Developer: Stormind Games
Publisher: Modus Games, Darril Arts
Platform: PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One
Tested On: PC
Remothered: Broken Porcelain – Review
Remothered saw the first game in its series released in 2018. Right now, another part arrived. While the first part generally got positive reviews, there’s more to be said about the second part than ‘it’s more of the same’. Also, we wonder how many parts will come after Broken Porcelain as it’s starting to seem more of an episodic game than anything else.
Story
The story in Remothered: Broken Porcelain follows up on the events of the previous part of Remothered. To be fair, the previous story was already rather complicated because you jump to multiple persons who uncover parts of a story, where every character seems to have some importance in a mansion with a tortured person. In Broken Porcelain, you mostly follow Jennifer in a hotel, as you learn she got expelled from Flemmington Girls’ Institute. The people and things in the hotel are not what they seem, and they turn against Jennifer. The story then proceeds to follow her switching in and out of different realities, leaving the player unsure what’s real.
To be honest, the fact that the game just tries to stuff all these things in the first hour of the game while making characters appear and disappear whenever it feels like creating a “new dimension” is part of what makes the story quite a garbled mess. There’s no clear subject, no focus, and the other part is the deliverance of the lines. Sometimes lines literally are mixed up and out of order, and it feels like Broken Porcelain is very unclear in what it wants to tell you. The game feels a bit like a soap series with forgettable characters who simply act like they are instructed to and are not really missed when gone. Remothered’s story is missing structure and communication.
Graphics
Graphically though, aside from the animations, the game looks great. Mainly the many details in the environment of the mansion you play most of the game in, make the world feel alive. From the carpet that could have been in The Shining to the clocks and stuffed animals that give the musty feeling to your surroundings. Most animations are kind of alright, but plenty, such as the facial expressions, are missing, and movements often feel sluggish, static almost. In-game this is also because of the gameplay which does not make you feel like you’re in control of your character. In cutscenes, things just don’t feel as natural as they could.
Sound
Sound in Remothered is something weird. It seems to be made with a touch of originality, which is generally good in games. The main menu has a theme of a guy whistling a haunting tune, but at the same time, it doesn’t feel very haunted. It’s too simple and bright for that. In-game, whenever things get “scary”, there’s another haunting track with a woman wailing. With this track, it sounds like it’s a short loop that’s being repeated forever which actually makes the sound annoying very quickly. It’s like there is passion in Remothered, where the voice acting might be somewhat decent, but the professionalism and effort are just lacking a little bit. You see this issue coming back with multiple elements.
Gameplay
Remothered: Broken Porcelain is, like its predecessor, a horror-survival game. At least, the game borrows elements from horror-survival games. Essentially all the gameplay has is gathering some objects. You can use these objects to either throw at your enemy, set a distraction trap which will lure them in, or “defend” yourself instead of getting stabbed in melee combat. The most stupid thing about Remothered is that you can’t do anything with any advantages. Sometimes, a fight is more like a puzzle because you have to figure out what to do or how to use an object. Other times, it means just running around while hoping you are “fighting” the right way.
The first fight you are getting in makes it abundantly clear that you are an absolute tank to control, meaning turning around can be ridiculously difficult. While holding a knife or something, you can’t actually swing it at your enemy. Sneaking around after laying a trap is utterly useless. The combination of these things makes Remothered rather tough to play while still enjoying the game. When not being chased you have to navigate to different parts of the building you are in, but nothing is really happening either. Sometimes you are asked to sneak around to avoid being heard, but this feels buggy as well. There are places to hide such as chests and showers, but these quickly feel useless aside from resetting your enemy’s attention after having somebody run after you. It just feels like borrowed elements in a nicely designed environment that don’t allow you to play the game the way you would expect to play, and it’s frustrating.
Conclusion
Remothered: Broken Porcelain has its graphics going for it. Some of the story is also nice to follow, while it’s mostly chaotic and lacking focus. The sound seems rehashed quickly and the gameplay is actually too poor to really be enjoyable. The most enjoyable while playing is running around to get to the next part of the story, but every other element is frustrating if anything.
Remothered: Broken Porcelain - Review,
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