Game Review: Obitus (SNES)

Obitus, a game initially created for computer systems running MS-DOS, is a game I own that was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System back in '91. In the game, you take the role of a man by the name of Will Mason. You experience a car "break down" during the opening scene of the game, followed by a bout of confusion and getting lost in a huge storm. Seeking refuge in a seemingly abandoned old building, you fall asleep and wake up later in a different dimension.

Obitus is another game lacking a bit of story in-game. Actually, it has none; the only bit of story I can find is from my own inference and what I read from the instruction booklet. As for game play, Obitus is extremely difficult. The interface alone actually took me around thirty minutes to learn; to control the game, you engage in a mix of an on-rails, Elder Scrolls-like RPG, and some kind of side-scrolling platformer. Beyond the initial confusion, subsequent experiences with the game were pretty awesome; you do what you'd do in many other RPGs, combating enemies and stocking up on supplies.

The graphics of Obitus are actually pretty decent. Everything is quite colorful, and, for its time period, it does well for itself. The unique cross between platforming and first-person-navigation sets it apart from many other games. Audio in Obitus is rather lacking, however; the sound tracks often don't match the scenes taking place, and the sound-effects seem to aim to be humorous rather than realistic.

Obitus is easy. Period. Despite the fact that there are thousands of monsters (literally) to combat, a variety of weapons to attempt analyze, dungeon-crawling that will take you ages, and quite a few instances where you starve to death (yes, you have to eat in this game), you won't find it to be a challenge. I'd say it's rather mediocre in terms of difficulty, which typically puts me off.

Overall, I'd give Obitus a score of 'decent'. While it does have good graphics for a classic game, and the style of play sets it apart, it's simply not difficult nor innovative in any significant ways. I like that they didn't reuse sprites like so many other games of that time, but that doesn't change the fact that the game is simply average.