Gloomy Eyes + Arise: A Simple Story
Genre: Compilation
Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)
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Review:
(Note: I have previously received review codes for both included games from the kind folks at Untold Tales)
Gloomy Eyes + Arise: A Simple Story is a Compilation containing the two named games, released separately on Nintendo Switch in 2025 and 2022 respectively, with this bundle releasing on Nintendo Switch in 2025.
I have separately reviewed these games. Here is what I thought of each of the games in this collection:
| Game | Genre | # of Players | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arise: A Simple Story – Definitive Edition | 3D Platformer / Puzzle-Platformer | 1-2 Co-Op (Local) | B+ |
tl;drArise is a 3D Platformer with Puzzle-Platformer elements where players can fast forward and rewind the flow of time to solve puzzles. The platforming isn’t very good, and the puzzles aren’t especially difficult, but that’s also not really the point – this game is all about delivering a beautiful audiovisual experience that takes you through a journey of an old man looking back on the events of his life. In that regard, this is a wonderful, moving experience that should not be missed. | |||
| Gloomy Eyes | Puzzle | 1 | B |
tl;drGloomy Eyes is a character-based Puzzle game where players swap between the small boy zombie Gloomy and the human girl Nena as they work together to try to solve the mystery of why the sun went missing. This game’s light and darkness puzzle mechanics and twisted level design are really creative, and while it can get frustrating to get stuck trying to figure out what to do or where to go, this game’s world is so enchanting it’s easy enough to overlook these issues for what is overall a charming and enjoyable game. | |||
In short, both of these are solid games, and while they’re pretty different in tone and gameplay, they both have a strong focus on puzzles and storytelling that sorta’ ties them together. I think they’re both well worth playing.
Ah, but is this bundle worth buying as a package? Well, let’s have a look at the pricing. Individually, these two games normally sell for a combined price of $45… and that’s what the bundle sells for (actually, technically this bundle costs a penny more). Unfortunately, things look even worse when you look at sale prices – buying the two games separately, if you got them on sale at a good price you might have paid as low as $18 for the pair. But thus far as of this writing the best sale price I’ve seen for the bundle is the launch discount of $31.50.
In other words, this is a bundle with a pair of great games at a terrible price. There’s absolutely no reason to waste your money on this bundle – simply buy the individual games on their own and you’ll spend less money. And to be sure, I do recommend the individual games. But Gloomy Eyes + Arise: A Simple Story does absolutely nothing to give players a reason to buy them together like this.
tl;dr – Gloomy Eyes + Arise: A Simple Story is a Compilation containing the two named games, both quality games with a focus on puzzles and storytelling. However, even though the games are great, this bundle costs more than buying the two games separately. As such, there’s no good reason to buy this bundle unless you like wasting money.
Grade: C+
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