Obscure

About Obscure

Obscure was made by the French studio Hydravision Entertainment and first released in 2004 on PC and consoles of the time. The Steam version came in 2014. It plays like the survival horror games of its era, with a third-person camera and a building to search room by room, but takes its cast and tone from teen horror films.

After a friend vanishes, students at Leafmore High stay behind after class to find out why, and end up locked in. You switch between Shannon, Kenny, Ashley, Stan and Josh, each with a special ability, and take one or two of them with you through the school: classrooms, the library, the gym, the dim corridors and what lies beneath. Weapons range from a baseball bat to handguns and shotguns, and flashlights matter because the creatures fear light.

The fear is that of a classic survival horror. Ammunition and healing items are limited, the school is dark, the monsters shrug off bullets until a light weakens them, and if a student dies you carry on with those who are left. The music is by Olivier Derivière.

Its draw today is co-op: a second player can drop in on the same screen and play the whole story with you, which few survival horror games of the time allowed. It suits fans of early Resident Evil and Silent Hill and anyone who wants a horror night with a friend on one couch.

How to play Obscure

1. Pick the students you want to lead from the group and choose a partner to take with you.
2. Search the school room by room for keys, items and weapons.
3. Use a flashlight on the monsters to weaken them, then fight them with what you carry.
4. Use each student's skill where it helps, and share ammunition and first aid between them.
5. Solve the school's puzzles to open new areas, and invite a friend to take the second character on the same screen.

Tips

• Keep a light on the creatures before you shoot; it saves ammunition.
• Do not lean on one student only: if someone dies the game goes on without them and their skill.
• Use each character's ability, such as puzzle hints or faster lock picking, where it fits the room.
• Playing with a second player on the same screen makes fights much easier to manage.

Questions