The success of survival-horror franchises like Resident Evil and Silent Hill inspired a number of copycats of varying degrees in quality. Two of the more underrated Resident Evil clones is 2004's Obscure and its sequel, Obscure 2. It's been well over a decade since a new game in the series has been released, and while it's highly unlikely that one will ever see the light of day, it's a series that deserves to make a comeback.
For those unfamiliar with Obscure and its sequel, the games are classic-style survival-horror titles in the vein of old-school Resident Evil and Silent Hill. The original Obscure follows five high school students trapped in their school and confronted with supernatural threats. The cast features high school stereotypes, with a jock, a stoner, a cheerleader, etc., all with their own unique abilities. A character dying in Obscure didn't mean game over, but rather that things would continue with the rest of the living cast, a feature later seen in horror games like the popular Until Dawn. The sequel picks up where the previous game left off, but with a fresh cast of characters and a new setting. Obscure 2 was also available for the Wii, which threw motion controls into the mix.
In Obscure, players explore the school, solve puzzles, and fight monsters in a style that is exactly like an old Resident Evil game. However, the key feature that sets Obscure and its sequel apart is its co-op. Obscure and Obscure 2 both feature simultaneous local co-op play, which was virtually unheard of for the genre. And when survival-horror games did have co-op, they would often be online-only, like was the case with Resident Evil Outbreak.
A new Obscure game would be great to see, especially since classic-style survival-horror games are hard to come by, as are local co-op games. But while it seems highly unlikely that an Obscure 3 game will ever release, the good news is that the first two games are readily available through Steam. HD versions of Obscure and Obscure 2 released on Steam in 2016 and 2014, respectively, so at least the games aren't completely trapped on outdated hardware.
The Steam versions of Obscure and Obscure 2 have been well-received, with the original especially having an overwhelmingly positive response. The games retain the popular features found in the original releases, including local co-op support. Better yet, both titles can be picked up in an Obscure Collection for just $14.99, which makes them a steal.
Still, it would be nice to see these HD versions of Obscure come to more platforms. Unfortunately, the companies behind the game are basically defunct at this point, and so it's unclear if that would ever be a possibility. For now, old-school survival-horror fans should consider giving these games a shot on Steam, especially if they have a co-op partner to bring along for the ride.