The success of survival-horror franchises likeResident EvilandSilent Hillinspired a number of copycats of varying degrees in quality. Two of the more underratedResident Evilclonesis 2004’sObscureand its sequel,Obscure 2. It’s been well over a decade since a new game in the series has been released, and while it’s highly unlikely that one will ever see the light of day, it’s a series that deserves to make a comeback.
For those unfamiliar withObscureand its sequel, the games are classic-style survival-horror titles in the vein of old-schoolResident EvilandSilent Hill. The originalObscurefollows five high school students trapped in their school and confronted with supernatural threats. The cast features high school stereotypes, with a jock, a stoner, a cheerleader, etc., all with their own unique abilities. A character dying inObscuredidn’t mean game over, but rather that things would continue with the rest of the living cast, a feature later seen in horror games like thepopularUntil Dawn. The sequel picks up where the previous game left off, but with a fresh cast of characters and a new setting.Obscure 2was also available for the Wii, which threw motion controls into the mix.
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InObscure, players explore the school, solve puzzles, and fight monsters in a style that is exactly like an oldResident Evilgame. However, the key feature that setsObscureand its sequel apart is its co-op.ObscureandObscure 2both feature simultaneouslocal co-op play, which was virtually unheard of for the genre. And when survival-horror games did have co-op, they would often be online-only, like was the case withResident Evil Outbreak.
A newObscuregame would be great to see, especially since classic-style survival-horror games are hard to come by, as are local co-op games. But while it seems highly unlikely that anObscure 3game will ever release, the good news is that the first two games are readily available throughSteam. HD versions ofObscureandObscure 2released on Steam in 2016 and 2014, respectively, so at least the games aren’t completely trapped on outdated hardware.
The Steam versions ofObscureandObscure 2have been well-received, with the original especially having an overwhelmingly positive response. The games retain the popular features found in the original releases, including local co-op support. Better yet, both titles can be picked up in anObscure Collectionfor just $14.99, which makes them a steal.
Still, it would be nice to see these HD versions ofObscurecome to more platforms. Unfortunately, the companies behind the game are basically defunct at this point, and so it’s unclear if that would ever be a possibility. For now,old-school survival-horrorfans should consider giving these games a shot on Steam, especially if they have a co-op partner to bring along for the ride.
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