Considering your first moment of consciousness involved being released from a captivity you didn't even no you were in, the freedom you feel is especially sweet. It's a shame though that it's a result of the research outpost's "last ditch" protocols that, with the hull about to collapse upon itself, release all the experimental organisms in the belief that one might be able to save itself and/or at least not make things worse. That just might be you: with your power to revert your consciousness to the moment of your first "awakening", you can replay these precious few seconds time and time again. And that means you have all the time you need to explore, figure out what you are, and just maybe, seek a way out. Terra Coda is a sci-fi adventure game originally developed by Zillix for Ludum Dare 19, now re-released in a polished form.
Moving with the [arrow] keys, and interacting with [x] and the [spacebar], move around the lab, discovering helpful (and sometimes not so helpful) information. Death will happen fairly quickly in each playthrough, but there are actions you can take which will grant you more time and, of course any knowledge you glean from previous playthroughs (like door passwords or how to activate various devices) you can use without delay. A high-concept, cerebral little game, reminiscient of Groundhog's Day style games like Majora's Mask or Level Up, Terra Coda throws you in at the deep end and you can almost hear it chuckling at your first attempts to swim. However, once you get your bearings, the thrill of discovery takes over, and even its red herrings help develop a quirky and mysterious game-world. One of those games that truly feels like you're inhabiting but a small subsection of a fully developed world, Terra Coda takes the concept of "replay value" to a whole 'nother level.
Walkthrough Guide
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Terra Coda Walkthrough
Note: The nature of Terra Coda means that one could conceiveably win the game on their first "life", providing they knew the proper sequence of actions. However, just stating that would make for an unsatisfying walkthrough, as players would miss out on the story. Thus, what follows is a description of one possible series of "lives" that will lead to Terra Coda's conclusion
Life 1
I head north and talk to the Portal Science Guy by the weird squiggly portal. He says we can buy a little time by turning off the power back the way I came. I don't have much time to ponder this, though. RESTART
Life 2
North and to the left from the starting point is the power console. I go up and activate it with X. This turns off the power, while turning on some barriers. Q still make it up to Portal Science Guy. He says that the fires in the fuel room will take us out if we don't cut the gas. I head east and south like he says and talk to the Fuel Room Lady. She mentions that I probably won't have enough time to cut off all the gas. However she does give the Fuel Room Password: ANNA. That'll make it easy to get to the room faster... next time around. RESTART
Life 3
I turn off the power, then head directly across the hallway to the Fuel Room Door. I open it with the ANNA password, then enter. I turn off each of the five gas consoles with X, buying a lot more time. Or a minute at least. The Fuel Room Lady mentions the possibility of a hull breach to the south. The direct rout from my starting place is blocked so I go north, then west, passing Science Guy, then heading south. The people I pass mention lines of inquiry: a professor locked in the Library, a Vault filled with artifacts. However, I get to the south end of the lab and yep, big hull breach there. The Hull Science Guy mentions the password to the Main Control Center just east of the portal room is HAL. I should be able to seal the hull from there. He says that I'll never make it time, though. He's right. RESTART
Life 4
I turn off the power, enter the fuel room with the ANNA password, seal the gas, then head north to the control center. Opening the door with the HAL password, I seal the hull. Now I have a little breathing room timewise. I head to the east, past the portal, then south, down the hallway, east pass the hxull, then north again. I pass some scientists along the way but they're not much help. Only after the hall snakes around south again, at the very end, do I find a Dying Scientist. Apparently, he knows of a method that will allow us back to the time of the accident, rather than my awakening. He calls it "Z". And there's one or two lines of inquiry in which a few extra seconds could be crucial. RESTART
Life 5
Hitting the [Z] key to start the run, I head north to the portal, then west into the library to talk to the professor. By not cutting the power or sealing the hull, I get there quickly, but that leaves little time for chitchat. The Professor mentions the password to the teleporter room is CHELL. Maybe I'll find a few answers there. But not now. RESTART
Life 6
I restart with Z, then head north, past the power console, on the left, to the Teleporter Room. Heading into the teleporter will take you to a room with a series of three carvings. And while they reveal a little about your past, it's not much help in current crisis. RESTART
Life 7
Hitting the [Z] key to start the run, I head north to the portal, then west, then south, making it just in time to help the hurt scientist on the right. She tells me that the password to my containment cell is ENIGMA. I'm sensing a pattern here. RESTART
Life 8
I turn off the power, enter the fuel room with the ANNA password, seal the gas, then head back to where I started. This time I head south, opening the door with the ENIGMA password, then head out through the breach in the hull. I find a series of four carvings, the final of which is comprised of a symbol. The symbol on the floor where I woke up. I need to find out more. RESTART
Life 9
I turn off the power, enter the fuel room with the ANNA password, seal the gas, then head back and south through the ENIGMA door. I loop around east, north then east and talk to the scientist standing next to another one of those weird symbols. He says there's an artifact in the Vault that might be of interest, and that the Vault can be open with the password XYZZY. I'm getting close. RESTART
Life 10
I turn off the power, enter the fuel room with the ANNA password, seal the gas, then head back and south through the ENIGMA door. I loop around west, north, and west to get to the door of the Vault. I enter with XYZZY, and pick up the artifact. In a flash, it comes to me: the portal. I can use it. But it needs more power. If I overload the power console, by repeatedly turning it off and on with Z and X, that should be enough!
Life 11
I turn off the power, enter the fuel room with the ANNA password, seal the gas, head north to the Main Control room, enter it with the HAL password, seal the hulls, head back to the power station. Flip it on and off several times, alternating Z and X to overload it, then finally head north to leap into the portal. And home.
Posted by: Tricky
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August 2, 2013 5:13 PM