Really a disappointment see ideas being wasted like that. Usually, cut and paste don't work well in games.
Ok… this genre isn't know for its graphics and, in Obscure, they're just fine. Old and dated with desirable textures and models, but it make the sufficient to do the job. Also, the controls can be awful and difficult to get because, Hydravision, made a terrible work to make a descent adaptation of it, unless you have a game pad.
But, again, in this genre, these are two normal problems that we can face even in the classics, so, they're not a real problem in Obscure. The real problem is the fact that it is very derivative from those classics. Almost all its aspects will look generic and bad polished, looking more a bad teenager horror movie than a scarier horror adventure game in the best style of Silent Hill.
To squish the better of Obscure, I'll try to focus in its strongest point, which is the history. The game start after Kenny finish a basketball training in the high school and, staying a little longer than its teammates, he head to the bathrooms and see someone running with his bag. After some sequences, he'll fall in a trap, ending the prologue.
Then, in another day, Kenny's sister, Shannon, will miss him and, together with her friends Ashley and Josh, they will start to search for Kenny after classes. But they will be involved in many strange things that are happening about the weird secrets that are under the school origins, and now they must discover what is going on, trying to stay alive and survive.
And here, it will present an interesting form to use many main characters in a game, giving some of gameplay possibilities. A little later, Stanley will join them and, much later, to not give many spoilers, Kenny will join them, being also here where Hydravision lost its great opportunity to create a differential for their game.
In total, we have five characters that we can control but only two at time, where each character has its own special ability that we must explore. The problem is that, this system is very limited and simple. Not only because for the characters abilities being single for each, but the few item variation, and the weird controls and animation will obfuscate the idea.
So, all the action and plot will happen inside the Leafmore High School, being up to us discover the stranger things that start to happen at the night fall. Strange creatures coming from the shadows and broken holes that weren't there at daylight, strange earth shakings and weird noises around the school will be what compose the Obscure atmosphere. At least, the school is satisfactory big, giving a lot of room for all the mysteries and puzzles.
And puzzles aren't the strong here too. I found them too simple and predictable. Also, some of those puzzles can be easier made using the right characters combination that, for its simplicity, isn't hard to discover. For my taste, they remember the great puzzles from Capcom games, but in a lower level. Monsters also remember the ones from the Silent Hill and Resident Evil series too.
Inventory system can be a positive point for Obscure. I found it very clever, working very well, even being a little confusing in the beginning. Actually, everything is confusing in the beginning of this game. But who though that light could defeat enemies only in Alan Wake never played Obscure to see where that idea came from.
Voices and sound effects are just ok tough, and a not so charming sound track for my taste.
So, looking to the final, Hydravision had a good opportunity to add to the genre a great game with nice ideas and one interesting history capable of catch the player only with that. But the bad execution, the bad port, terrible controls and the feeling of mediocrity and that everything looks just unpolished and basic don't help to catch players. Really a disappointment see ideas being wasted like that.
I cannot recommend this game to anyone, unless you want try and see by yourself the bad execution and stay desiring something that was wasted. Go try Silent Hill, Resident Evil series or even the first person horror games like Penumbra series or even Cryostasis and Amnésia.