Not each Halloween horror journey needs to frighten players. Starting with beloved classics such as mystery-solving cartoons to delightful stories like Over the Garden Wall, numerous spooky-season titles provide fun without causing fear. There’s also, a expanding collection of eerie-charming titles with Halloween vibes, though lacking the sleep-with-the-lights-on intensity of terror. Gloomy Eyes debuted in September, and serves as an outstanding relaxing option to the truly terrifying titles of the current season.
A Unique Single-Player Cooperative Journey
Described as a single-player cooperative brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes unites a zombie boy known as Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they begin an adventure to return daylight to their shadowy world. Their appearance evokes Funko Pops combined with the figures from a stop-motion animation. The fair-toned and heavy-lidded aesthetic draws inspiration from the look of Tim Burton’s films, and the story is a quintessential family-friendly journey. These two forms an enduring bond over the course of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena attempts to demonstrate to her priest uncle that, look, maybe living-impaired beings are actually good.
Innovative Gameplay Systems
The innovative term stems from the game’s environmental puzzles. When Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, you’ll swap between the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and advance through the areas. Since he's not alive, Gloomy cannot pass through the illumination of a light source, while Nena may be grabbed by loitering creatures without a beam is directed on them.
They must work in tandem — well, gamers operate them together — to finish levels. Nena may move or briefly disable illumination to clear paths for Gloomy, while the open-brained youth will employ his undead power to rearrange objects in the surroundings, opening up ways for Nena.
Immersive Level Design
These challenges remind me a little of The Gardens Between, in the way the levels are floating, miniature structures that the view pans around in coordination with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are very enjoyable, guiding the friends around a amusement park and through a haunted house, amid other locations. Players can use a “diorama view” option that enables you to view from afar and spin the areas, simultaneously to enjoy the visuals and hunt for paths that may not have been apparent.
Small Challenges and General Experience
And that’s one of the few hiccups with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the protagonists are able to move. Players might have to simply collide with a multiple different items to determine which ones are interactable, as the game doesn't always indicate.
Nonetheless, those slight challenges don’t get in the way of a ghostly-charming good time. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with roughly a few sessions worth of challenges. Advanced areas integrate minor sneaking and exciting moments with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes marches toward a satisfying — and slightly surprising — conclusion.
Accessibility and Conclusion
Gamers steering clear of the scares of fear-inducing games should definitely try Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, PS5, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is currently on sale for a discount on game marketplaces.
The spooky-cute adventure is out now on multiple platforms and provides a delightful alternative for gamers looking for spooky entertainment without intense scares.
