Score
Gameplay:	7
Graphics:	7
Sound:	9
FunFactor:	7
PlasmaFactor:	7
Overall:	7.4

Obscure Review
April 22, 2005 by Peter Skerritt

by Peter - April 22, 2005

Obscure tries to put a new twist on a familiar theme, putting a teen horror movie coating on top of the Resident Evil kind of game. At first, this seems like a novel idea. The characters all seem to have the teen angst that movies like Scream and The Faculty showcased so well, and that�s a welcome change from Capcom�s traditional characters. Unfortunately, when the horror begins, it really begins. For those of you with strong constitutions, read on�

Monsters? Like, No Way!

Let�s set the stage. Obscure is set at the Leafmore School, a generic stereotype of any high school in America. As it turns out, something sinister is afoot at Leafmore. Students have been disappearing, and news of these disappearances has been kept unusually quiet. Shannon, Kenny, Ashley, Stan, and Josh�all students at the school�become first-hand witnesses to the evil goings-on at Leafmore and must find a way to escape with their lives. Of course, evil monsters are involved (aren�t they always) and the fun�errr� horror quickly ensues.

Make no mistake about it. Aside from the stereotypical teenage characters, whom you�ll probably find annoying pretty quickly, Obscure is a Resident Evil clone all the way. In fact, fans of those games may even recognize several of the room layouts, areas, and puzzles. You�ll have to defend yourself against monsters with whatever weapons you can find while solving puzzles, collecting a myriad of items, and using whatever health power-ups you can find. Some of the puzzles can be a bit trying, but with a little thought and trial-and-error, anything is possible. One interesting note about the items and weapons in the game is that it is possible to link a flashlight with a gun for a deadly combination. That�s pretty unique, but isn�t an addition that really sets the game apart from its brethren in the genre.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Obscure�s gameplay lies in the buddy system that the game utilizes. Most of the game will allow players to control a lead character and a buddy, and each character has his or her own special ability (or �special aptitude� as the unintentionally funny instruction manual calls it). Shannon gives hints to puzzles. Josh can make hidden items become visible. Stan can quickly pick locks. Kenny can sprint. Ashley is an excellent fighter. These skills are nice and all, but all are not required to finish the game; in fact, it�s possible to finish the game with only one character left alive. Unfortunately, unless you have a friend controlling the on-screen buddy character, the buddy�s AI tends to be useless in fights and the controls for giving orders to your buddy are clunky. Great idea, Hydravision, but poor execution.

The combat aspects of Obscure aren�t great, which makes getting attacked by a monster even worse than it should be. The characters aren�t exactly the most nimble teens on the planet, and thanks to canned animations, it�s far too easy to sustain critical injuries during these encounters. Since weapon ammo is limited, you�ll have to rely on contact weapons more, and close combat proves fatal more often than not. Light is an important ally, though, so if you can find a flashlight or can break out a window to let light shine in, things can be a little less hairy.

Frighteningly Familiar

Visually, Obscure accomplishes the primary goal in that it�s creepy. The atmosphere can be really creepy, in fact. You might forget that you�re in a high school when you check out some of these rooms. Flickering lights, strewn debris, long staircases, and more certainly lead you to believe that this is no ordinary school. Players can also interact with many of the objects in the game, from vending machines (that might have energy drinks inside) to files, cans, papers, and more. The game demonstrates some nice lighting and shadowing effects, which certainly add to the spooky feel that Obscure is trying to generate.

Unfortunately, the characters and monsters aren�t that detailed. You can tell the difference between the characters, sure, but the designs really aren�t that outstanding to begin with. The monsters tend to be a bit on the repetitive side, too, although they�ll initially frighten most players. Aside from this, though, Obscure is technically sound with no real slowdown to speak of and only rare instances of clipping. Again, it�s not that the game does anything really wrong in the visual department; it�s just a feeling of �been there, done that� which will likely fail to impress many players.

Sounds Scary...

While Obscure�s graphics may not be outstanding, the game�s sound fares somewhat better. The music mixes a few tracks from licensed bands like Sum 41 and Span with some decent original work from French composer Olivier Deriviere and choral passages from Children�s Choir of the Parisian National Opera. The choral passages are moody and chant-driven. The incidental music ranges from tense to, well, what you�d expect in a teen movie. The sound effects are well done, especially when played through a Dolby Digital 5.1 setup. Various screams, rattles, crashes, and movement are just enough to raise your blood pressure as you venture through dimly-lit areas. The character voices add quite the stereotype at times. One character sounds a lot like the WWE�s John Cena with a lot of urban verbiage that will undoubtedly lead some players to wish for his death, rather than to save him. The voice acting is fairly well done, though, and the stereotype is more the fault of the writing and dialogue than the voice actors.

Fear Just Ain't Enough

Despite the fact that Obscure tries to put a new twist on the Resident Evil formula, the game ultimately cannot escape being a average clone with a few new ideas that don�t seem to execute in action as well as they might have been drawn up while in development. The buddy system never feels as tight as it should; in fact, it takes considerable effort just to figure out how to give your AI-controlled partner a weapon. The combat feels clunky, too, although it�s only a part of the overall survival horror experience, which the game does deliver, even if it isn�t terribly remarkable.

When PlasmaFactor Attacks

Assigning a PlasmaFactor score was tough. On one hand, Obscure should be rewarded for trying to do new things with the survival horror genre. On paper, the changes and additions sound really good. After all, changing the protagonists from adults to angst-ridden teens isn�t a bad idea, and the buddy system has its uses. On the other hand, though, the execution of these changes and additions just didn�t work out like they probably should have. The controls for the buddy system could have been tighter, or at least more intuitive� and the characters needed a little fine-tuning in order to be less stereotypical. The game does earn bonus points for the scary atmosphere and strong use of sound and music, though, and the budget price of $20 certainly doesn't hurt.

 

The Bottom Line

The bottom line on Obscure boils down to two clich�s: imitation (to Resident Evil) is the sincerest form of flattery, and good ideas don�t always mean good execution. With a little more time in development, Obscure might have been remarkable, but the game is playable and, for $20, offers a fair number of scares for your dollar. Just don�t expect it to be on the level of Resident Evil and try not to let your buddies get killed off because they�re annoying. You�ve got to hate it when that happens� don�t you?