Neat twist on Resident Evil-story scares
This is the first in a pair of survival horror games, the second being The Aftermath, which although they are a long way from Resident Evil or Alone in the Dark, are still well worth a look. The game's background tells how something strange is going on at LeafMore High School, with strange sounds emanating from its dark corridors and with several people having gone missing. In true teen horror movie fashion, five bold adventurers decide to uncover the mystery themselves and venture forth to discover the truth behind the evil within. The game plays out in familiar third-person fashion, with the player able to select and switch between one of five characters, each with their own skills and then exploring the various gloomy environments that make up the school. Of course, there are plenty of weird and terrifying monsters lurking in the shadows and which must be dealt with by judicious use of weapons including guns and baseball bats, while you also get a few puzzles to add to the challenge. In many ways, ObScure is quite similar to the likes of the Silent Hill series or other survival horror classics and while it lasts, it actually proves to be quite an entertaining ride. There are plenty of cheap shocks to make you jump, while the environments are genuinely spooky thanks to clever design and use of light and dark, while the atmospheric music and effects serve to bolster the unsettling feel. The use of different characters is a novel addition to the genre and adds some depth and originality to the game so if you are looking for a good old-fashioned horror game that throws Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dawson's Creek into the mix, then this should provide you with an entertaining ride.
