Day Three - A Game That is Underrated
There are so many that I could list here today, but I decided that I cheated yesterday so should make an effort to just note one game that I think is criminally underrated.
My choice for this game?
None other than...
ObsCure by name, obscure by nature.
Created by a French development studio, ObsCure is an excellent near-parody of Teen Horror movies. Set in a school after hours, a group of students are caught up in a massive conspiracy involving several members of staff and...some weird looking plant things.
The game made several new steps for the survival horror genre that have mostly been ignored since. Steps that really shouldn't be ignored.
Enemies were harmed by light, and eventually it was possible to combine torches with your weapons to create more powerful weapons. Similar to what was introduced in Alone in the Dark: A New Nightmare, but vastly improved upon.
The best two features were the ability to play as all 8 main characters throughout the game. You could swap and change at any given point (by heading back to the main hub and actively talking to other characters), always having control of 2 characters.
Depending on who survives the game, the ending changes to reflect which characters are still alive.
The best part of the game was the introduction of a second player, a first for the survival horror genre. Just plug in a second controller and away you go. It had a few issues, sure, but it was a step in the right direction.
The game was well made, with good controls, and it even had an interesting setting & storyline. It was meant to be cheesy, and it managed to pull it off without coming across as goofy or childish. Each character was unique and even possessed unique abilities that could help in certain situations (one was good at lock picking, another strong with melee weapons, etc).
Despite how underrated the title is, there was a sequel released , ObsCure 2. Sadly, I haven't had the chance to play the title, but have been wanting to for many years.
I doubt it'll truly live up to the greatness that was the first game, but I can't imagine it being too awful.
ObsCure is a game I can recommend for anybody that wants to try out something new, innovative, creative, and entertaining.
Honourable Mentions
Ok, cheating a little bit. There are still a few other games that I'd love to briefly mention.
Primal for the Playstation 2 was a brilliant Action Adventure RPG-esque game about multiple-dimensions that have been brought out of balance by a war between two gods. It's got a Heavy Metal theme, and a strong, independant, and attractive female lead character. It was the first in a planned series that sold so badly it was soon scrapped. The voice-actor for the secondary character also died several years after release, so I don't think a re-launch to the series would be very good without the guy.
Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. It's a long winded name, and it sounds quite rude when you think about it, but it was still a good game. You play a graffitti artist trying to make a name for himself in a future that has been turned into a Police State. One of the best ways to fight back is by tagging or painting over their propaganda. It was a mix between Grand Theft Auto, Prince of Persia, and that DreamCast game about graffitti (I want to say Jet Set Radio?). It sounds a bit naff, but the storyline is brilliant, as is the gameplay. Oh, and the soundtrack is superb.
Forbidden Siren, otherwise known as Siren in America, is a Japanese Survival Horror that scares the bejeezus out of me. Typical Japanese style, they decided to make it as hard as possible (made even harder for the second game, then eased off for the relaunch on the PS3), by introducing enemies that cannot be killed and forcing you to play as characters that cannot see, or cannot fight, etc. Despite its many shortcomings, it is a brilliant Survival Horror title, and vastly overlooked for the much easier to play Resident Evil or Silent Hill games.
Well, that's me done for today. What about you guys? Most underrated game? Or games?
Let me know!
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