Obscure turns survival horror into monster mash

Remember the 2005 survival horror ObsCure and its sequel? No, that's fine, as the new Obscure announced today has little to do with them beyond licensing the property. The new one is a side-scrolling monster mash, coming for download on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this spring.

Like the originals, the new Obscure sees a group of students fending off rampaging monsters, only this time it's a 2.5D cartoony killfest with combos and scores. Getting particularly good scores gets you experience to level up your child, unlocking new weapons and abilities. Local and online co-op for up to four is supported.

It's being developed by Mighty Rocket Studio, an indie studio founded by folks who worked on the first two Obscure games. They didn't want to let their baby die, clearly.

Obscure include characters and locations from the originals, and publisher Focus Home Interactive swears blind it "incorporates many familiar elements of the survival-horror genre; sparse ammunition, limited supplies of health kits, and the oppressive feeling of constant danger in a universe where gruesome creatures may suddenly appear out of nowhere." Those gruesome cartoon creatures!