Obscure
- March 10, 2014
- Hydravision Entertainment
- 1h median play time
Get on SteamObscure is a horror action game that offers both single-player and local multi-player modes with split screen. Players control a group of students trying to unravel the mysterious happenings at their high school, including unexplained disappearances and terrifying sounds. With a fabulous story, great mechanics, good graphics, stunning music, plenty of humor, and a dense atmosphere, Obscure promises to be a very replayable and exciting survival horror experience.
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation 2
Xbox
Reviews
- Obscure is a nostalgic survival horror game that successfully combines elements of classic titles like Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
- The game features a unique co-op mechanic where players can switch between characters, each with their own special abilities, adding depth to gameplay.
- The atmosphere and soundtrack are engaging, creating a creepy environment that enhances the overall horror experience.
- The controls can be clunky and frustrating, especially for players using a keyboard instead of a controller.
- The story and character development are often seen as weak, with one-dimensional characters and a predictable plot.
- The game is relatively short, taking only about 4-6 hours to complete, which may leave some players wanting more.
- story432 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Obscure" is often described as a campy homage to classic teen horror films, featuring predictable plot twists and one-dimensional characters. While some players appreciate its nostalgic charm and engaging gameplay, many criticize the narrative for being shallow and lacking depth, with a mix of cheesy dialogue and cliches reminiscent of early 2000s horror. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop for the gameplay, providing just enough intrigue to keep players invested despite its flaws.
“The storyline is gripping, filled with twists and turns that make it hard to put down the controller.”
“Its nostalgic feel, compelling storyline, and immersive gameplay make it a timeless classic.”
“A brilliant survival horror that follows the story of a group of students and the dark mysteries that (literally) lurk underneath their high school.”
“The story is really bare bones, and every twist was foreseeable, but the way the character system works as well as how the game plays in general makes it really good.”
“The dialogue is not the best; the script struggles to make sense at times, but all in all - this game has soul, don't miss it.”
“The story isn’t a focal point of this game; it is largely forgettable and cheesy to say the least.”
- gameplay384 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Obscure" is a blend of classic survival horror mechanics reminiscent of early Resident Evil and Silent Hill games, featuring fixed camera angles, character switching, and cooperative elements. While the combat can feel clunky and the puzzles are relatively simple, the game offers unique mechanics like using light to combat darkness-covered enemies and the perma-death feature for characters, adding a layer of strategy. Overall, it provides an engaging experience for fans of the genre, despite some dated elements and control issues.
“One of the standout features of 'The Obscure' is its gameplay mechanics.”
“Its nostalgic feel, compelling storyline, and immersive gameplay make it a timeless classic.”
“The gameplay consists of chill puzzles and fast-and-loose combat.”
“The usual tension that survival horror is supposed to thrive on is never really present after the first 20 minutes of gameplay, which is why it's a blessing it's such a short experience.”
“While the overall idea, the atmosphere, music and sound design are excellent, the gameplay is extremely dated and annoying, especially the inventory system.”
“The gameplay is really simplistic; the story was somewhat predictable, but I can't help but love it to bits.”
- music290 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and haunting qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the unique orchestral and choral compositions that enhance the horror experience. However, the removal of licensed tracks, particularly songs by Sum 41, has disappointed some fans, detracting from the nostalgia and overall impact of the soundtrack. While opinions vary on the effectiveness of the music in relation to gameplay, it remains a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's eerie ambiance.
“One of the strongest points of the game is its unique soundtrack.”
“The visual style, combined with the haunting soundtrack, perfectly captures the essence of early 2000s horror.”
“The soundtrack features orchestral suites with a strong emphasis on choir.”
“The music feels like a complete mismatch with what's going on the screen (seriously, it goes hard).”
“The immediate loss of the licensed music is a bit disheartening.”
“One major detriment to the game is its audio and soundtrack.”
- graphics190 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reflecting its 2004 release, yet many players feel they have aged surprisingly well, maintaining a decent quality for a PS2-era title. While some critiques highlight the outdated visuals and small text size, the overall atmosphere and art style contribute positively to the experience, especially for fans of classic horror games. The game is recommended for those who appreciate nostalgic aesthetics and can overlook its graphical limitations.
“The graphics and sound design are top-notch for its time, contributing significantly to the eerie and suspenseful atmosphere.”
“The environmental story is really impressive, and the overall graphics look sharp.”
“Despite being such an older game, I thought the graphics and style held up exceptionally well.”
“Graphically, this game did not age well, I'll just say that.”
“The graphics are obviously dated now, and it takes a few minutes to 'get into' the game, especially the combat, but once you've acclimated it gels quite nicely.”
“Did not age well, the gameplay, graphics and the storyline is dated and tortured...”
- atmosphere152 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, reminiscent of early 2000s horror films, particularly "The Faculty." Players appreciate the well-designed environments, chilling sound design, and a haunting soundtrack that collectively create a tense and suspenseful experience, even if some elements, like graphics and voice acting, show their age. While the game may not be outright scary, it effectively evokes a sense of dread and mystery, making it a notable entry in the survival horror genre.
