Ubisoft have just released the first details of Obscure, a new survival-horror title that draws inspiration from teen horror flicks and TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Due for a September release on PS2, Xbox and PC, the game heralds the company's first venture into the genre since Project Zero II.
A student going missing is the latest unnerving incident in Leafmore High, a school waning beneath some dark, oppressive cloud of evil. Five friends join forces to search out their missing pal and so begins a tale that starts like a hundred movies.
When unravelling the mystery of Leafmore High with your five-buddy team, the game features a unique multiplayer option for a survival-horror title. During the game a second player can join or leave at any given time. It's a nice way to provide a pick-up-and-play element between mates but we'll have to see Obscure in action to see if it really works, as such an approach could potentially disturb the balance of a game.
You can also switch between different characters at any point and set the behaviour of the accompanying character's AI using basic instructions - such as defend and attack - in a fashion similar to Resident Evil 0's AI system.
Speaking of Resi, Capcom have announced that the US release of Resident Evil 4 has slipped from "winter 2004" to January 2005. However, when we spoke to Capcom this morning, they said that the game is still on target for its previously-announced March 2005 UK release date.
Obscure will arrive on PS2, Xbox and PC in September
