I Love My Eyes Almost As Much As My Own

In follow up to the most recent news piece on My Eyes, it’s time to give an assessment of the game. I love it. Within the context of this being an indie title by two developers and a climber based style of play that doesn’t pretend to be anything else, this is an excellent title.

From the concept to the delivery, I love everything about My Eyes. This isn’t God of War or Euro Truck Simulator 2 – it’s a simple idea of ascending to the top of some fiendishly devised maps to ‘put things back to normal’. It’s not a new idea, but how it goes about it is marvellous.

Sitting under a starlit sky, your character makes a wish. Nothing to do with money, infinite wishes, a bit more hair on their head or a lengthy schlong; this guy wants superpowers. I said it before; invisibility would be incredible – maybe even flight, but this chap’s settled on laser vision.

My Eyes Game Review

To pee all over your sceptical beliefs about wishes coming true (this is based on a true story), the wish IS granted. As soon as you can toast marshmallows just by looking at them, your head pops off and falls down a very lengthy and conveniently placed underground lair. 

Your goal is to reunite with your better half (your body, as that didn’t put you in this predicament), and to reach for those intangible stars, you shoot lasers from your eyes that project you into the air. Wow. I’m more or less repeating what I said in the news piece, but the setup is this: the heat your eyes generate is overbearing, so if you don’t relieve yourself, you’ll explode. Still talking about My Eyes, guys.

Equally, the beams don’t last forever, and after so much usage, they’ll overheat, and you’ll stop in your tracks, crying to yourself. I loved this. This fool deserves it, but you still want to get him to the top – even if you hear his monologues that if he were allowed to make the wish again, he’d do it.

What Goes Up…

The art style in My Eyes, by Deadly Serious Media, appears no frills on the surface, but as a physics-based game, all the shapes are expertly crafted – notably your head, which is shaped a little like Hey Arnold! This can work to your advantage, as when you’re out of juice, you need to be in a resting position to recharge, so to speak. 

Unlike the similar Eggy, you won’t roll as much as you’d think, but that doesn’t insinuate that this is an easy game. Even the opening scene where you first unravel your powers wasn’t a walk in the park. Initially, there aren’t any hazards, and you’re just working out how to direct your head and land it, which is a challenge in itself.

If you misplace a landing and/or run out of lasers, you might end up at the bottom, but let me stress that this game doesn’t punish you like Jump King or comparable titles, where you can potentially fall to the start. 

I played My Eyes with a mouse first but preferred using the game controller. Based on a Switch Pro Controller, the A button would boost, while the left analogue stick positioned in the opposite direction of where you wished to go would propel them forward. It’s a bit of a see-saw set-up as you want to give just enough throttle to reach a resting point, then move on to the next.

Don’t Lose Your Head

Checkpoints are initially reasonable, then they turn it up a level by making you think they no longer exist. By the time I reached the underwater section, I was under the impression that this was the final area as I was stuck in it forever. Don’t read that as a negative as I endlessly restarted again and again – frustrated, sure, but the only reason I ever bailed here and in other areas in the game was due to my concentration levels were dropping, and I was making silly mistakes.

I don’t have a vast list of titles to draw my comparisons, but My Eyes is the best game I’ve played in this genre – if we’re calling climbers a genre. I’m not one for watching others play games, but I did watch Markiplier (and others) play Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy. As a spectator, it was entertaining watching their endeavours come undone then having a meltdown – some naturally being more entertaining than others. However, I don’t get a kick out of that if I play on my own. I’m not a rage-quit player at all but have some limits. Jump King was excellent, as was Eggy, but My Eyes has laser beamed over those as my current favourite.

The visuals were excellent, and the level designs were very challenging but not wholly unfair. Don’t quote me on that – I’m just a bit too nice. As for the music, it’s another title that leapfrogs as one of the best I’ve heard this year. It does loop a bit, but the repetition neither gets old or irritating. Besides, if you’re good enough, the music will change based on the area you’re in.

Overall, this My Eyes review is a massively positive one. Again, let me remind you that my opinion is based on the type of game and expectations. The physics work well, the objectives are clear, and it’s a relatively short game that will feel mammoth based on your dexterity and patience levels. Thoroughly recommended.

Here’s an example of what to expect in the game: