Gloomy Eyes

An okay puzzle platformer with a spooky tone. The visuals claim to be Tim Burton-esque, though I would argue that it does a lot more to stand on its own. That and the audio was fittingly both haunting and whimsical, though unlike the visuals it doesn't really stand out too much. Main complaints are that the combat sections come out of nowhere near the end of the game, and the plot was on the simpler side with the preachy theme of, "HUMANS STUPID AND BAD". Not the best game out there, but absolutely not one of the worst ones either. I say give it a shot if you're curious and you can get it on sale!

I love this game except one thing that spoils it. The characters keep getting stuck in the graphics. No way to unstick them except to restart the previous chapter. I've played only 3 hours and have gotten stuck 4 times. So if you don't mind replaying over and over again because you're character walked too far and touched a plant, then go ahead play this game. But if you don't like playing the same chapters over and over and over again, don't play this game.

Gloomy Eyes is developed by several studios but it has a Latino soul, since the directors are Argentinean. First things first: a spooky-cute, striking, and very atmospheric aesthetic, clearly inspired by Tim Burton. At times it feels like a mix between an animated film and a diorama that has come to life, especially thanks to the excellent character designs and the cartoonish animations. What is it? A single-player “co-op” platformer and puzzle game. You control two characters, each with complementary abilities, to solve levels—but using a single controller. There’s a sweet story narrated by Colin Farrell, about a zombie boy whom everyone hates for being unnatural, until a girl shows him that yes, someone can love him just the way he is. Together, they set out on an adventure to recover the lost sun and put an end to this nightmare of a world plunged into darkness, where humans and zombies are in constant conflict. Gameplay focuses on solving levels by using the abilities of both characters to reach the end. Gloomy is vulnerable to artificial light, but he can throw or push objects and is immune to other zombies. Lena, on the other hand, is in danger around zombies, but she can jump and activate artifacts, and she’s immune to artificial light. The narrative takes you through several locations, ranging from Gloomy’s graveyard and Lena’s house, to a forest with cultists, a deserted island, a circus, and a haunted house. In each level, you have to switch between Gloomy and Lena to solve puzzles, cover each other’s weaknesses, and open the path so both can reach the goal. Although my experience with Gloomy Eyes was good, it does have some technical issues. Sometimes there isn’t enough visual clarity about what to do or what to grab, which can make you waste time. Other times the camera gets stuck or shifts into awkward angles that make it hard to see properly, and the zoom—while necessary—is fairly clumsy. Still, it’s a solid short experience of around four hours, with a sweet message, a lovely story, and simple gameplay. It’s perfect for playing in short sessions without stressing out, or alongside someone else who can help you solve the puzzles. I would have liked the game to offer true co-op, but overall I liked it—thumbs up.

It was a great little puzzle game with a dark but good story.

Was cute and cozy, best vibes after work with a cup of tea ☕︎

absoulute perfection give me 10 more

This game was very fun. If you like puzzles games and hidden object games then this is right up your alley. Nothing is inherently obvious and nothing is insanely hard, there's a nice middle ground where you have to put in a little work to solve the puzzles and not lose your mind. I was drawn to this game initially for the animation and art which is absolutely stunning. I really like the plot as well, it is definitely different, but in the best possible way. I also love how exaggerated the character's features are.

A good story and mostly good puzzles.