I'm convinced that the best survival horror co-op game came out 21 years ago and still hasn't been topped

Survival horror games are traditionally single-player experiences, but there have also been a handful of co-op horror games released over the years. Resident Evil 5 and 6if you count them as survival horror, both have co-op as their main feature, while the newer one Outlast Trials translated that franchise's disturbing first-person horror into co-op quite expertly. I've played basically every co-op survival horror game released over the years, and in my opinion, none have topped 2005's PlayStation 2 hidden gem Obscure or its successors, Obscure: The Aftermath.

Obscure was released in Australia and Europe in 2004, but did not make its way to North America until 2005.

I rented Obscure on a whim from Movie Gallery back in the day and was instantly hooked, playing through it cover to cover with my brother in all its local co-op glory. Growing up, I was a big fan of the classic Resident Evil game, and the idea that I could experience that style of survival horror in co-op was mind-blowing at the time. It's a co-op horror experience that still hasn't been topped, and I sincerely wish more people would get to try it out for themselves.

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The best co-op zombie games are the ones where players can enjoy hacking and slashing zombies together. Just make sure to keep biting distance.

Obscure plays like an old school Resident Evil game, but takes the classic puzzle solving and exploration game and sets it in a high school setting. Obscures playable characters are all high school stereotypes, and these stereotypes play a role in the game. For example, the stoner/criminal character can pick locks, while the jock has better agility and strength than the other characters. The story and characters in Obscure aren't exactly the most complex, but they get the job done.

Obscure stands out thanks to its unique features

ObscureThe biggest selling point is its incredibly fun local co-op mode, which lets two players experience a classic survival horror adventure together. But there are a couple of other reasons why the game stood out, like the ability to combine items to create useful new tools and the looming threat of permadeath hanging over the characters. Characters who die Obscure are dead forever, meaning fewer characters to work with as players work their way to the finale.

You can play both obscure games on Steam

Obscure on Steam
Obscure: The Aftermath on Steam

Survival horror fans were fascinated by Obscure should note that the game and its sequel were re-released on Steam about a decade ago. The Steam versions have both received “Very Positive” reviews and retail for $6.99 (the original) and $9.99 (the sequel). They seem to be faithful ports without a lot of fancy bells and whistles, so don't expect new features like online co-op, but the great local co-op mode is still intact.

That's great Obscure and its sequels can be played on Steam, but I would love to see these games ported to other platforms, so more horror fans can discover them. It's a shame that no game can be played on any modern game console and instead is trapped on much older hardware.

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It's unlikely, but it would be even better if Obscure games can get remakes or remasters. Capcom has had incredible success with their line of Resident Evil remakes, and while Obscure doesn't carry anywhere near the same weight, there are plenty of survival horror fans who would jump at the chance to play a local co-op entry in the genre. A remaster or remake could also add online co-op to the mix, but local co-op is one must for Obscure to maintain their identity.

There has been no news about it Obscure franchise this year, and fans shouldn't hold their breath for any developments. PC gamers can check out the games on Steam, and console gamers can keep their fingers crossed that the classic horror games will eventually make their way to modern systems.