There’s a formula that can be followed whenever a product is successful in any industry. An innovative and exciting new product comes into the market, does extremely well, and dozens of imitations come out promising a similar experience, usually for a more attractive price. This formula is one that can be applied to video gaming. The success of the Resident Evil series in the mid 90’s spring-boarded the popularity of the survival horror genre, and spawned a lot of similar titles. Some have been better than others. Silent Hill is a series that has done quite well for itself, but the Dreamcast title Carrier is an example of a product gone horribly wrong. Now that Resident Evil 4 has come out, the genre was reinvented, and some games were left behind because of it. Obscure is one such title. Things have changed since RE4 came out, and since Obscure follows an old formula it feels dated. Sure, the game does a few new and interesting things, but it’s just not enough when the foundation is cracked and worn from old age.
"... the game does a few interesting things, but it’s just not enough..."
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When I first started playing Obscure, I was admittedly excited. The opening video was set to a Sum 41 song, and the voice acting was of a "so-bad-it’s-good" quality. I was really pulling for this underdog title to become the B-movie of the survival horror genre. When I actually was put behind the controller, the story started to take some really awful turns, the voice acting became less acceptable, and some un-intuitive control set-ups reared their ugly heads. I’m not saying Obscure doesn’t do anything right, and that it has nothing to offer, but there are some problems many players won’t be able to look past.
I’m not the first person to condemn the fixed camera set-up in survival horror games, nor will I be the last, but I will join the ranks of those who have before. This is no longer a good way to set up a survival horror game. The novelty has worn off, and it only becomes an irritation. I like seeing where enemies are. I shouldn’t have to worry about turning a corner and running into an enemy I didn’t know was there because the angle didn’t allow me to see them. It used to be used for increasing the quality of the graphics, but with today’s systems it’s no longer necessary.
The fixed camera set-up isn’t the only holdover from days gone by. The targeting system is also something that could have used a complete overhaul, and actually creates some new problems I’ve never seen before. Players draw their gun by pressing the R1 button, like a standard survival horror game, but the character is unable to rotate or change where they’re targeting, so if they mean to target something, they have to be pointing at it first. Also, you can’t target up and down with the left analog stick - you have to do it with the right one, which creates quite a predicament when trying to press X and fire the gun, since your right thumb is already engaged. There’s a slight auto aim feature, but in the heat of battle (fans of the genre know how intense it gets) one is easily frazzled and ends up not shooting where they want to.
"Obscure" is an odd name to pick for a game like this. I can tell you it’s not because of the characters, since there’s no way it could be used to describe them; they’re as stereotypical as the word "stereotypical" will allow. There’s the token jock, the angry minority, the street-smart stoner, the little sister, and the bookworm. Story-wise, it’s hard to care about these kids, since their lines are poorly written and they’re just generally annoying, but each character has a unique ability differentiating them from the group. The jock can run faster and hit harder, the bookworm knows if there’s important items in the room still, the stoner can pick locks... and while they all have unique abilities, you’ll probably end up sticking with two of them through the entire game.
"The co-op feature was integrated nicely into this title. "
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"Sticking with two of them?" That probably sounds weird, so let me explain. One of the new and good things Obscure offers is the addition of a second playable character at all times. That means you’ll control one character, the computer will control the other (simple A.I. for tasks like following you around, or shooting), and you can switch between them as you see fit. Certain actions can be performed this way, too. For example, the computer character can boost your character up to hard-to-reach spots. Things like this aren’t very innovative, but somehow feel fresh.
Having this character around could have just been a cheap add-on to make things seem unique, but the developer included cooperative play as well, so it’s not just a gimmick. The co-op feature was integrated nicely into this title. Since there’s always a second playable character, someone can jump in at any time, and they can switch it back to the computer control when they’re done if they don’t feel like playing anymore. While nothing in the game really requires you have a friend playing, it’s a really nice feature to have. Some of the usual hang-ups of single screen co-op play show up in full form (characters lost off screen, clutter during high intensity, etc.) but it’s definitely a welcome addition.
"... its low price point makes it an attractive offer for survival horror buffs ..."
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The game also has a slightly interesting twist on combat as well. You’re able to tape a flashlight to your firearms, and since the enemies in the game are photosensitive, it helps defeat them as much as plugging them with bullets or beating them with baseball bats does. The game isn’t comparable to Doom 3 and its awesome use of the flashlight mechanic, but the light is attached to the gun, so you don’t have to switch back and forth. It would be nice if there were more enemies in the game though. There are really only about six throughout the entire game, and it gets kind of irritating to fight the same creatures over and over again.
While Obscure isn’t a great title, or even really a good one, its low price point makes it an attractive offer for survival horror buffs, but with most other gamers this is one that will slip through the cracks. With a B-movie feeling to the story, somewhat decent graphics, and the well-done co-op play, I feel that at least fans of the genre would enjoy this appropriately-titled game before it’s forgotten by everybody else.
