The Coma 2B: Catacomb (Nintendo Switch) Review

When The Coma 2B: Catacomb begins, it takes its time to reestablish Youngho and Sehwa High. It takes almost 30 minutes before the gameplay begins properly, and Youngho is set loose to evade murderous spirits and deadly traps. The lengthy intro's hook might put off those unfamiliar with what The Coma has to offer, but the payoff is worth it. Things begin mundanely with Youngho's academic routine and social life, but as each day passes, the reality around him begins to unravel.

The story continues after the events of the first game and occurs concurrently with the events of the second. When Youngho's Groundhog Day reality becomes a nightmare, all hell breaks loose, and he finds himself pursued by a twisted shadow version of Ms. Song. The story revolves around relationships between multiple classmates and family members, and how they're all bound together by curses and demonic rituals. It can come across as very soapy at times and there are a lot of characters with hard-to-remember names with deep connections to other characters with hard-to-remember names.

The heart of The Coma 2B: Catacomb's story is Youngho. He is a likeable protagonist who grows throughout the story. He begins as a very average and unremarkable student, but his time in the Coma has hardened him since most people succumb to its effects. Youngho is resilient and it's like he found his calling in life to contend with the supernatural. He has genuine heroic moments and stays unfettered despite evil spirits trying to take over his body in the waking world.

The Coma 2B: Catacomb will have Youngho explore new environments not seen in the first game or the sequel. School may be out, but evil Ms. Song and the Vicious Sister are still out to rip him apart. The nightmarish new locations twist space and lean heavily on fleshy nightmarish imagery. The comic book-like art style softens the intensity of the gore, but it is no less gruesome.

The core gameplay is identical to the prior entries. Youngho controls on a 2D plane, can enter doors, inspect objects, and solve some puzzles. It follows all the familiar survival-horror adventure game rules and even throws in some backtracking once in a while. What makes The Coma 2B: Catacomb and its predecessors exciting are the psychopathic pursuers. Evil Ms. Song and the Vicious Sister are frightful killers that absolutely won't stop.

Evading threats and obstacles is brought to the forefront in this entry more than in the prior titles. When being chased, Youngho can use hiding places and dodge rolls for safety. His stamina is very limited and buying resources can only take him as far as the next vending machine and the change in his pocket. Youngho gets wiped out quickly, and his pursuers are more aggressive than anything in the last few games. Hiding will initiate a QTE minigame, but in The Coma 2B: Catacomb, it's absurdly long and difficult, almost guaranteeing failure.

The Coma 2B is roughly the same length as the other entries. This is not glorified DLC, it's a genuine sequel, and it's one for veterans because it is way harder than the prior games. Sometimes the difficulty is cheaper than anything, often unfairly spawning the killer too closely to Youngho, leading to unearned deaths and losing progress.

Late in the game, a new foe is introduced, and the difficulty shoots through the roof. Dealing with this threat becomes a tedious exchange, taking steps back to hide and contend with a timer. A weapon is introduced, but its implementation is questionable and too slow for practical use. There is an element of luck at play and the experience overstays its welcome. What this franchise needs is voice acting. There is far too much dialogue to parse through, and having voices could enhance the atmosphere and add personality to the characters and antagonists.