This Spooky-Cute Puzzler Functions as the Ideal Substitute to Halloween Horror

Not each spooky season journey needs to scare you. From iconic favorites for example Scooby-Doo to charming series including Over the Garden Wall, plenty of Halloween-themed titles provide fun without requiring causing fear. There’s also, a growing library of spooky-cute releases with Halloween vibes, though lacking the truly terrifying degree of fear. Gloomy Eyes was released in recent months, and stands as an excellent relaxing option to the deeply scary releases of the current season.

A Distinctive Single-Player Cooperative Journey

Described as a solo collaboration brain-teaser, Gloomy Eyes teams up a undead youth named Gloomy and a mortal child called Nena as they begin an quest to restore sunlight to their shadowy world. Their design is similar to collectible figures blended with the figures from a animated feature. The fair-toned and baggy-eyed style draws inspiration from the appearance of Gothic fantasy movies, and the story is a classic all-ages tale. The pair builds an enduring connection over the duration of the game’s 14 chapters as Nena tries to show to her religious guardian that, look, perhaps the undead are actually good.

Creative Problem-Solving Features

This unique term originates from the game’s environmental puzzles. Once Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, you’ll swap between the newfound friends to overcome obstacles and progress through the areas. Being a zombie, Gloomy cannot pass through the brightness of a streetlight, while Nena can be captured by idle zombies unless a lamp is shone on them.

They have to work in tandem — actually, you’ll use them simultaneously — to finish levels. Nena might relocate or briefly disable lights to open routes for Gloomy, while the open-brained boy will utilize his supernatural ability to shift around objects in the environment, opening up routes for Nena.

Immersive Level Design

The brain-teasers bring to mind a bit of The Gardens Between, in the way the levels are suspended, model-like designs that the view moves across in sync with your protagonists. Gloomy Eyes’ settings are quite fun, guiding the duo around a fair and through a spooky mansion, among other locales. There’s a “diorama view” feature that enables you to view from afar and turn the levels, both to admire the designs and hunt for ways that may not have been apparent.

Small Issues and Complete Experience

This represents one of the few difficulties with Gloomy Eyes. Like other releases with a locked camera, sometimes it's unclear where the heroes can and cannot go. Gamers could require to randomly encounter a multiple different elements to determine which ones are usable, as clues aren't consistently provided.

However, those small speedbumps don't obstruct of a ghostly-charming enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes is relatively brief, with approximately a few sessions worth of challenges. Subsequent stages blend together light sneaking and action elements with the challenge completion, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and slightly unexpected — ending.

Release and Conclusion

Those shying away from the scares of fear-inducing games won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, PlayStation 5, computer, and Xbox Series X, and is available at a reduced price for a quarter off on game marketplaces.

This charming title is out now on several consoles and delivers a pleasurable option for players seeking Halloween fun without the intense scares.