What Obscure II is
Obscure II, also listed as Obscure: The Aftermath, is a third-person survival horror action adventure from Hydravision Entertainment. Two years after the first game's night at school, the survivors are now students at Fallcreek University. Strange flowers spread across the campus, carrying a substance that produces vivid dreams. A handful of students discover the flowers are far more dangerous than they look, and once the seeds sprout, the nightmare becomes real. The game runs on a teen horror-movie scenario: you move through the campus, find clues, solve puzzles, and fight your way past monsters with a wide range of weapons.
Playing it together
Co-op is built into the campaign: a second player can join at any time, so you are not locked into playing alone. Steam lists Remote Play Together for this title, which lets a friend join over your connection. The tag list also includes local co-op and online co-op, so there is more than one way to pair up. Six characters are available, each with unique skills, which gives a pair something to think about when deciding who does what. Expect a mix of combat, exploration, and puzzle solving rather than pure shooting.
Before you start
The cast is made up of six characters with different abilities, so swapping between them matters when a puzzle needs a specific skill. Combat is a real part of the game: there is a wide range of weapons and terrifying monsters to deal with, and the tag list includes gore alongside horror and atmospheric elements. The soundtrack was composed by Olivier Derivière and performed by the Boston Symphonic Orchestra and the Paris Opera Children's Choir, and it sets the tone as much as the visuals do. The game is compatible with the Xbox 360 controller, which is worth knowing if you plan to play from the couch. It also works as a singleplayer experience if your group is not all online at once.