Obscure: The Aftermath PSP review

Do you like cheesy teen slasher flicks? Well then Obscure: The Aftermath may be for you. Read on to find out if that’s a good thing or not.

Released a little over a year ago on PS2/Wii and PC Obscure: The Aftermath now makes it way to PSP. The game has more or less made the jump to the PSP intact however that doesn’t mean everything is perfect. The developers themselves say the game is somewhat of a homage to teen slasher flicks and in a way I would agree with that assessment however in my eyes that’s not a good thing: But we will get to that in a bit.

The game takes place two years after the fist game and most of the characters return. The game really starts to pick up when (incoming shocker) the characters start experimenting with a new drug made out of some evil flower. Monsters and mutants appear and it’s up to the group of misfits to get to he bottom of things before everything is over run. Sound cheesy? Well yeah it is and the sexual innuendo’s and one liners don’t help at all. An example of this stuff would be one of the female characters picking up a gun and the guy responding with “Ah I guess I don’t get to shoot my load tonight” If that’s not your thing then you should look elsewhere. However if you like that kind of  cheesy stuff then dismiss that last statement.

Graphically the game looks great. Character models are decently detailed and the environments are nice and take advantage of the atmosphere the game builds. Sometimes leading to being creped out just simply walking around which is quite an accomplishment on the PSP. One thing I did notice that brought the game down was a lot of screen blur when there is a lot of movement. Now I am not sure if this was caused purposely in the game for effect or if it’s because of my PSP which is the original 1000 model. It’s quite possible that it’s used as a effect in the game ala how Silent Hill uses a film grain effect but as I said I can’t be sure.

The voice acting in the game is horrible and again it adds to the cheesy teen slasher flick feel. But the problem is the rest of the game is trying to be so much more. The music in the game is incredible with creepy chorus and strings throughout that really add to the tension and feeling of dread. But as soon as you think you might be getting scared another cheesy one liner comes out and takes you out of the experience again.

Game play wise the game is solid. One of Obscure’s claims to fame is Co-op. Yes the entire game is playable in Co-op via the PSP ad hoc mode and drop in and drop out game play comes along with that. I do have to say the game is more enjoyable once you have another real person on the other end. However if you prefer to play alone you can do that as well and will simply have the ability to switch back and forth between the two characters you are currently playing(You will play multiple groups by the end of the game). The character you are not controlling will be under AI control which for the most part does it’s job well although they could be a bit more helpful during combat.

Making the game a bit more interesting is that each character has something they are good at. For example the jock type character is strong and therefore can push and pull big objects. While one of the smart characters can work out complicated codes out of seemingly nothing but random carvings or jibberish and still another character is very acrobatic allowing for access to otherwise inaccessible areas. This does add a bit to the game and indeed does make it more enjoyable,

Combat functions relatively fluidly when the camera wants to work with you. Players will obtain a variety of melee weapons such as hockey sticks, Golf clubs and the like as well as various different fire arms throughout the game.  The player can equip a few weapons at a time and then switch between them on the fly. However a much larger amount of weapons can be carried in the inventory. There are also puzzles in the game however I thought they were a bit to easy most of the time however that is a matter of opinion and others may find them more challenging. As mentioned earlier the camera can at times be difficult to deal with. Most of the time you can predict where you will need the camera and adjust and for the most part it will do it’s job however when this happens in combat the lack of dual sticks really hurts.

At the end of the day Obscure: The Aftermath is a incredibly solid game in terms of it’s game play and mechanics. However it seems the game has trouble deciding what it wants to be. At times you will have Silent Hill levels of creepy while others you will have cheesy one liners and stupid characters. As mentioned the game does a great job at creating a creepy atmosphere which again is an accomplishment on the PSP. But the story is lacking and characters annoying. I think if  Hydravision could make a survival horror game that didn’t have the cheesy teens and one liners they would have a real winner on their hands. As it stands now it’s a matter of preference. If you don’t mind or like the cheesy teen thing then you will certainly enjoy the game. Those that can look past it will also enjoy themselves. Others that don’t enjoy that theme however may be put off. Which is a shame because below the cheesy one liners and sexual innuendo’s stands a very solid survival horror game.

6 Ninja Heads out of 10.