The Ghostly-Charming Brain-Teaser Acts as the Excellent Replacement to Halloween Horror

Not all spooky season experience must frighten players. Starting with iconic favorites for example Scooby-Doo to endearing shows including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of spooky-season titles are enjoyable without requiring causing fear. Moreover, a expanding collection of spooky-cute releases with autumn atmosphere, but not the keep-you-awake level of terror. Gloomy Eyes was released in September, and acts as an excellent relaxing option to the intensely frightening games of the current season.

The game visual
Visual: Creators, Studio, Design Group, Be Revolution/Untold Tales

A Unique Self-Coop Quest

Labeled as a “self-coop” problem-solving title, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a zombie boy called Gloomy and a mortal child known as Nena as they start an mission to restore sunlight to their dark, dark world. They look resembles stylized dolls blended with the figures from a Laika film. Their fair-toned and tired-looking aesthetic is influenced by the visual style of Burtonesque cinema, and the story is a classic all-ages tale. The pair forms an enduring friendship over the duration of the game’s numerous levels as Nena strives to prove to her religious guardian that, you know, maybe zombies are actually good.

Creative Gameplay Systems

The innovative label comes about 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 levels. Being a zombie, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a light source, while Nena can be captured by wandering undead without a lamp is directed on them.

They must collaborate effectively — in practice, you’ll use them together — to complete stages. Nena could adjust or momentarily deactivate lights to create passages for Gloomy, while the open-brained boy will use his zombie strength to rearrange objects in the world, opening up ways for Nena.

This adventure gameplay
Screenshot: ARTE France, ATLAS V, 3DAR, Be Revolution/Untold Tales

Immersive World Building

The brain-teasers bring to mind a little of The Gardens Between, in the way the areas are hovering, diorama-like designs that the perspective rotates in conjunction with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are quite fun, guiding the companions around a fair and through a haunted house, among other places. There’s a “diorama view” option that allows you to view from afar and rotate the stages, both for enjoy the artwork and hunt for ways that may not have been apparent.

Slight Challenges and General Gameplay

This represents one of the only hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other games with a locked camera, it’s not always clear where the characters can and cannot go. Gamers could require to randomly encounter a multiple different items to discover which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.

However, those small challenges don't obstruct of a spooky-cute good time. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with approximately a few sessions worth of challenges. Subsequent stages blend together minor hidden movement and exciting moments with the problem-solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a fulfilling — and moderately unforeseen — ending.

Release and Final Thoughts

Gamers shying away from the frights of terrifying titles should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Microsoft console, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on online stores.

The spooky-cute adventure is available on several consoles and offers a delightful choice for gamers in search of autumn enjoyment without the fear factor.

Margaret Ross
Margaret Ross

Urban culture enthusiast and content curator, bringing you the freshest stories from the streets.