Obscure: The Aftermath PSP Review (Deleted Scenes)
Last week, I wrote a review for the PSP version of Obscure: The Aftermath for GotGame.com. Unfortunately there were sections from my original draft of the review that didn’t quite make it into the final cut.
I’ve never let good content go to waste, so I present to you here those lost sections…
I’ve been a casual observer to the survival horror genre, preferring to watch my friends play than bear that responsibility myself. All the same, I do have an appreciation for what makes those games good. Hands down, horror games are best played on a TV, in a dark room, and with excitable friends. Mix in some Red Bulls and pizza delivery, and you’ve got a party!
It's just not the same.
It’s a tall order to attempt translating the experience onto a portable platform, like the PSP.
The fear effects are lost when playing on a commute or lunch break, because of the distracting environment. If you do get spooked, it’s embarrassing for your co-workers or surrounding strangers to see you suddenly burst out with, “Oh, shit! Oh, shit! What the damn???”
The best place to play a game like this on a portable device might be in bed with the lights out. That way, if you fling the PSP out of your hands from fright, it will land safely on the foot of your soft blanket.
Meet Amy, your protagonist
and female role model.
But if you simply can’t put the game down wherever you may roam, this game’s pacing works out for the best. Each chapter only lasts around 20-35 minutes, depending how sharp you are at solving puzzles or survive attacks.
I did notice an uncomfortable presence of misogyny in the game through its play mechanics. I ran into a situation in an early area while playing as Amy (with her boy toy Kenny in tow) where I needed to enter a building that had all locked doors. The solution was to drag a crate over so that I could climb it to the roof.
Amy is not only unable to move large objects, but she vocally insists Kenny accept the chore, claiming she’s “just a girl”. So Amy has a supposed phenomenal skill at deciphering and breaking near-impossible codes but she’s stumped by large boxes? Is there a legitimate reason why a girl can’t move crates? Or at least combine their efforts? Claire Redfield, Lara Croft, and Ashley Robbins would object.
To the developer’s credit, Amy is acting well within the context of her character. In fact, the first line of her in-game character profile describes her as “Miss Wet T-Shirt Contest” and savors the collected affections of two of the male characters.
Amy’s real-life counterparts are typically sorostitutes adorned in Mardi Gras beads and are especially useless in tasks that don’t involve jell-o shots or Rohypnol.
For more of the work I’ve done for GotGame.com, you can see the full list here.
