There is an untapped genre out there for gaming. It is co-op survival/horror. Left 4 Dead is a shooter, and Resident Evil 5 more killing and less exploring. If someone could make a game where item collection and exploring were paramount, co-op was truly co-op, and a great backstory, the game would be a hit. Obscure: The Aftermath is a direct PSP port from the PS2 game that was released last year. The game touches on all those aspects, but falls a little short of being considered very good.
The story takes place on a college campus where evil flowers have begun to sprout. Sounds lame, but it is rather clever. There is some humor as you explore the dorms and frat houses in the opening levels and you are reminded how much fun college was. There are 6 characters in all, 2 of which you can have on screen at a time. Each has their own skill and using the tandem you have can help you solve the puzzles that lay before you. The game has plenty of exploring, collecting, and backtracking which gives the game a good tempo. You simply cannot steamroll through.
The graphics are not bad, but the PSP can do better. The combat is simple to master, but can be clunky. Too often you swing a bat and you smack your partner in the head as a monster is attacking you. The game has some forgettable voice acting as well. Usually these things don’t matter to me, but when a game is designed to be slow moving, you notice how absurd the Co-ed sounds as she is being chased by a mutant.
One great aspect here is if a friend has the game, you both can explore separate ways. This is something that has to be expanded into other games. One downfall, however, is that this is the same game on the PS2, but with a price tag of $29.99, 10 bucks higher than the console version. Usually as things go portable, they do not get more expensive. If you liked the previous Obscure games and really liked the PS2 version, and want to play on the road, you should give this a look.
[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]
