Not every autumn fright adventure must scare gamers. Starting with iconic favorites such as Scooby-Doo to delightful stories including Over the Garden Wall, numerous autumn-inspired staples provide fun without causing fear. Moreover, a increasing selection of spooky-cute releases with autumn atmosphere, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of fear. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and acts as an superb comfortable option to the truly terrifying releases of this year.
An Original Collaborative Solo Quest
Described as a “self-coop” problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes teams up a undead youth named Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they start an mission to bring the sun back to their dark, dark environment. They look evokes Funko Pops mixed with the puppets from a animated feature. The light-complected and baggy-eyed appearance draws inspiration from the visual style of Tim Burton’s films, and the story is a archetypal all-ages adventure. These two develops an unbreakable bond over the duration of the game’s multiple stages as Nena attempts to demonstrate to her clerical relative that, you know, possibly living-impaired beings aren’t half bad.
Creative Puzzle Mechanics
This unique label stems from the game’s interactive problem-solving. After Gloomy and Nena meet, you’ll swap amidst the newfound friends to complete challenges and move forward through the levels. Since he's not alive, Gloomy is unable to traverse through the light of a light source, while Nena will get snatched up by idle zombies unless a beam is shone on them.
They must collaborate effectively — in practice, you’ll use them in tandem — to complete stages. Nena may move or temporarily shut off lights to create passages for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious youth will utilize his supernatural ability to rearrange obstacles in the world, opening up ways for Nena.
Immersive World Building
These challenges bring to mind a touch of The Gardens Between, in the way the levels are floating, diorama-like structures that the perspective pans around in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are quite fun, guiding the friends around a fair and through a haunted house, amid other locales. Players can use a “diorama view” feature that enables you to zoom out and spin the levels, simultaneously to appreciate the artwork and search for ways that may not have been apparent.
Slight Hiccups and Overall Gameplay
And that’s one of the only problems with Gloomy Eyes. Similar to other games with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the characters can and cannot go. Players might have to simply collide with a several various items to figure out which ones are usable, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nevertheless, those slight speedbumps don’t get in the way of a spooky-cute fun adventure. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with approximately three to five hours worth of puzzles. Subsequent stages combine minor sneaking and dynamic sequences with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a fulfilling — and slightly unexpected — conclusion.
Accessibility and Summary
Gamers avoiding the terror of fear-inducing games won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo Switch, Sony system, computer, and Xbox, and is currently on sale for 25% off on digital platforms.
The spooky-cute adventure is available on several consoles and delivers a delightful alternative for fans looking for autumn enjoyment without terrifying moments.
