Obscuritas
- March 17, 2016
- VIS-Games
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam"Obscuritas" is a single-player Horror Adventure game that takes about 9 hours to beat. Players help Sarah, the protagonist, uncover the dark secret of her great-uncle's old country home and escape its malicious clutches. The game features a "fear recognition mechanic" that personalizes the nightmare experience, with creeping shadows, huge spiders, and terrifying monsters to face, while solving riddles to defeat the evil. The game has 3 chapters, 29 sequences, and a chilling atmosphere to immerse players.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a variety of locations and settings, keeping the exploration fresh and engaging.
- Sound design is excellent, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
- Puzzles range from clever and satisfying to challenging, providing a good mix that keeps players engaged.
- The game suffers from poor visibility, even at maximum brightness, making navigation frustrating.
- Repetitive gameplay elements and a lack of a coherent story lead to a tedious experience.
- The save system is flawed, requiring players to replay long sections if they die, which can be very frustrating.
- story24 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story in the game is widely criticized for being weak and poorly developed, with many players noting that it starts with potential but quickly devolves into randomness and confusion. While the protagonist, Sarah, inherits her great-uncle's estate, the narrative lacks depth and coherence, leaving players frustrated with minimal engagement and a lack of meaningful content. Overall, the storyline is described as boring and thin, failing to provide a compelling experience.
“Long story: in Obscuritas, you play as Sarah, who one day inherits her estranged great-uncle's country estate.”
“Not terribly scary if you are used to these types of games, but a decent storyline and a really good atmosphere keep you engaged.”
“Short story: this game is playable, and does have some decent moments.”
“I think it tried forming a story at the beginning, then it just took you random places with no explanation and no story.”
“As for the story, there isn't really much to say: save for a smattering of letters from Sarah's douchebag great-uncle, the story is practically non-existent.”
“The story doesn't really seem to be apparent; I'll collect notes and Sarah will give me some dialogue, but I can't read the notes. I'm interested in the story, but so far it is very thin.”
- music16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its intensity and ability to enhance the horror and puzzle-solving experience, creating a chilling atmosphere that keeps players on edge. While some players noted that the dramatic soundtrack effectively cues jump scares, others felt it could be distracting, allowing for alternative listening options. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that complements the game's eerie ambiance and Lovecraftian elements.
“The music is fantastic, the locations are cool and interesting, and there's a bit of Lovecraft mixed into it all.”
“But in the end, the ambience and puzzles are such a thrill; it's a must-play for any horror/puzzle fan. Figuring out how to take advantage of the soundtrack is amazing.”
“It also didn't help that I didn't often see what the jump scare was, although I was painfully aware that they attempted it by the flashing screen and dramatic music.”
“Sounds are so chilling; the sound effects, screams, and the flashes are disturbing. In other ways, you can play this game with your YouTube music playing in the background and focus on the puzzle 100%.”
“The music did get me a few times, making me think that something's coming after me, or something bad's happening.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being repetitive and lacking depth, with many generic horror elements and a significant portion feeling like a walking simulator. However, some players appreciate the lengthy experience, noting it took around 12.5 hours to complete, which they feel justifies the price. Overall, opinions are mixed, with a suggestion for potential players to try it themselves.
“Nice lengthy gameplay (took me 12.5 hours to beat it).”
“I would say that $16.99 is worth it for the length of the gameplay.”
“But I usually don't like recommending and would rather people try for themselves, or see for themselves from someone else's gameplay experience.”
“The gameplay was very repetitive.”
“It's a storehouse of visually dissimilar assets, random deaths, and little gameplay in every generic horror environment known to man.”
“Half the gameplay in chapter 2 is basically just a walking simulator, which disappointed me.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is considered poor for its release year, with notable performance issues and lighting problems that detract from the experience. While some improvements have been made following early feedback, such as adding checkpoints and enhancing performance, players still feel that further optimization is needed despite the game's appealing graphics and atmosphere. Users with high-end hardware report better performance, but the game still falls short of expectations in terms of optimization.
“I'm glad that the developer took some early critics seriously and updated the game by adding checkpoints, making some levels easier, and optimizing performance.”
“I play with a GTX 1080 card and a 165 Hz G-Sync monitor, so I have no performance problems and can enjoy this game at a 1440p resolution.”
“For the year it was made in, the optimization is poor as well.”
“The in-game graphics are very well done and good looking (but poorly optimized; at least you can adjust several graphics settings), overall creepy atmosphere, sounds, and some solid jump-scare moments.”
“I found that it ran better than Pineview, but could still use some more optimization.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its creepy sound effects and well-executed graphics, creating an engaging environment. However, many players note that while there are some genuinely eerie moments, the reliance on cheap jump-scares, particularly in the early chapters, detracts from the overall experience. Despite this, the combination of a decent storyline and a compelling atmosphere keeps players invested.
“I love the creepy atmosphere!”
“Nice creepy atmosphere and sound effects.”
“The in-game graphics are very well done and good looking, overall creepy atmosphere, sounds, and some solid jump-scare moments.”
“Although the atmosphere of the game is decent, and there were some genuinely eerie moments, most of the scares in the game (especially the first chapter) are cheap jump-scares.”
“The in-game graphics are very well done and good looking (but poorly optimized; at least you can adjust several graphics settings), overall creepy atmosphere, sounds, and some solid jump-scare moments.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to lengthy and complex mazes and puzzles that can feel unfair rather than challenging. This leads to a sense of frustration as the grind becomes more about endurance than skill.
“The game is sometimes a bit unfair or tedious, especially with the big labyrinth, the labyrinth in the attraction, and the statues-plates puzzle.”
“There are some issues with this game that make it tedious (tedium does not equal difficulty).”
“The random, tediously long maze is frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their quality and aesthetic appeal, contributing to a creepy atmosphere and effective jump-scares. However, players note that the optimization is lacking, though adjustable settings are available to improve performance.
“The in-game graphics are very well done and good looking, creating an overall creepy atmosphere with solid jump-scare moments.”
