ObsCure is a survival horror video game developed by Hydravision Entertainment and published by DreamCatcher Interactive for the
PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony. The PS2 console is the sequel to the original PlayStation console. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation series of video game...
,
XboxThe Xbox is a video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2, Sega's Dreamcast, and Nintendo's GameCube...
, and
Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces...
. It was released on October 1, 2004 in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
and
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
on April 6, 2005.
The focus of the story is a group of high school senior students who stumble upon a laboratory in which
Resident EvilResident Evil, known in Japan as , is a video game series and media franchise consisting of comic books, novelizations, films, and a variety of collectibles, including action figures, strategy guides and publications...
style experiments are being performed.
ObsCure is a survival horror video game developed by Hydravision Entertainment and published by DreamCatcher Interactive for the
PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony. The PS2 console is the sequel to the original PlayStation console. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation series of video game...
,
XboxThe Xbox is a video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2, Sega's Dreamcast, and Nintendo's GameCube...
, and
Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces...
. It was released on October 1, 2004 in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
and
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
on April 6, 2005.
Storyline
The focus of the story is a group of high school senior students who stumble upon a laboratory in which
Resident EvilResident Evil, known in Japan as , is a video game series and media franchise consisting of comic books, novelizations, films, and a variety of collectibles, including action figures, strategy guides and publications...
style experiments are being performed. The students must then fight their way to in order to survive and warn the remaining student body.
As the player, you take control of five students, as you explore the school grounds and battle with numerous infected students.
The enemies you face are sensitive to light, with direct sunlight destroying them. Flashlights slightly weaken them and the black aura surrounding them.
Features
ObsCures most notable feature is the two-player cooperative mode that allows you to complete the campaign with a friend. ObsCure also allows players to combine items, for example taping a flashlightA flashlight is a portable electric spotlight that emits light from a small incandescent lightbulb or from one or more light-emitting diodes...
to any firearmA firearm is a device which projects either single or multiple projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion. The firing is achieved by the gases produced through rapid, confined burning of a propellant. This process of rapid burning is technically known as deflagration...
. Some critics, including the review show X-PlayX-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
, have stated that this was the only redeeming quality, and mocked idid Software is an American video game development company from Mesquite, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
's Doom 3Doom 3 is a science fiction horror video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. An example of the first-person shooter genre, Doom 3 was first released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004. The game was later adapted for Linux, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac...
for not implementing such a concept.
ObsCure
also contains tracks performed by the bands Sum 41Sum 41 is a rock band from Ajax, Ontario active since 1996. The current members are Deryck Whibley , Jason McCaslin , Steve Jocz , and Tom Thacker .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
and SpanSPAN was a Norwegian rock band that formed in 2000 from the ashes of two other outfits; Explicit Lyrics and Squid. Self-proclaimed as "Norwegian Turbo-Rock 'n' Roll Commandos" , the band spent much of the years between 2002 and 2004 touring the UK and Norway as well as spending a brief time in the...
. The story was inspired by The FacultyThe Faculty is a 1998 horror/science-fiction film, written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream and its sequel, and directed by Robert Rodriguez, director of Desperado and From Dusk till Dawn...
.
Player Characters
ObsCure gives players the ability to control and switch between any of five playable characters on the fly. Given that you'll be playing in pairs of characters, the other characters will be computer-controlled A.I., or a second player can join in and take over for the computer at any time. Your choice of characters includes:
- Josh Carter (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas
Michael Tremain Sinterniklaas is a voice actor, dubbing director, and founder of NYAV Post, a dubbing studio in New York City. Sinterniklaas sometimes does work under the name Michael Tremain as well....
