2018 saw the release of one of the most exciting survival horrors in a long time – Remothered: Tormented Fathers. Inspired by some of the greats of the genre, including Clock Tower and Haunting Ground, the title became an instant cult classic.
Now we’re just a few weeks away from the release of its highly-anticipated sequel, Remothered: Broken Porcelain, and GameByte got the opportunity to go hands-on with roughly two hours of gameplay on PC. Here’s how it stacks up compared to its predecessor.
Story and Setting
If you haven’t played Tormented Fathers then you won’t be at too much of a loss here, as you’ll be playing as a new character, Jennifer. Though there are story threads which link the new game with the first, it’s been confirmed that even newcomers to the series will be right at home here, though there’s definitely benefits to having played the first.
After being introduced to our young protagonist and meeting a handful of her, um, friends, it’s clear that Broken Porcelain has improved on its characters and their stories when compared to the first game. Although I spent just a couple of hours with Jennifer and the other characters introduced at the point the demo takes place, they definitely feel more three-dimensional and more interesting than those of the first game. If Tormented Fathers could be compared to Clock Tower, I’d say Broken Porcelain is more Rule of Rose.
The demo kicked off in the Ashmann Inn, a location which despite being brand new, will feel familiar to fans of the genre. Exploring rooms, searching for keys and wondering what might be lurking around the next corner of the hotel definitely gives off some serious Silent Hill 2 vibes, and it was something that was both terrifying and oddly familiar.
Gameplay
We already knew that Broken Porcelain was set to introduce new gameplay mechanics to the series, and I’m relieved to say that they’re implemented very well. The new upgraded crafting ability encourages you to explore the Inn in search of materials to help you with combat and distracting your enemies.
Puzzles were also featured in the demo, and included a locked safe, rotary phone and more, all in the classic style of your favourite PS2-era survival horrors. A checklist of your current tasks makes it easy to keep track of what you’re doing, and stores all your clues and hints as you go.
As in the first game, the meat-and-bones of Remothered is in its enemies, which stalk you throughout the levels and require you to hide in various places. One of my issues with the first game was that the AI was almost too unpredictable, and hiding spaces were limited. From the demo for the new game, it appears as though Broken Porcelain has considerably more places to seek refuge, and the enemy AI is much improved.
Combat is something I try to avoid in survival horrors like these as it never seems to gel well with me. The demo was no different, and I didn’t really find attacking the enemy too satisfying – at some points, it was more than a little frustrating. Hopefully more time with the game will ease some of those frustrations. Thankfully, there’s (almost) always the option to run and hide, or distract your enemies.
Atmosphere
Broken Porcelain’s demo may have only offered a taste of the full game, but its atmosphere is absolutely spot-on. The quiet and still Ashmann Inn is the perfect creepy setting for such a game, and I found myself relying on all my senses when quietly making my way through the various rooms and corridors while attempting to avoid detection. Each sound made me flinch, while every shadow had me tensing in anticipation. Although I often had to push myself on and fight through the fear, it induced exactly the emotions I was hoping to feel from the title.
The game’s massively improved aesthetics and design make for a more current-gen experience, without losing any of the charm of the titles it’s inspired by. Just like Remothered: Tormented Fathers, the sequel feels like a PS2 horror game, though this time around, it looks more like a current-gen title.
Compared to the first game, Broken Porcelain is shaping up to be a much more polished, complete and horrifying experience which – despite its many upgrades – still retains the classic charm of old-school survival horrors. As an avid fan of the genre, this is definitely one release I couldn’t be more excited for.
Remothered: Broken Porcelain releases on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, October 13, 2020. Wishlist it on Steam here.
Featured Image Credit: Modus Games