Title: Remothered: Broken Porcelain
Developer: Stormind Games
Publisher: Modus Games
Genre: Horror, Action, Indie
Available On: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Official Site: Remothered: Broken Porcelain
Release Date: October 13th, 2020
Version Tested: PC
Where to Buy it: PlayStation Store, Steam, Nintendo eShop, Microsoft Store
Creating the next chapter of any series has to be tough, especially when your first project was so well received. Remothered: Tormented Fathers is a horrifying cult-classic hosting unique creations and an interesting storyline. Unfortunately, Broken Porcelain, seems lost and messy compared to its predecessor.
Remothered: Broken Porcelain is the next chapter to cult-classic Remothered: Tormented Fathers, and this installment takes a stealth-based approach to its gameplay:
Broken Porcelain is Broken Indeed
When Stormind Games announced that Remothered: Broken Porcelain would be stealth-based, I was really hoping for something in the Outlast realm. However, for a stealth-based experience to work two things need to be flawless: controls and enemy AI. Unfortunately, both of these are a problem in Broken Porcelain. The enemy AI seems totally off. Sometimes, enemies would literally walk past me without reacting at all, and other times they seemed to hone in on me at the weirdest times.
At the very beginning of the game, one of the enemies started attacking me when they weren’t supposed to, and it kept me from being able to complete the objective. The objectives are vague enough without the added aggravation of game-interrupting bugs. Buggy glitches paired with odd AI make Remothered: Broken Porcelain feel incredibly messy and tense (and not in a good way).
The controls also added a level of aggravation. Remothered: Broken Porcelain doesn’t fo a great job of walking you through the controls, but it didn’t really seem to matter. I played on a controller, and it felt like the controls only worked half of the time. When you’re running from baddies, the last thing you want is to be so focused on the controller that you forget to be frightened.
The last nail in this stealth-based coffin was the audio. Stealth-based games need clear audio to make the atmosphere and combat immersive. However, Remothered: Broken Porcelain seemed to have a constant issue with dropped audio or no audio at all. With such a cool setting, I was really disappointed that the audio didn’t work to enhance it, but, instead, took it down a few notches.
At Least It Looks Good
There are two things that Remothered: Broken Porcelain does right, and it’s all in how the game looks. I was really impressed with how crisp the graphics were, and I really enjoyed the character designs. Porcelain’s look was absolutely horrifying, and the eerie whistle that follows this stalker was one of the scariest parts about this game. That being said, it is very dark to start. So, I definitely suggest working with the brightness to really appreciate the way it looks.
Buggy gameplay and inconsistent controls aside, Broken Porcelain seemed to run really well, which was surprising considering the other issues. Honestly, this is a clear example of a game that could have used a little more time in development. All of the potential is there for something eerie and enjoyable, but, unfortunately, it just doesn’t hit the mark.
Verdict: Remothered: Broken Porcelain had everything going for it. Great atmosphere. Cool characters designs and crisp, clear graphics. A horrifying opening chapter with Tormented Fathers. However, this falls short compared to what we’ve seen in the series. The enemy AI is horrid for a game that depends on stealth-based mechanics. Unclear objectives and off glitches makes it difficult to play on a number of levels. While the setting has great promise, dropped audio issues ruins that atmosphere overall. Unfortunately, Broken Porcelain seems to have shattered under the pressure.
Remothered: Broken Porcelain Review
Graphics and character designs were great
Ran just fine
Terrible AI and buggy gameplay
Unclear objectives and unreliable mechanics
Jumbled story
Dropped audio and odd controls