) - A shy and reserved reporter for the school paper. He can tell if there's anything left to do in an area, such as items to pick up, or locations that advance the storyline. First received after the opening scenario involving Kenny. It is known that he survives the events of ObsCure, only to go missing by the time of the second game. A hidden video in ObsCure IIObsCure II is a survival horror video game developed by Hydravision Entertainment and published by Playlogic Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Wii. It is the sequel to the video game ObsCure. The game was released on September 7, 2007 in Europe, March 25, 2008 under the name...
shows from the perspective of what is believed to be his camera, visiting the ruins of Leafmore High only to have him and Ashley both presumably killed or captured by Leonard's mutant son. Josh is also attracted to Shannon which is shown in the end when the two embrace (or kiss)
- Stanley Jones (voiced by Scott Haze) - A stoner and a slack student at the school, good friends with Josh and Kenny. The only problems that he had in school is being a thief and hacker in computers (that hacking you see in the game when you meet up with him). He is able to crack locks easier. With more skill, he can break into rooms as well. First received when entering the bottom left building on the map. He survives the events of ObsCure and ObsCure II.
- Kenny Matthews (voiced by Sam Riegal) - He is the varsity athlete, and Shannon's older brother, who is blessed with quick speed and a powerful punch. First received at the beginning. He survives the events of Obscure. In the second game, he is a playable character for a short time, until he turns into a powerful mutated monster with huge arms. He gets killed by Shannon and Stan at the end.
- Shannon Matthews (voiced by Stephanie Sheh
Stephanie Ru-Phan Sheh is a Chinese-American voice actress, a writer, and a story editor. She is also credited as Jennifer Sekiguchi, Tiffany Hsieh, Lulu Chiang, and Laura Chyu...
) - Kenny's smart, younger sister. Shannon dresses provocatively to take the focus away from her brains. She provides tips on puzzles and heals other peoples wounds for them. First received after the opening scenario involving Kenny. She survives the events of ObsCure and ObsCure II. She is able to heal 20% more with a normal health item.
- Ashley Thompson (voiced by Tara Platt
Tara O. Platt is an American film and television actress as well as a voice actor. She is married to fellow voice actor Yuri Lowenthal.ARG players may recognize her as the voice of Isabel/Cassie/and Genie for the alternate reality game I Love Bees....
) - She is a cheerleader, and is also Kenny's girlfriend. She has the ability to rapid-fire a pistol, and deals more damage with most weapons. First received after the opening scenario involving Kenny. She survives the events of ObsCure only to go missing (presumably dead or captured) before the events of ObsCure II, going with Josh to investigate the partially destroyed ruins of Leafmore High and suddenly getting attacked in the process. She is mentioned in ObsCure II and a picture of the group is shown with both her and Josh.
- Dan - A student that was held in a prison and is playable when Kenny saves him, however he cannot help you for long as he immediately gets killed when escaping a mutated experiment. He will appear again in the game clips as a fully mutated experiment.
While each of these abilities sounds useful, none of them are necessary to complete the game. Each character can perform the same physical acts even if it takes some characters longer and/or more effort than others. The puzzles generally aren't taxing enough to require much help, and if any teen cast members should die during the adventure, the player may simply continue on with those remaining.
Non-player characters
- Denny Walden: A biology teacher of Leafmore High. He appears several times; sometimes offering help, other times obstructing the main characters in a frantic manner. You later discover this is due to him being infected.
- Ms. Elisabeth Lucy Wilson: The nurse of Leafmore High. There is more to her than there appears to be.
- Herbert Friedman: The principal of Leafmore High. A former scientist and co-founder of Leafmore High. Herbert and his brother Leonard discovered a plant in their expeditions that had a possibility to regenerate cells indefinitely. Lacking the proper funds and test subjects, they instead found a school and perform secret experiments in a lab beneath it. A rash of student disappearances start. He is over 100 years old.
- Leonard Friedman: The twin of Herbert and cofounder of Leafmore High. He is the first person to be mutated by the spores of the plant he and his brother discovered, as is shown in a reel of film recovered by the students. His brother then seeks to find a cure for him through experimentation. Herbert's last words to Leonard are "Leonard, forgive me... I almost found the formula. I almost did it..."
