The light-complected and heavy-lidded aesthetic draws inspiration from the appearance of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a quintessential family-friendly tale. These two forms an unbreakable friendship over the span of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena tries to prove to her religious guardian that, you know, perhaps zombies are actually good.
Innovative Problem-Solving Features
The “self-coop” term stems from the game’s interactive problem-solving. Once Gloomy and Nena cross paths, gamers switch between the budding companions to overcome obstacles and advance through the stages. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a streetlight, while Nena will get snatched up by wandering undead without a lamp is directed on them.
It's necessary for them to cooperate closely — actually, players control them together — to advance through areas. Nena might relocate or temporarily shut off lamps to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will utilize his supernatural ability to rearrange objects in the world, revealing ways for Nena.
Immersive Level Design
The brain-teasers remind me a touch of The Gardens Between, in the fashion the areas are floating, model-like constructions that the camera pans around in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, taking the companions 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 spin the areas, simultaneously to appreciate the visuals and search for ways that may not have been apparent.
Slight Issues and Complete Experience
And that’s one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other games with a fixed perspective, sometimes it's unclear where the heroes are able to move. You may need to just bump into a few random items to discover which ones are interactive, as the game doesn't always indicate.
Nevertheless, those minor challenges don't obstruct of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes runs on the short side, with roughly a few sessions worth of puzzles. Advanced areas combine subtle sneaking and action elements with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a rewarding — and somewhat surprising — ending.
Release and Summary
Players avoiding the scares of intense horror games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo platform, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox, and is currently on sale for 25% off on online stores.
Gloomy Eyes has been released on various systems and provides a pleasurable alternative for players in search of spooky entertainment without intense scares.
