In a world plunged into darkness, where the Sun refuses to rise after being disappointed by humanity’s pitiful behavior, two children from opposing realities begin a touching journey filled with mysteries. Gloomy Eyes combines a dark yet curiously welcoming atmosphere to deliver a unique narrative experience where love and hope blossom amidst the gloom.
On one side of this story is Gloomy, a lonely zombie boy who dreams of playing with other village children. However, he lives on society’s fringes, constantly avoided by those who fear him and hunted by members of a fanatical cult that blames the undead for the persistent darkness.
The other central character is Nena, a curious and determined human girl who believes she can discover the Sun’s whereabouts. She’s the niece of the sinister man who calls himself “the Priest” – leader of the cult responsible for imprisoning and torturing zombies, often just for amusement.
One night when Nena and Gloomy venture out chasing fireflies under the full moon, a chance encounter brings their gazes together. In that instant, the orange glow in Gloomy’s eyes sparks a profound connection in Nena, creating an emotional bond that unites them on a courageous journey to find the Sun.
Though cooperative at its core, Gloomy Eyes focuses on single-player gameplay, where players constantly switch between both protagonists to perform character-specific actions and progress through environments. Along the way, players must solve puzzles and avoid threats ranging from monster encounters and fanatical cultists to environmental traps.
The gameplay isn’t particularly difficult overall but gains complexity as mechanics unfold. Gloomy takes damage from light exposure, can throw small objects, and move heavy items. Nena risks capture by zombies, can climb ladders, make small jumps, and operates mechanical/electrical devices.
This character ability variation creates intriguing scenarios throughout the roughly five-hour campaign spanning 14 chapters. Though environments aren’t expansive, their spiral-like design encourages exploration. Players frequently revisit previous rooms to activate mechanisms, share items, or open pathways for their partner.
A key mechanic allows triggering an expanded map view with free camera control. This feature proves especially useful for surveying environments from multiple angles and planning puzzle solutions.
The narrative is delivered by the Gravedigger, who serves as narrator in a style reminiscent of classic fairy tales but with aesthetic and thematic influences clearly inspired by Tim Burton. Settings transition through villages, an abandoned school, cemeteries, an amusement park, and even a haunted mansion, creating a horror-themed universe infused with lighthearted humor.
Notably, Gloomy Eyes includes Brazilian Portuguese subtitles – always a positive. However, the localization seems handled by someone unfamiliar with everyday language. While no outright translation errors exist, overly formal phrasing clashes with the game’s casual tone, slightly undermining its narrative intent.
The soundtrack effectively reinforces the atmospheric mystery, though it may feel repetitive during extended puzzle-solving. Some audio technical issues were also noted during the campaign – minor pops and sudden cutouts that momentarily break immersion.
Several minor bugs were observed. One occurs if players escape capture by zombies or light exposure at the last moment, which sometimes locks character-switching functionality. While easily resolved by reloading the last checkpoint, it may cause confusion initially.
Environmental collision issues occasionally hinder movement. This creates frustrating situations where obvious paths become obstructed, making players doubt their solution despite proper positioning.
Enemy AI in both stealth and combat sequences leaves room for improvement, making these brief sections overly simple. While not aiming for high difficulty, the smarter puzzles highlight an imbalance that prevents a consistently polished experience.
Still, Gloomy Eyes delivers a captivating – if brief – narrative. The character-switching puzzle mechanics reward creativity and sustain gameplay engagement. For those enchanted by dark fantasies with levity and humor, this game presents a solid option.
Gloomy Eyes is available on PS5, Xbox Series, Switch and PC with Portuguese subtitles. This review covers the PS5 version using a code provided by Untold Tales.
