Remothered: Broken Porcelain - Hands-Off Impressions

The 2018 game Remothered: Tormented Fathers was brought to life by Stormind Games and Darril Arts' Chris Darril and with it came the second wind of a horror sub-genre once forgotten. The introductory game in the planned trilogy had players venture into the Felton's mansion as the inquisitive and tenacious Dr Rosemary Reed, determined to solve a missing person case involving a young girl by the name of Celeste, all of which is unbeknownst to the owner of the house, Richard Felton.

What started out as a simple investigation with light interrogations at its core quickly turned sour before then turning morbid - things weren't as they seemed at the Felton family's not-so-humble abode. Now hostile, the decrepit man of the house and its other inhabitants were eager to hunt the apparent intruder down. While Dr Reid was a resourceful woman, she found her abilities didn't suffice when facing the threats that lingered and would instead resort to staying hidden, sticking to the shadows as she crept around looking for answers, using force only when forced to.

The game was unique in an interesting way, as some antagonists had redeeming qualities and those who didn't had a reason behind their faltering morals, mostly psychological in nature, which made for interesting storytelling where the player was constantly in a state of moral turmoil. The gameplay put forth was also focused on pure survival and had players stay away from potential threats rather than to fight or approach them head-on. The second part in the three-part saga, Remothered: Broken Porcelain, won't stray from this idea and will instead build on it with new mechanics and new ways to manoeuvre around one's surroundings. Broken Porcelain tells the story of Jennifer, a teenage girl working at the isolated Ashmann Inn - a place which, much like the Felton mansion, isn't your average abode.

When we joined the preview session of Broken Porcelain, accompanied by game director and author Chris Darril and producer Antonio Cutrona, playing as Jennifer, Cutrona found the character hanging in the meat locker of a cold room, strung up by her ankles. Clearly, Jennifer had somehow upset someone with access to the fridge. Straight away, we realised that just like in Tormented Fathers, players will be trying to stay alive as much as they will be trying to solve the mysteries laid out before them.

As various hostiles roamed around in the vicinity (seemingly suffering from a major collective eye infection, we might add), Cutrona showed us some new mechanics such as the new cover system that will let players lean past corners to see whether or not the coast is clear or a murderous madman (or madwoman, we don't discriminate) was lurking nearby. We also got a look at hostile targeting, combine-crafting (i.e. combining items to create something new and more helpful to one's situation), as well as a completely new mechanic bringing new tactical possibilities to the series.

As hostiles roam the areas you need to explore, you're bound to collide with one or two at some point. It turns out that if you wish to catch up with them before they take you by surprise, you will now be able to perform a stealth attack, slowing their movements but also alerting them plenty as a trade-off, because stabbing someone in the neck is bound to make them upset. Should they start to chase you, which they undoubtedly will, you also have more traversal options this time around. Whereas Rosemary Reid was confined to either hiding in lockers, under furniture, or running for her life, Jennifer can vault over and crawl under various pieces of furniture, helping her escape should she get chased after a quick and stealthy stab.

Both Cutrona and Darril stated that Broken Porcelain will be a game that everyone can jump into, no matter if they played the original tale or not. While it does look like it will be accessible to one and all, of course, those who have the full context of the original will find plenty of fan service and aspects tying back into Tormented Fathers, as this is a confirmed trilogy. Stormind Games is just about ready to open the doors to its The Shining-inspired hotel, isolated in the mountains where a blizzard is keeping you trapped inside, and we're more than ready to solve the mysteries within.