Bad Dream: Coma

Genre: Graphic Adventure / Horror

Players: 1

.

Review:

Bad Dream: Coma is a graphic adventure that puts you in the role of someone who falls asleep and finds that not only has he found himself in a nightmare, but that it’s a nightmare others seem to be sharing with him, one that no one can seem to wake up from.

The game is depicted with hand-drawn visuals on sepia tones, as if the game were drawn onto weathered and stained paper. It’s a bit dull, but it does manage to make the already creepy scenario even more creepy.

Players will move from place to place in the world of the game looking for clues in the environments that can then be used to solve puzzles and surpass obstacles in the way. You might, for example, find a set of car keys that can then be used on the trunk of a miniature toy car… which has a sort of logic to it, but at the same time is just insane enough that it would make sense in a dream.

That’s probably the biggest issue I had with this game, though – the way it goes about puzzles can be extremely clever, but it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense sometimes. At one point, I encountered a pair of boards that could be pried up by a crowbar at the side of the road. Being a typical videogame hoarder, I tried to take both of them, but wasn’t allowed to do so. It was only later, when I needed the board, that I could come back and get it. But by that point, I had inexplicably dropped the crowbar and needed to go through a series of tasks to get it again.

Also, the imagery in this game is disturbing in a way that even those not put off by age warnings should be made aware of. Even beyond characters getting maimed in disturbing ways, the entire game is overcome with a creepiness that could rub some people the wrong way.

However, while it’s not for everyone, if you’re the sort of person who thinks that you’d like to solve puzzles in a creepy nightmare, Bad Dream: Coma way very well be exactly the game you’ve been… er… dreaming of.

tl;dr – Bad Dream: Coma is a graphic adventure where you must solve puzzles to try to find a way out of a nightmare. The puzzle logic doesn’t always make perfect sense, but they’re frequently very clever, and the game succeeds at creating a wonderfully creepy atmosphere that, while not for everyone, is bound to be perfect for the right audience.

Grade: C+

^{You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!}