Four years ago, a group of seniors at Leafmore High School came across a laboratory where horrific experiments were taking place. They fought their way through hordes of faceless creatures and saved themselves from befalling such a horrible fate.
Two years later, having survived the horror of Leafmore High, the students are trying to lead normal lives. Shannon and Kenny are enrolled in Fallcreek University, where Obscure: The Aftermath begins.
We are introduced to Fallcreek University as well as the typical college culture of sex, drugs and crazy parties during the first few minutes of gameplay. The campus is buzzing with news of a huge frat party and a new “tea” that all the students are trying. This tea is made from an unknown flower that has wildly bizarre effects and induces the trip of a lifetime. After drinking the tea, the world becomes twisted in a horrific Silent Hill-esque hallucination that seems far too real for the students. At first, everyone feel groggy and hungover but race to the frat party where the horrors begin and the game truly begins.
Introduced in September 2007, Obscure: The Aftermath was released as a PlayStation 2 and Wii title. The game received average reviews on its release. However, this past September, Obscure: The Aftermath made its way to the PSP. According to Roger Smit, the executive VP at Playlogic, this decision was based on fan reception.
Obscure: The Aftermath for the PSP is a fun scare. I am a huge fan of horror movies, teen slasher flicks of the 1980s and the thrill of haunted houses around Halloween. I enjoyed the Obscure series on the PS2, but now that I have played Obscure: The Aftermath on the PSP, I wish the first one was available in a portable format. This game really captures the essence of the teen slasher/horror flick as well as the scare factor of haunted houses.
On the PSP, perhaps because of the condensed screen or the fact that I hold my PSP close to my eyes, I felt this game really capitalized on the fear factor. At times, I would be running around trying to figure out a puzzle, only to be thrown back when something burst through a wall or made a screech off camera.
The environments and setting of the game seemed to have a higher quality and were much nicer in the portable version. I enjoyed wandering through areas looking around and seeing how smooth world objects rendered. I really felt pulled into the story and connected with the characters much like I would while watching a cheesy B-horror flick.
I believe that is what I like most about the Obscure series. The development team really delivered that budget horror movie quality. The game has a creepy ambiance, follows suit with jump factor and is peppered with wise-cracking crude college students referencing whatever bodily function or substance is most important to them. Even though death is imminent, the characters find that there is always a place for sexual innuendo — which I guess is a good way to keep your mind off your current reality. The dialogue is delivered with the quality of cheesy horror movie acting, which makes the game that much more real. I really think Obscure: The Aftermath wouldn’t be as entertaining without the cheesy one-liners.
The music of the Obscure series is composed by Olivier Derivière. Derivière also composed the soundtrack to the new Alone in the Dark game. The music for Obscure: The Aftermath is really fantastic. Derivière delivers a moody composition that helps build the ambiance I mentioned earlier.
I enjoyed the music so much that I downloaded the soundtracks for both games from Olivier’s Web site, which you can do also. The best part? Both soundtracks are free.
Obscure: The Aftermath is not without flaw. Aside from being drawn into the story and environment of the game, I was constantly reminded that I was indeed playing a game. There are times when the camera gets a little funky, or your partner character winds up in your way. Finding items can be tricky if you aren’t looking, especially on the PSP version, considering the screen is so much smaller. However, even with the flaws, I can’t help but be a huge fan of the series. My guess is that it appeals to my love of 1980s campy horror. Whatever the reason, the cutscenes, character development, scare factor and typical easy to figure out survival horror gameplay makes Obscure: The Aftermath a unique and fun experience that horror fans will enjoy.
I am personally looking forward to more Obscure titles. I am also hoping that the original may find its way to my PSP someday. For now though, I will play through Obscure: The Aftermath again and possibly again.
