Obscure: The Aftermath

Other products by Ignition Entertainment

Product Features

• Six different characters to play - each needing to contribute their unique abilities
• Survival horror game heavily influenced by teen horror movies
• Unique co-op mode where a friend can join in anytime
• Highly detailed, creepy environments
• Immersive soundtrack performed by the Boston Symphonic Orchestra and the Paris Opera Children's Choir

Product Details

• Our recommended age: 17 - 20 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 0 months and up
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000XPJ026
• Item Weight: 1 pounds
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: March 25, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,041 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: PlayStation2

Product Description
Two years ago at Leafmore High, a group of young teenagers were trapped inside their school and hunted by monsters that had been released by the maniac principal. Some of them survived that terrible night, while most others perished. The survivors have since picked up their lives and joined college. But all is not right at Fallcreek University... Strange black flowers have suddenly sprung up everywhere on campus. While experimenting with these flowers in class, a dangerous substance was discovered that induces strange but vivid dreams. A handful of students soon find out that there is more to the flowers than anyone could have expected. When the seeds finally germinate, a bad trip suddenly turns into a horrible reality...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good, March 25, 2008

By	N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

I didn't expect much from Obscure: The Aftermath, mainly because I wasn't too thrilled with the first Obscure game (released what seems like ages ago) and the fact that the game carries a budget price tag. Well, you definitely get your money's worth with Obscure: The Aftermath, which for those who are unfamiliar with the first game, is a co-op survival horror excursion. The story picks up where the first game left off, finding familiar characters now in college, and once again haunted by horiffic forces at work. The first thing you'll notice is that for a budget priced PS2 title, Obscure: The Aftermath looks surprisingly good. The character models and lighting effects are well done, and the environments are well detailed. The game's music score is haunting as well, but the real meat and potatoes of the game is the co-op gameplay that really enhances what would otherwise have been a generic survival horror trip. The few flaws that hurt Obscure: The Aftermath mostly lie within the game's combat system, which doesn't always work out well. Not to mention that the game's story isn't much to look at, and the voice acting is beyond atrocious. Also, the game is quite short (you can finish the game in one sitting if you so desired), and your AI controlled partner isn't always the brightest brain in the bunch either. Flaws aside though, Obscure: The Aftermath is a surprisingly good survival horror yarn that delivers the goods, and the budget price tag warrants a look at the very least.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good and not so surprisingly bad throughout, May 3, 2008

By	Benjamin S. Sprague "Broken Hierophant" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

Obscure the aftermath is a "Sure why not!" game. Because it is cheap you can drop coin on it and not feel like you lost anything in the exchange.

As expected it takes place after the first game. 3 of the original characters survived a horrible botanical experiment gone bad and defeated a mad scentist who was experimenting on faculty and students to find a cure for his dying twin brother. As expected these experiments turned casual people in mutant monsters making you wonder if Leonard and his twin Herbert were the Umbrella execs from Resident evil that did not quite make the cut. I can see it now. Wesker saying "You are evil but just not evil enough guys and your character models look a lil dated! Maybe you can move on to star in a 3rd party survival horror game. I hear Obscure needs some villians check with them!"

Regardless after one of the survivors reflects on his past you begin being randomly put into the shoes of other characters. Because this is a co-op slash and monster fest you have to always use the skills of both people to blaze a trail to your next objective. In truth after you learn how to navigate, use items, switch between team mates, and equip weapons The Aftermath does grow on you. It is not nearly as buggy as Suffering: The ties that bind which would have been a great game had it not been so carelessly rushed by midway. At least Aftermath's programmers took time to address clipping issues and it has no abyssmal doors you walk through and fall into a pit of nothingness. Besides slow save and load times the game is pretty slick and responsive for what it is.

The actual protagonists are not quickly likeable sadly. In your first mission Corey smugly looks at his bed and says "Many girls have come and gone here! But you're different Mei at least you stayed!" Mei has every right to call him a pig.

Next up jock-smock Kenny makes a remark about blowing his load to his sexy decrpyting cohort Amy after she finds a gun in the Billard room.

It's kind of hard to feel anything for these college frat stereotypes. In some instances you may root for the monsters more than for the people you're playing as. If you stay the duration a few of the heroes and heroines do prove they have more interesting layers underneath their dense cliche outer shells but even then the character development never becomes ground shaking.

