While the teen horror movies years have passed, interestingly we didn't see a videogame take on this "sub-genre". Well now there is a $20 budget title called Obscure. Xbox has been lacking in the survival horror games in general so this is a nice addition. And while the game has some things that could use improvement, this is a can't miss at a price of only $20.
Setting the Game Scene
Obscure is set to copy the stylings of the teen horror flicks and does a good job of it. Some might complain that this is a typical cast of a teen movie, but that's exactly what the game is aiming for...The game even features a Josh Hartnett look-a-like. The game's setting is at a school where a student has disappeared, and this isn't the first student. The only thing really lacking with the cast is character development of the playable characters. There are a total of five playable characters in the game and details about them are revealed through short school files, mostly found in the documents menu (by pressing 'back'. Even there, there is little information regarding the "cast." The story background on the "creatures" does get revealed fairly well through tapes, films, and notes found along your search of the school.
Obstructed Gaming View
The game's main fault is with the fixed camera. Instead of doing what is normally done and using this fixed camera, they should've allowed for some user control. During some of the fights, it would've been nice to get a better view. Sometimes you just have to hope that the auto-aim is focusing where you need it to. The main complaint I had was that some of the creatures have a big jump ability and would be able to jump from off the camera view to right on top of you.
Graphically Speaking
Graphically, the game is mixed between looking really nice and looking just okay. Character models are decent but aren't anything special. The environments are hit or miss. Some textures are flat and dull while others are pretty good looking. Class rooms and halls are nicely filled with school-esque things. The lighting is well done. You'll be making your way through some dark places where your flashlight is mostly your only light source. Luckily you will be able to tape your flashlight to your gun when you have tape. When aiming, you will be able to move the flashlight all the way around in a circle. While it would be nice to have some better graphics, I tend to not let graphics determine how much fun I have playing a game.
Did You Hear That?
The sound effects and music in the game are very nicely done. Background music in the game is provided by a children's choir in Paris. It fits in with the horror scene very well. I really liked the sound effects in Obscure as well. It sounded great going through a hallway and hearing something scrounging around nearby. It definitely adds to the tension of the game as you know something is probably going to be popping out at you. All around, the game's sound effects come out nicely and add to the experience.
Times 2...Double
A nice addition to the game is the availability of 2 player co-op. Throughout the game, there will be the character that you are controlling and another character that goes with you. You are able to choose any of the available characters to play as, as well as which one to go with you. At any time, a friend can join in and take over the role of that second character. While this is a great feature to include, the camera issue comes back into play. There are a few instances where things get a big difficult, but it is still playable. With the AI playing the second character, thing aren't too bad. They may not be really bright, but they still provide some decent help.
Overview
When you get down to it, Obscure is a fairly short game. That is most likely the reason for the $20 price tag. After all, there had to be a reason for the low price. I enjoyed the game and wanted to continually play it. The graphics could use a little improvement and there are some camera issues, but there isn't anything too bad. Co-op is a nice addition that has some problems due to the fixed camera. It all comes down to one thing: that this is the best budget title on Xbox. Obscure is well worth the price.