“The game excels in creating a tense and atmospheric environment that keeps players on the edge of their seats.”
“The graphics and sound design are top-notch for its time, contributing significantly to the eerie and suspenseful atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere though, god, the atmosphere was absolutely amazing, the environments were extremely well designed, and the lighting was top notch, combined with the sound design, this made a truly immersive atmosphere.”
“But even then, it is often too loud, and the atmosphere never rises above serviceable, owing to some decent environmental detail and real-time lighting for the time, but a shallow story that spoils its mystery far too early and featuring bad but bland voice acting.”
“Furthermore, the game is really short, taking roughly 4 hours to beat, and during that time the atmosphere thins considerably, as it becomes more combat-oriented during its second half.”
“Although I wouldn’t consider the game scary in the least, the awful voice acting and inappropriate music take away from any horror aesthetic the game has going; I’d say the game has more of a spooky atmosphere rather than being outright frightening.”
- replayability44 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to unlockable content, special modes, and character-specific abilities that encourage multiple playthroughs. While some players note the game's short length as a drawback, many appreciate the additional challenges and extras that enhance replay value. Overall, the combination of unlockables and varied gameplay experiences contributes to a strong incentive to revisit the game.
“You do have unlockables and a special mode you can unlock which adds some needed replayability.”
“First time playthrough lasts around 4-8 hours but replayability is quite good in this title, there are extra modes such as hard and special, and the game itself is quite fun and doesn't get old after the first playthrough like many other games.”
“Replay value is also fantastic with extra modes and special weapons unlocked after the first run through.”
“My only criticisms for the game would be the very bare story and limited replayability.”
“The game itself is also extremely short and offers very little replay value.”
“Only 5 and a half hours long, and not much replayability.”
- humor44 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely characterized by its unintentional hilarity, stemming from poor dialogue, absurd cutscenes, and a campy, B-movie vibe that resonates with players. Many reviewers found themselves laughing at the game's awkward moments and cheesy storytelling, which often breaks the tension typical of horror games. Overall, it offers a nostalgic and entertaining experience, especially when played with friends, making it a fun choice for those who appreciate a lighthearted take on the genre.
“The dialogue in this game is terrible, making it unintentionally hilarious.”
“The translation is hilariously bad (I think it was developed by a French studio), and it leads to some amazing dialogue and notes scattered around the game.”
“It's b-movie cheese at its finest, with CGI cutscenes and stereotypical dialogue that's just too unintentionally funny to pass up.”
- optimization26 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with solid performance and smooth operation on new hardware. However, some users noted issues with audio and subtitle synchronization in cutscenes, as well as a lack of optimization for mouse and keyboard controls, suggesting that the game is better suited for controller use. Despite these concerns, there are no significant performance issues like crashes or frame rate drops.
“The optimization is top notch.”
“Performance was really solid.”
“However, the gameplay is very nice and optimized in this version; the lock aim actually works and I loved this about it.”
“I wish some things would have been more optimized and thought out better back when the team was in the process of making visual enhancements to the game.”
“It seems like it wasn't properly optimized.”
“Also, the use of a controller is highly recommended as the game really wasn't optimized for mouse and keyboard.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, primarily due to limited save opportunities that force them to replay sections repeatedly after dying. The manual button mapping for controllers adds to the clunkiness, making the overall experience feel cumbersome. While some puzzles provide a welcome challenge, the frequent need to grind through the same scenes detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
“Everything mentioned above is a real problem since dying in this game can be a really tedious ordeal sometimes, especially if you managed to save your game in unfavorable areas. You are limited in saving throughout the whole game and never know when you actually should be saving, which then forces you to pay a high price for dying shortly after and being thrown way back, having to replay certain parts over and over again.”
“The limited opportunities to save also means you tediously play the same scenes over and over again until you can defeat whatever enemy and move on.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- character development10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, character development in the game is criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many characters described as generic and unmemorable. While the character designs are noted as visually appealing, the voice acting and overall character engagement fall flat, leading to a perception that they serve merely as a backdrop for gameplay rather than as fully realized individuals.
“Interesting characters and character development is non-existent; they are very by the numbers and the voice acting is pretty bad.”
“There's no character development, no memorable lines; the support NPCs aren't interesting and don't say much - it's a flimsy excuse to kill zombies and it shows.”
“Cheesy acting, with weird character designs that did not age well.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with many users noting that it runs smoothly and is less buggy than previous versions. However, some players have experienced specific glitches, such as freezing when entering certain areas, which can hinder progress but are not considered game-breaking.
“Love the game, but the only problem I have is that I need to get a reel to go to the gardens. When I enter the library, the game freezes. If you don't encounter this problem, the game is great; I just am unable to beat it right now.”
“There were some glitches in the game, but nothing game-breaking.”
“⛔ Bugs | Glitches”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game is easy to understand and encourages continuous play, players feel a lack of emotional attachment among characters, which diminishes the overall emotional impact of the experience.
