A survival horror of 2D side scrolling that will push us to survive and explore a terrifying underworld known as the "coma", an environment inhabited by all kinds of creatures from the very underworld.
The Coma 2 presents its second installment sharing a mechanic and structure similar to its previous chapter, with which it adds a new protagonist to the lore: Mina Park. It was in 2015 when the Devespresso Games studio brought to light The Coma, a title that then did not go unnoticed by its original aesthetic and staging. A few years later we analyzed his second installment The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters, a 2D side scrolling survival horror that will push us to survive and explore a terrifying underworld known as the "coma", an environment inhabited by all kinds of creatures from the very underworld .
As in his first installment, Korean work continues to offer us a somewhat grim perspective on coma, this being a state that leads us to a parallel universe that crosses our young protagonist while we try to survive in a dark world full of gloomy and terrible creatures . As if the same concept "Upside Down" were, we will be who will travel their world of blackness and ghosts, instead of these being the ones who come to ours.
The awakening of the nightmare
We put ourselves in the shoes of Mina Park, a student from Sehwa High School who tells us that her best friend Youngho has suddenly fallen into a coma inexplicably. During what was supposed to be a normal afternoon at the institute we will be part of an extraordinary unusual astronomical event that makes a dent in our protagonist. Mina mysteriously falls into a coma and wakes up in a familiar but somewhat distorted version of her institute, now inhabited by strange versions of her classmates and other creatures with very bad intentions. Alone and scared, Mina must discover how to get out of the coma, preventing the creatures that populate it from preventing it.
Hallway playability with a successful immersive ability
The Coma 2 makes use of a lateral displacement presenting elements of survival and terror; inviting us to explore the environment with caution. During the game we will move from left to right and we will have the possibility to camp freely throughout the Sewha Institute and its surroundings. We will often stumble over obstacles that will not allow us to continue our journey either preventing us from crossing doors or stairs, and then it will be time for us to have to manage to move forward.
Our character has five life points that can be reduced progressively and permanently if certain actions are not taken at each level. However, carrying out these actions is also risky, since it requires further exploration through the levels, making it easier to run into enemies by chance. We can restore our health by buying snacks at the vending machines that we will find in our path, but like everything else, money is also scarce, and running out of resources in the middle of the game is a real possibility. Therefore, we will have to invest a part of our coins to the purchase of "spectral matches", since they will help us reveal hidden objects, unlock plot notes and obtain additional money.
The game uses a system in which each scenario presents a creature that will always be looking for us, until Mrs. Song arrives or also called, Vicious Sister, who will take the initiative to hunt us. And no, we will not be able to defeat our enemies . The objective in the game will be to reach the points of interest located on the map, get notes that will reveal important facts about the story, avoid being seen in the world "coma" and solve some puzzles. During our tour we will enter the darkness and we will encounter different characters that will indicate clues to help us move forward through the comma.
A fundamental aspect of the game is stealth, since in many occasions Mina will be persecuted so we will need to hide and be able to solve quick time events in an agile way to continue. In the same way, the game requires that we listen to the steps or rather, a hit by the enemy to get an idea of where it is located, since it will cost us to see it coming. One of the great successes of The Coma 2, is that it successfully creates an immersive atmosphere during the persecutions with the enemy, which could vaguely remind us of the sensations experienced with the stubborn Mr X.
The tension will be palpable in the environment, since if we receive an attack from Vicious Sister, it will practically kill us with just one touch regardless of the condition of our character, so we will have no choice but to flee, hide or carry always equipped With us a pepper spray to scare her away. As a nostalgic element, we will have an old reliable Nokia 3310, which will put us in touch with different secondary characters who will try to help us move forward. According to the actions we take in our dialogues with the NPCs of the game, these will determine the course of the plot, since the game has two possible endings.
A tribute to the Japanese horror classics
Although initially they can make us believe that "The Coma 2" is full of student clichés and classic stereotypes, as the game progresses we realize that what it really intends is to cause an immersive effect on us, beyond showing us a title exempt other intentions. In this case we can say that it recreates an adequate atmosphere accompanied by a good sound scene setting, these two factors being its clear winners. With a solid story, with a narrative rhythm in crescendo, and some small "unexpected" twists, the game works together. It is not perfect, since its playability is simple and predictable, but if it is true, that the Korean bet manages to bring us closer to its ground, successfully inspired by the classic myths of Asian terror.
Image and sound
The aesthetic bet of the game is drawn by hand by the artist Minho Kim, being a visually graceful style and that we could perfectly see embodied in any current anime or manga. As if it were a comic, the important events of the game are shown as vignettes and manage to leave us expectant on numerous occasions. One aspect that would remain to be polished are the animations that are somewhat static and that can sometimes take us away from the well-known fourth screen and narrative immersion in general.
Something we should not overlook is the sound section. While it is true that the game opts to combine moments of sepulchral silence in which we will only get to hear our own steps or those of our enemies, we will also have strident sounds that will accompany us during the game and that at certain times will make us jump from the chair. The Coma 2 makes good use of sound, far from being a memorable soundtrack, but that manages to get us perfectly into the disturbing and disconcerting atmosphere of the game.
CONCLUSION
In spite of having some failures it manages to ignore them, obtaining together a satisfactory experience. The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters, is a recommended bet that will make you feel at home if you are a lover of lore or Asian terror.
THE BEST
- Undeniably, its aesthetics is one of its great attractions
- Its effective immersion capacity and achieved sound effects
- Its history despite being simple, constantly invites us to want to know more
- It is an expanded and improved version of its previous chapter
WORST
- A more complex story and characters are missing
- Today it does not bring something new in the genre
- The recurrent use of clichés makes it quite predictable on some occasions.
- It has enough translation failures
CONCLUSION
In spite of having some failures it manages to ignore them, obtaining together a satisfactory experience. The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters, is a recommendable bet that will make you feel at home if you are a lover of lore or Asian terror.
Good
It meets the expectations of what a good game is, it has quality and does not present serious failures, although it lacks elements that could have taken it to higher levels.
