obscure

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ObsCure
Developer(s)	Hydravision Entertainment
Publisher(s)	DreamCatcher Interactive
Writer(s)	Tony Marques
Composer(s)	Olivier Derivière
Series	ObsCure
Engine	RenderWare
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	EU October 1, 2004 NA April 6, 2005
Genre(s)	Survival horror
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: M PEGI: 16+ USK: 16+
Media	CD, DVD

ObsCure is a survival horror video game developed by Hydravision Entertainment and published by DreamCatcher Interactive^[1] for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows. It was released on October 1, 2004 in Europe and North America on April 6, 2005.

Storyline

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Some strange things seem to be happening at Leafmore High. Five teenagers set out to search for their missing friend, however they’ve found themselves locked inside the school overnight and they now have to get to the bottom of the strange occurrences.

You'll take control of the five desperate teens as you explore the massive school and battle a number of different types of infected students.

The students discover that the enemies they face are sensitive to light, with direct sunlight being able to destroy them. Flashlights help to slightly weaken their foes and the malevolent black aura surrounding them.

The students wind up discovering a conspiracy about the injections turning students into mutated monsters, mostly experimentations based on a rare plant spore with the possibility to allow people to live forever. It is discovered that the Nurse and the Principal are over 100 years old but seem only to be in their 60s thanks to the tests they had performed on others.

The students later come across their principal, who is killed by a teacher seeking to cure himself of the infection caused by Herbert's experiments. Herbert's brother, Leonard, however lurks in the back of that room and seeing his brother dead gets quite angry. He murders the teacher and that leaves Kenny and company to defeat the biggest mutant seen yet, the first mutant.

After defeating him, you return to the gym and inject yourself with the cure. However Leonard returns. After a quick and painless battle, Leonard gives into the sunlight and everything is back to normal.

Features

The focus of the story is a group of senior high students who stumble upon a laboratory in which Resident Evil style experiments are being performed. The students must then fight their way to in order to survive and warn the remaining student body.

One of ObsCure's most notable features is the a two-player cooperative mode that allows you to complete the campaign with a friend. ObsCure also allows players to combine items, for example taping a flashlight to any firearm. Some critics, including the review show X-Play, have stated that this was the only redeeming quality, and mocked id's Doom 3 for not implementing such a concept.

ObsCure also contains tracks performed by the bands Sum 41 and Span. The story was inspired by The Faculty.

Player Characters

ObsCure gives players the ability to control and switch between any of five playable characters on the fly. Given that you'll be playing in pairs of characters, the other characters will be computer-controlled A.I., or a second player can join in and take over for the computer at any time. Aside from the multiplayer capability this could be considered an updating of Capcom's Sweet Home. Your choice of characters includes:

• Josh Carter (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas) - A shy and reserved reporter for the school paper. He can tell if there's anything left to do in an area, such as items to pick up, or locations that advance the storyline. First received after the opening scenario involving Kenny. It is known that he survives the events of ObsCure, only to go missing by the time of the second game. A hidden video in ObsCure II shows from the perspective of what is believed to be his camera, visiting the ruins of Leafmore High only to have him and Ashley both presumably killed or captured by Leonard's mutant son. Josh is also attracted to Shannon which is shown in the end when the to embrace (or kiss)

• Stanley Jones (voiced by Scott Haze) - A stoner and a slack student at the school, good friends with Josh and Kenny. The only problems that he had in school is being a thief and hacker in computers (that hacking you see in the game when you meet up with him). He is able to crack locks easier, and with more skill, and he can and break into rooms as well. First received when entering the bottom left building on the map. He survives the events of ObsCure and ObsCure II.

• Kenny Matthews (voiced by Sam Riegal) - He is the varsity athlete, and Shannon's older brother, who is blessed with quick speed and a powerful punch. First received at the beginning. He survives the events of Obscure. In the second game, he is a playable character for a short time, until he turns into a powerful mutated monster with huge arms.

• Shannon Matthews (voiced by Stephanie Sheh) - Kenny's smart, youngest sister. Shannon dresses provocatively to take the focus away from her brains. She provides tips on puzzles and heals other peoples wounds for them. First received after the opening scenario involving Kenny. She survives the events of ObsCure and ObsCure II. She is able to heal 20% more with a normal health item.

