Not every autumn fright adventure must frighten players. Starting with well-known tales for example animated detectives to delightful stories such as Over the Garden Wall, plenty of Halloween-themed staples are enjoyable without needing increasing anxiety. Moreover, a increasing selection of ghostly-adorable releases featuring autumn atmosphere, but not the sleep-with-the-lights-on level of horror. Gloomy Eyes arrived in September, and stands as an outstanding comfortable alternative to the truly terrifying games of this year.
An Original Collaborative Solo Journey
Described as a “self-coop” puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes teams up a living-impaired child called Gloomy and a living girl called Nena as they start an quest to restore sunlight to their dark, dark realm. Their design resembles collectible figures combined with the characters from a Laika film. The light-complected and tired-looking appearance is influenced by the visual style of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a classic family-friendly adventure. The pair develops an enduring bond over the course of the game’s multiple stages as Nena tries to show to her priest uncle that, look, possibly zombies can be friendly.
Innovative Problem-Solving Features
This unique term originates from the game’s world-based challenges. Once Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, players alternate between the budding companions to solve puzzles and move forward through the levels. As an undead, Gloomy can’t walk through the illumination of a streetlight, while Nena can be captured by wandering undead without a light is shone on them.
It's necessary for them to work in tandem — well, players control them simultaneously — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or briefly disable lights to clear paths for Gloomy, while the intellectually curious character will use his zombie strength to rearrange items in the surroundings, creating routes for Nena.
Engaging Environment Creation
The brain-teasers remind me a little of The Gardens Between, in the manner the stages are floating, diorama-like designs that the view pans around in coordination with your heroes. Gloomy Eyes’ environments are highly entertaining, taking the friends around a fair and through a ghostly building, among other locales. Players can use a “diorama view” button that permits you to zoom out and turn the areas, both to enjoy the designs and look for routes that may not have been clear.
Small Issues and General Adventure
This represents one of the sole hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other titles with a fixed perspective, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists may or may not travel. Players might have to randomly encounter a several various elements to figure out which ones are interactable, as it’s not always intuitive.
Nevertheless, those small obstacles don’t get in the way of a ghostly-charming enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with about several hours worth of challenges. Subsequent stages integrate subtle stealth and action elements with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes progresses to a fulfilling — and slightly unforeseen — finale.
Release and Final Thoughts
Those avoiding the frights of terrifying games ought to experience Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, Sony system, PC, and Xbox, and is presently discounted for 25% off on online stores.
Gloomy Eyes has been released on several consoles and provides a enjoyable choice for gamers looking for Halloween fun without fear factor.