As you progress through trippy graveyard dream sequences, frat parties, libraries, billard rooms, hidden passages, and labratories you get the feeling these programmers had a thing for the movie The Faculty and thought Buffy The vampire slayer was Shakespeare. Actually Buffy was a great series but whereas its campy style of humor worked for the scooby gang it does not work for The Aftermath. Joss Whedon was a master at portraying characters as normal and flawed but still quirky and lovable. In Aftermath you do not get nearly that same level of bonding.

Believe it or not there are some neat surprises along the way. I thought it was cool how when I leveled my first monster its heart stayed behind and kept beating a long time. There is also an odd Flower reference for one of the female characters that is genuinely creepy.

Despite finding this game to not be mere garbage I have to mostly agree with how I made my earliar acessment doing my IGN review of it. The fact it is two player is a welcome change for this genre. It would definetly be a wonderful introduction to survival horror. However if you've visited Silent Hill and had tea with Alessa and Pyramid head, took tourist pictures in the ghost world of Fatal Frame, or played Zombie Head golf with Jill Valentine and Leon Kennedy you have seen far better scares and far better plot devices then what are in AfterMath. That considered it is essentially a good game and "sleeper gem" that has gotten more flak than it deserves.


Pros

+ Very few bugs

+Smooth responsive controls

+Two player gorey action!

+A few neat sights along the way

+ A decent story-line that is much better then what you'll find within the typical "teen horror" genre. Not the most original plot but I've seen far worse.

+ Some of the characters are discovered to be courageous, dedicated, and good hearted deep down. It is a shame this is not immediatly so apparent at first. However it is realistic. Gaggles of friends are rarely "mature and civilized" when observed in groups.

+ A few things such as using spotlights to dispel darkness, utilizing a syringe to collect vital fluids from monster organs to replenish your health, revving up a chain saw to cut fallen trees from your path, and adjusting the security camera clarity while navigating Mei's sister Jun through the basement were neat additions.

Cons

- Ai can get abysmally dumb at certain pivotal points in which your partner actually needs to be helpful.

- The frat humor and frat stereotypes just come off as unintelligent and offensive near the beginning of After-math. The young characters in Rockstar's Bully and Atlus's Persona 3 Fes were alot more likeable at the start of their respective tales.

- Back tracking because you may have brought the wrong character for the wrong task.

-Character models look a bit dated.

- Creature designs are unoriginal however since so many survival horror games exist that have used so many ideas I can somewhat forgive Aftermath for this. Hard to break the mold when nothing new is under the sun.

-Slow save and load times.

3.0 out of 5 stars Obscure 2 The Flowers, February 27, 2009

By	Magus - See all my reviews

Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This horror takes place in a college in Fall Creek. There are characters Corey, Amy, Sven, Mei, and Jun. Also joining are a few survivors from the previous Obscure from Leafmore Highschool. There are strange flowers that produce dark mist cause ill effects in people turning them into mutants.

In this game you can switch out your characters for another one, partnering with the AI or a friend. Each of the characters has a special attribute, like acrobatics, computers, strength, etc. It does get annoying when you don't have the right character and have to go all the way back to where your group is to switch out.

The combat is a little better than the first Obscure, the enemies seem to actually get stunned with hits. They can damage you a great deal, but not as crazy as Obscure 1. You use blunt weapons from hockey sticks, bats, gold clubs, and chain saws. You do get some guns in this game from
pistols, shotguns, flare guns, and stun guns. A bit more variety of weaponary this time around. Combat is more satisfying here.

The characters themselves, there are alot of them that are not very likable. There are maybe 2 or 3 I like out of the bunch. They all tell alot of jokes, or insult eachother during your survival. Their reaction should be a bit more when killer monsters are hunting after them throughout the campus.

Throught the game there will be a good number of puzzles to get through to the next room. This can be fun at times and challenging. You cannot use the same save point twice, so you have to be careful not to waste it.

This is a decent game, and sequel which I think is better than 1.
The game is only $20. If your really into survival horrors, and have beaten Resident Evils, Silent Hills, and Fatal Frames you might want to pick this up for the good price it's selling at.

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