Ludography
74/100
Players89 ratings
72/100
Critics4 reviews

Where to get it

ObsCure cover

2004 · Hydravision Entertainment · Adventure

ObsCure

For some time now, Leafmore High School has been the setting for unexplained disappearances. In this survival horror game, you take control of a group of 5 American students. With your friends, you try to unravel the mysterious happenings at this unremarkable-looking school. The night will be long and survival will not be easy...

Released
1 October 2004
Platforms
PlayStation 2WindowsXbox
Genres
Adventure
Developers
Hydravision Entertainment
Publishers
DreamCatcher InteractiveMC2-MicroïdsMighty Rocket Studios
Modes
Co-opLocal multiplayerMultiplayerSingle-player
Perspective
Third person
Themes
ActionHorrorSurvival
Engine
RenderWare

About

Obscure (stylized as ObsCure) is a survival horror video game developed by Hydravision Entertainment and published by DreamCatcher Interactive in North America, Ubisoft in China and MC2-Microïds in other territories for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It was released on September 30, 2004, in Australia, October 1, 2004, in Europe, and on April 6, 2005 in North America.

Keywords

  • action-adventure
  • multiple endings
  • undead
  • high school
  • survival horror
  • darkness
  • spider
  • bink video
  • original soundtrack release
  • a.i. companion
  • jump scare moment
  • vending machine interaction

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Obscure has a two-player cooperative mode that allows the player to complete the campaign with a friend. The game also allows players to combine items, for example taping a flashlight to any firearm.

While each character has special abilities, 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. If any characters die during the adventure, the player may simply continue with those remaining.

Story

Obscure follows five students of Leafmore High School as they investigate strange happenings, with players being able to control one at a time while the others are controlled by a computer or second player. The playable students are Josh Carter (voiced by Sam Riegel), a shy and reserved reporter for the school paper who can determine if there are unfinished tasks in an area; Stanley "Stan" Jones (voiced by Scott Haze); a drug addict, thief, and hacker as well as a friend of Josh and Kenny who can pick locks and break into rooms more easily than the other characters; varsity athlete Kenny Matthews (voiced by Liam O'Brien); Shannon Matthews (voiced by Stephanie Sheh), Kenny's intelligent younger sister who provides tips to solve puzzles more quickly, heal the others, and recover more health with normal health items; and Ashley Thompson (voiced by Tara Platt), Kenny's cheerleader girlfriend who is more proficient with weaponry than the others. While investigating Leafmore, the students encounter Principal Herbert Friedman, who kidnaps students to turn them into monsters; Dan, a student and one of his test subjects; school nurse and Friedman's accomplice Elisabeth Wickson; teacher Professor Walden; and Herbert's mutated twin brother and Elisabeth's husband Leonard.

Upon learning their friend Kenny has gone missing, Josh, Stan, Shannon, and Ashley set out to find him. However, their search leads to them being locked in Leafmore High overnight. While searching the campus, they are attacked by photosensitive monsters that can be weakened with flashlights and killed by direct sunlight. Meanwhile, Kenny encounters a fellow student named Dan. They attempt to escape together, but Dan is killed by one of the monsters.

Reception

The game received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
PlayStation 21 October 2004Europe · North America 6 April 2005
Windows1 October 2004Europe · North America 6 April 2005 · Worldwide 24 July 2008
Xbox1 October 2004Europe · North America 6 April 2005

Games like this

Collections1 collection

Platform libraries

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.