The Coma: Recut Review
It's the day of exams and of course your alarm has decided not to function correctly. You quickly get to school to see most of the students standing around outside and an ambulance blocking the entrance. Oh, and there’s this gorgeous girl in a different school uniform that you strike out with. In The Coma: Recut your day is about to go downhill from there. You see you are going to fall asleep during the exam and when you wake the world as you know it isn’t going to be there any more.
You have somehow transferred over to a dark world, a world where your favorite teacher has turned into a crazy knife-wielding serial killer, and there doesn’t seem to be any way to get home. You will run into some of your fellow students, but they may not be the same as you remember them. Some will try to help you out, or will help you out for a price. Other students will try to take you out, as in help your death along. You will have the power of your flashlight, a map of the school, and the desire not to die as your guides. Will you be able to get out of this nightmare, or will it claim you like it has with some many other students?
I have to say that when I first started playing this game I thought it odd the sheer volume of save locations (blackboards/chalkboards), but as I progressed through the game I have to say that I was extremely happy to have access to them later in the game. You are going to be spending most of your time trying to dodge your teacher. You can do this by hiding in closets, bathroom stalls, and sometimes if you’re really lucky by just crouching and holding your breath. As you progress through the game you’re going to open up new portions of your school, and I would recommend that you make a map of safe places just in case you have to run away. Speaking of running away you will have to watch your stamina bar. If it runs out you won’t be able to run any more until it recovers. Thankfully you’ll have access to items that can help alleviate some of your stamina problems. I would warn you though that you have VERY LIMITED inventory space and it will fill up quickly with lesser items if you’re not paying attention. There’s also the fact that pulling up your inventory DOES NOT PAUSE the game, so if you’re trying to do a mad dash through an area and you open up your inventory for an energy drink to replenish your stamina, be aware that you can still die while your inventory is open.
Since I’ve mentioned the word inventory enough in the previous paragraph, let me tell you that this is one of the most frustrating parts of the game. I really wish that the game would allow you to rearrange your inventory. I can’t tell you how many items I wasted in the game because I had to quickly open and close my inventory. There’s also the fact that all items have a price tag, and once you’ve procured all the items in the game world the only place to get more of those items is the vending machines, and your currency is very much finite. As a result the last section of the game was a nightmare for me because of the lack of useful items in my inventory, but that’s more my fault than the game’s, but it is still frustrating.
I really did enjoy this game, it is obvious that there is more than one ending to the game, and there are hints that certain areas, late in the game, might play a more pivotal role in winning, but personally I was ok with how I ended things. If you’re looking for a game with a nice look to it, will keep you on your toes, and definitely have its twists and turns in the story then you’re going to be interested in picking up this game.