The Coma: Recut

About The Coma: Recut

The Coma: Recut is the remastered edition of The Coma, a Korean indie horror game with a cult following. It was released on Steam on 22 September 2017. Steam lists Dvora Studio as developer and Headup as publisher; the Xbox and Nintendo stores credit Devespresso Games as maker, and the PlayStation and Xbox versions were published by Digerati. It is drawn in hand-illustrated 2D and seen from the side, and it also came out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and, in December 2017, Nintendo Switch. Its sequel, The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters, returns to the same school.

After a night of studying for the last day of exams, Youngho has an eerie dream. At school the next morning he hears that someone tried to commit suicide in the building the night before, but classes go on. During the final exam he drifts off, and wakes in the same school at night. He is not alone.

The game is about running and hiding. You walk the halls of the three connected school buildings, find maps, notes and items, and listen for the footsteps that mean the killer is close. Youngho can run, but his stamina gauge is short, so you need a place to hide: crouch in the dark or slip into a closet and keep still while she searches. Your flashlight helps you find items, but its light can draw her attention. Tentacles, clawing shadows and traps add their own danger, health is scarce, and save points give the only rest. Other students are trapped with you, and you can work with them, if you trust them.

This Recut version redraws the original with new art, animations and cutscenes, and adds a new hiding mechanic, a dodge roll and rebalanced items and stamina. The makers describe it as an infusion of Korean culture into survival horror, with a look at the pressure on Korea's overworked high school students.

Critics were mixed. Several reviews found the controls clunky: NintendoWorldReport notes that you must stand exactly over an icon to use it, and Switch Player found the buttons slow to answer just when you need to hide, dodge or dim the flashlight. Nintendo Life felt the main mechanic turns repetitive rather than scary, while still praising its story of Sehwa High. Digitally Downloaded puts the story at five or so hours, and HowLongToBeat's main story time is also about 5 hours. It suits players who like hide-and-run horror built on tension rather than combat, and anyone who enjoyed the sequel.

How to play The Coma: Recut

1. Explore the school halls from the side, moving between its three connected buildings.
2. Pick up maps, notes and items, and use the maps to find your way.
3. Listen for footsteps: when the killer comes near, run, but watch your stamina gauge.
4. Get out of sight and hide in the shadows or a hiding spot until she gives up.
5. Use save points whenever you find them, and manage your scarce health items.

Tips

• Turn the sound up: the killer's footsteps warn you before she appears.
• Do not spend all your stamina on a sprint; save enough to reach a hiding place.
• Use your flashlight only when you need it, since the light can attract the killer.
• Read every note and listen to the other students you meet, but think about how far you trust them.
• Stand squarely over an icon before you press the button: reviewers found the game only reacts when you are exactly on it, which matters most when you dive into a hiding spot.

Questions