Title:Â The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters
Developer: Devespresso Games
Publisher: Headup Games
Genre: Horror, Indie, Action
Available On: PC
Official Site:Â The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters
Release Date: January 28th, 2020
Version Tested: PC
Where to Buy it:Â Steam
I was about an hour into The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters, right before you meet the homicidal demon stalking you for the first time, when… pop. Total blackout. I don’t think I’ve been that frightened by my electricity going out since I was a child. Power issues aside, the desperate, heightened atmosphere of The Coma 2 is one of its biggest strengths – whether the lights are on or off.
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters begins normally enough before things spiral out of control:
Mina Park, a student of Sehwa High, awakens at night in her school. It isn’t long before she realizes that something is amiss. The once-familiar school where she spends her evenings studying looks twisted by something dark and sinister. She finds herself pursued by someone or something that looks eerily like her teacher. To survive, Mina must venture beyond the boundaries of her school and into the surrounding district. There, she will encounter strange creatures, mysterious strangers, and uneasy allies.
To start, The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters is a sequel, but playing the first game isn’t necessary to understand this one. This experience has a super-strong narrative that seems to be contained within this game for the most part. The story is both simple and well-thought-out with blips of lore and humor cleverly peppered in. Vicious Sisters has an incredible balance, which provides a truly engaging experience.
In the same vein as Outlast, there isn’t much standing between you and the horrific creatures in The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters. This stealth-focused approach, paired with the surreal visual and eerie sound design, really sets the mood for this horror adventure. There’s nothing worse than running down a hallway and suddenly hearing the sounds of stomping feet and high-pitched shrieks from somewhere close-by. So, knowing there could literally be something around every corner has a terrific effect on the game’s atmosphere.
Limited resources heighten the tension of The Coma 2. The number of times I desperately scrounged around for bandages, snacks, and other health items was may more than I had intended, and I wasn’t mad about it. As the game goes on, your health decreases, so you must become even more aware and observant during the course of the game.
The 2D art style only enhances the intriguing narrative and gameplay systems. Despite the disturbing imagery and body horror motifs, The Coma 2 is a beautiful game to look at. Not only are the locations well thought out and well-executed, but I absolutely loved the creature designs. From withered hands dropping corpses from the ceiling to a Michael Myers-esque butcher, each creature is unique and eerie in their own right.
My one complaint and some of my highest praise come from the same thing: the creatures stalking you. Aside from one can of mace, Mina is otherwise defenseless. So, if you’re caught without your trusty mace, it’s game over unless you find a hiding spot. This definitely heightens the fear and anxiety of playing, especially when you don’t expect to come across them. However, it can be really tough to get away from them. One step further, there were a handful of occasions where I got in a hiding spot and successfully completed the quick-time event only to have the demoness snatch me out of hiding. This inconsistency pulled me out of the experience because I became way more focused on finding save points than anything else.
That being said, it wasn’t annoying enough to diminish the overall experience of The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters. It’s fun; it’s scary; it’s fun to look at. Luckily for horror fans, this narrative-rich experience checks all the boxes. It is available now on Steam but is set to release on consoles later this year!
Verdict: The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters is great for the anime-loving horror fan. It is incredibly story-driven, so there is plenty of reading. However, there is a really great balance of narrative and gameplay. On top of that, the story is a really good one full of interesting characters and villains. The 2D art style feels very nostalgic yet super modern all at the time, which lends itself to a super cool aesthetic- especially for the horror genre. All in all, if you’re craving a scary visual novel-esque experience, this is definitely the game for you!Â
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