• Ashley Thompson (voiced by Tara Platt) - She is a cheerleader, and is also Kenny's girlfriend. She has the ability to rapid-fire a pistol, and deals more damage with most weapons. First received after the opening scenario involving Kenny. She survives the events of ObsCure only to go missing (presumably dead or captured) before the events of ObsCure II, going with Josh to investigate the partially destroyed ruins of Leafmore High and suddenly getting attacked in the process. She is mentioned in ObsCure II and a picture of the group is shown with both her and Josh.

• Dan - A student that was held in a prison and is playable when Kenny saves him, however he cannot help you for long as he immediately gets killed when escaping a mutated experiment. He will appear again in the game clips as a fully mutated experiment.

While each of these abilities sounds useful, 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. The puzzles generally aren't taxing enough to require much help, and if any teen cast members should die during the adventure, the player may simply continue on with those remaining.

Non-player characters

• Denny Walden: A biology teacher of Leafmore High. He appears several times; sometimes offering help, other times obstructing the main characters in a frantic manner. You later discover this is due to him being infected.

• Ms. Elisabeth Lucy Wilson: The nurse of Leafmore High. There is more to her than there appears to be.

• Herbert Friedman: The principal of Leafmore High. A former scientist and co-founder of Leafmore High. Herbert and his brother Leonard discovered a plant in their expeditions that had a possibility to regenerate cells indefinitely. Lacking the proper funds and test subjects, they instead found a school and perform secret experiments in a lab beneath it. A rash of student disappearances start. He is over 100 years old.

• Leonard Friedman: The twin of Herbert and cofounder of Leafmore High. He is the first person to be mutated by the spores of the plant he and his brother discovered, as is shown in a reel of film recovered by the students. His brother then seeks to find a cure for him through experimentation. Herbert's last words to Leonard are "Leonard, forgive me... I almost found the formula. I almost did it..."

• Mr. Garrison: The school janitor of Leafmore High who was apparently an ex-police officer. He locks you into a room at the beginning without realizing you are there and later on has an interesting run-in with some monsters.

Enemies

• Biter: A Small mutated insectile monster. These generally attack in small groups.

• Hulk: A large mutated crab. It will stomp the ground and spikes will emerge from the ground and attack.

• Pale (Stage 1 Mutant): Not that dangerous, it will simply attack with a knife.

• Slouch (Stage 2 Mutant): It is the easiest enemy in the game to kill. It looks like a human being, but with pale skin and a long, mutated-looking tongue.

• Grim (Stage 3 Mutant): This hulking behemoth has huge tentacles that protrude from its mouth. It is a little over 8 feet tall.

• Climber: They climb around on the ceiling and when your character least expects it, it will grab the protagonist and attempt to strangle them, easy to kill with gun and light on it.

• Queen: A disgusingly bloated former woman, twisted and immobile. Now just a monster that spews forth killer maggots. To kill the maggots all you have to do is point your flashlight at them, and only shoot the Queen when she removes her arm away from her face.

Soundtrack

24 tracks, written and produced by Olivier Derivière.

1. Main Titles
2. Empty School
3. Something Hidden
4. First Ones
5. Blowing Up a Wall
6. Being Surrounded
7. Herbert Friedman
8. Who is Herbert?
9. Wickson, the Nurse
10. Infested Place
11. Give Us Eternity
12. The First Queen
13. Pure Suite
14. Wickson and Leonard
15. The Second Queen
16. Gardener's Story
17. Herbert's Secret Office
18. Old Movie
19. Friedman's Place
20. Finding Leo
21. Final Fight
22. Leonard's Death
23. Death
24. End Titles

There are also 2 tracks that play during the game that are not in the official soundtrack.

1. "Still Waiting" performed by Sum 41
2. "Baby's Come Back" performed by Span

German Version

In the German version there were many songs from Sportfreunde Stiller.

French Version

The French version of the game features the song Cinglés performed by Enhancer for its ending credits. The music video for the song is unlockable as a bonus for completing the game.

Sequels

The storyline of Obscure II takes place two years after the first game, the kids who survived are now at college living normal lives. They discover a strange plant on campus and things start going awry. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Wii.

Obscure 3 is in developement according to Joshua Swanson. it has been mused for DS and Jesse america has said in the playlogic forums that there are plans for a next gen version of ObsCure 3, it is unknown which version is in development.

References

External links

• Obscure PC, at Microïds Official Website
• ObsCure at MobyGames
• ObsCure at Game Rankings