ObsCure is Back From The Dead

[The Wooster]

ObsCure is Back From The Dead

​

"And the award for most drastically changed franchise goes to ..."

If there was a theme to 2012, I'd describe it thus: Developers making massive changes to established franchises while crowds of fans bellow defiance from the rafters. Fortunately, fans of prophetically-titled, PS2-era survival horror game, ObsCure, are so rare they deserve their own wildlife reservation and breeding program, which means there probably won't be too much angry hooting at the announcement that the series' third installment is a self-referential, sidescrolling brawler. For comparison, this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMr_IZ9dQJw] is the original game.

The developer behind the original two ObsCure games, Hydravision Entertainment, went bankrupt last year, taking an unreleased third game with it. The franchise has been picked up by Mighty Rocket Studios, which just so happens to be chock full of former Hydravision staff.

ObsCure's core theme - a gaggle of teenage horror movie clichés banding together to fight the supernatural - is still intact, but gone are the realistic graphics, tank-like controls and serious presentation of the original games. In their place we get a brightly colored brawler that's "drenched in the blood and caustic humor inspired by the teen and horror movie genres." The co-op, which is what really set ObsCure apart from the competition, is still present; players can make their way through non-linear levels in either local or online co-op modes, with each of the four characters boasting unique attacks that can be upgraded via light RPG elements.

ObsCure is due out on PS, PC and Xbox this spring.

Source: Focus Home Interactive [http://www.focus-home.com/index.php?rub=news&id=482]


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[busterkeatonrules]

Hey, I played the first Obscure game! Was never a fan, though.

Still, this one looks like it could be worth a shot - I haven't played a good sidescroller since the SNES!

 

[Yopaz]

I thought Obscure was hilarious. It takes real skill to make a game with only douches and clichés like that. This looks like it might be a little fun though. I doubt anyone will miss the series...

 

[Shoggoth2588]

...What the Hell am I looking at here? I never played the second one (it's on the Wii, right?) but I played through and beat the first one...kind of...I got what must have been the worst ending but an ending that really left me feeling satisfied. I'm not gonna lie though, the new take on the game looks really interesting and I can't wait to see if it gets a full on release or just a digital one.

 

[Doclector]

So, this morning, I wake up to see a randomly generated horror game on the escapist news page. What's this? No "PC" in the tags? No confirmed platform? Oh my god, consoles might finally get some proper horror *reads article* nope, PC only, again!

Hey, obscure always looked interesting to me! Maybe they'll do something really special with survival horror, bring back actual scares and stu-OH GOD DAMMIT!

Oh well, I guess I can't really bring myself to argue against a decent looking side scroller with some horror parodies thrown in for good measure. So...I guess I'm in.

Still though, would be nice if just once, just fucking once, somebody made a proper horror game for consoles. C'mon man, we're starvin' here!

 

[weirdee]

got kind of a tf2 art style vibe from the animation/lighting/aesthetic combo going there

 

[The Almighty Grigard]

Ooh, a sequel to ObsCure? Might we actually get a fun and corny co op horror game again?

'looks at the video'

[sub]Woo! My first reaction gif post![/sub]

What does this have to do with ObsCure at all? Now I'm not some fanboy who screams with unbridled wrath when a series changes, (I fucking loved the new DmC) but WTF.

There's really no point in calling this ObsCure anymore since it barely shares any resemblance to the previous ones. I really despise the practice of necro'ing old franchises, only to cut out the name and sew it onto the next game to get thrown into the meat grinder.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I played both Obscure games. They were fun. But this doesn't look bad either. I would also like a new game in the style of Obscure.

 

[ramboondiea]

although this looks fun, i cant lie, i was a little disappointed, i did enjoy the first two obscure games, even if getting co-op to work was an actually nightmare. but hey i will likely give it a go, but will secretly hate it from the bottom of my heart ha

 

[loudestmute]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around why this is a bad thing. Take a barely remembered sixth-gen horror title, remake it as a 2D co-op shooter, and release it for about $10-15.

Is it an old-school horror game anymore? If this "Zombie Boom Wahey" trailer is any indication, probably not. But for the important point now:

Is that a bad thing?

Aside from your independent PC downloadables, "horror game" nowadays means "game with horror trappings." Dead Space combines frantic firefights with tense atmosphere. Silent Hill became a strategy RPG on the Vita. Resident Evil 6...Well, let's just say I can't hate on Indigo Prophecy/Fahrenheit's use of QTEs as much anymore. Similarly, horror movies aimed at teenagers went from "Let's scare them into chastity" to "Let's see if we can find a way to kill a guy with a a football."

I'm optimistic for the project. If you prefer the older Obscure games, you can grab yourself the episodic Siren games if you absolutely have to have that playstyle on your current systems. Everybody has a way of getting what they want, therefore, everybody wins. Right?

 

[Chester Rabbit]

Neat, I can't wait to try the demo. Loving the Team Fortress kind of art style.