Gloomy Eyes [PlayStation 5] | REVIEW

After starting life as a short film developed for VR, Gloomy Eyes has been re-imagined as a playable puzzle adventure, telling a dark and whimsical tale of love and survival. Equal parts eerie and endearing with its dark Tim Burton-inspired tone and with the storytelling now intertwined with puzzling gameplay, it makes for a memorable experience that I had lot of fun being a part of.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The premise of Gloomy Eyes is as strange as it is poetic, with the sun abandoning the Earth after growing tired of humans, leaving the world in perpetual night. In this twilight, humans and the undead are locked in conflict, each blaming the other for their plight, and at the heart of it all are Gloomy, a zombie boy with glowing eyes, and Nena, a spirited human girl. Despite their differences, the two form an unlikely partnership (and even some romance) while navigating the hostile world. It’s like Romeo and Juliet but… undead.

The narrative is simple and a little predictable with its star-crossed lovers, but what it lacks in originality, it absolutely makes up for in presentation. Gloomy Eyes brings with it a storybook quality that’s easy to find yourself completely absorbed in, with the tale carrying enough emotional weight and twists of originality within its design to keep it engaging until the credits roll. It’s sweet but (charmingly) creepy, and it makes for a wonderful little journey.

At its core, Gloomy Eyes is a puzzle-platformer built on the interplay between its two leads. Players switch seamlessly between Gloomy and Nena, with each bringing with them their own strengths and weaknesses that ensure that teamwork will make the dream work. Gloomy can shift heavy objects, throw bricks, and pass safely among zombies, but he must stay out of direct light if he wants to survive. By contrast, Nena thrives in brightness, can operate switches, and leap across gaps, though she’s seen as a tasty meal to the undead.

“Gloomy Eyes’ wonderful presentation, endearing storytelling, and engaging dual-character puzzling ensure that it shines brightly in a world of eternal night.”

Each character’s skills complementing one another helps fuel the game’s self-coop structure, with levels that are built around alternating between the pair to clear obstacles, evade enemies, and solve puzzles. Whilst the mechanics themselves are straightforward and don’t push boundaries too much, they’re applied with care across each of the game’s diorama-style levels to keeping things engaging, accessible, and, most importantly, fun. Puzzles are cleverly designed to keep players occupied, whilst occasional diversions such as boss encounters or quirky set pieces within the environment help to break up the rhythm. It’s a rewarding gameplay loop that makes Gloomy Eyes a real treat to play.

Visually, the game is absolutely gorgeous, with its handcrafted stages, rotatable dioramas, and exaggerated character designs echoing Tim Burton’s macabre style (it’s an OBVIOUS inspiration that’s clear in almost every element of the game’s visuals). The effective lighting within environments helps bring atmosphere to the world, whilst each level is packed with grim detail that plays perfectly into its spooky themes. What makes it all the more impressive is the brilliant sound design, which mixes sinister effects with a haunting score, evoking a sense of mystery without ever trying TOO hard to be spooky. I simply loved exploring each locale and uncovering of their secrets, and with plenty to discover through each nook and cranny, it’s clear that a lot of love went into building Gloomy Eyes’ delightfully eerie world – both with the things you see AND hear when playing.

And with the game only taking around five hours to beat, it’s the perfect length to suit the scope of Gloomy Eyes’ ideas. It’s over before any repetition can kick in, whilst the creative approach to puzzling and level design ensures there’s always something fresh to keep players invested through the short runtime. And hey, levels can be replayed to chase missed collectibles if you wish, but the main draw is the experience itself: a moody, charming journey that lingers after it’s done.

Check out some screenshots down below:

That said, I should point out a couple of the little flaws I encountered when playing. There was nothing game-breaking by any means, but the camera was guilty of obscuring things a little in some levels, making it hard to follow the action completely. I also got stuck in the environment on one level, and even had a soft-lock that forced a restart.  Again, nothing too severe, but small things that can probably be fixed up with a patch in the future.

Developer: Atlas V, Be Revolution Gaming, 3Dar, Fishing Cactus, ARTE France
Publisher: Arte France, Untold Tales
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Website: https://untoldtales.games/games/gloomy-eyes/