- Mr. Garrison: The school janitor of Leafmore High who was apparently an ex-police officer. He locks you into a room at the beginning without realizing you are there and later on has an interesting run-in with some monsters.
Enemies
- Biter: A Small mutated insecticidal monster. These generally attack in small groups.
- Hulk: A large mutated crab. It will stomp the ground and spikes will emerge from the ground and attack.
- Pale (Stage 1 Mutant): Not that dangerous, it will simply attack with a knife.
- Slouch (Stage 2 Mutant): It is the easiest enemy in the game to kill. It looks like a human being, but with pale skin and a long, mutated-looking tongue.
- Grim (Stage 3 Mutant): This hulking behemoth has huge tentacles that protrude from its mouth. It is a little over 8 feet tall.
- Climber: They climb around on the ceiling and when your character least expects it, it will grab the protagonist and attempt to strangle them, easy to kill with gun and light on it.
- Queen: A disgustingly bloated former woman, twisted and immobile. Now just a monster that spews forth killer maggots. To kill the maggots all you have to do is point your flashlight at them, and only shoot the Queen when she removes her arm away from her face.
Soundtrack
24 tracks, written and produced by
Olivier DerivièreOlivier Deriviere has studied composition and orchestration at the Nice conservatory . In 1999 he produced a solo album and started to write arrangements of great film scores for the percussions quartet he founded at the Cagnes sur mer conservatory. In 2000, he received a scholarship from Berklee...
.
- Main Titles
- Empty School
- Something Hidden
- First Ones
- Blowing Up a Wall
- Being Surrounded
- Herbert Friedman
- Who is Herbert?
- Wickson, the Nurse
- Infested Place
- Give Us Eternity
- The First Queen
- Pure Suite
- Wickson and Leonard
- The Second Queen
- Gardener's Story
- Herbert's Secret Office
- Old Movie
- Friedman's Place
- Finding Leo
- Final Fight
- Leonard's Death
- Death
- End Titles
There are also 2 tracks that play during the game that are not in the official soundtrack.
- "Still Waiting
Still Waiting is the first single from the album Does This Look Infected? by Sum 41.
-Video:The Marc Klasfeld-directed video starts with the boys entering a the office of a record executive...
" performed by Sum 41Sum 41 is a rock band from Ajax, Ontario active since 1996. The current members are Deryck Whibley , Jason McCaslin , Steve Jocz , and Tom Thacker .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
- "Baby's Come Back" performed by Span
SPAN was a Norwegian rock band that formed in 2000 from the ashes of two other outfits; Explicit Lyrics and Squid. Self-proclaimed as "Norwegian Turbo-Rock 'n' Roll Commandos" , the band spent much of the years between 2002 and 2004 touring the UK and Norway as well as spending a brief time in the...
German Version
In the German version there were many songs from Sportfreunde StillerSportfreunde Stiller is a German rock band from Germering, near Munich in Bavaria.The band was founded in 1996 by Peter "Balboa" Brugger , Florian "Rakete" Weber , and Rüdiger "Rüde" Linhof . They took their original name, Stiller, from their former football manager, Hans Stiller, at SV Germering...
.
French Version
The French version of the game features the song Cinglés performed by Enhancer for its ending credits. The music video for the song is unlockable as a bonus for completing the game.
Sequels
The storyline of Obscure II takes place two years after the first game, the kids who survived are now at college living normal lives. They discover a strange plant on campus and things start going awry. The game was released for
Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces...
,
PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony. The PS2 console is the sequel to the original PlayStation console. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation series of video game...
and
WiiThe is a home video game console released by Nintendo. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of both...
.
Obscure 3 is in development according to Joshua Swanson. it has been mused for DS and Jesse America has said in the playlogic forums that there are plans for a next gen version of ObsCure 3, it is unknown which version is in development.
External links
- Obscure PC, at Microïds Official Website
- ObsCure at Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website which keeps track of video game reviews from other sites, and combines them to present an average rating for each game. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games. The Ratings show the general critical opinion about a game; thus, Gamerankings has...