Remothered: Broken Porcelain Is a Bigger, Bolder, and Better Sequel Feature 1

Remothered: Broken Porcelain is what every sequel should aspire to be. Instead of resting on its laurels and trying to repeat the success of Remothered: Tormented Fathers, developer Stormind Games along with Darril Arts have put together an experience which feels like a genuine step forward. Sure, it's still not going to convince those who doubted that original gameplay loop -- one which emulates the likes of Outlast -- but what this sequel brings to the table is genuinely exciting. Remothered: Broken Porcelain could just be one of this year's most intense and terrifying PlayStation 4 games.

For those who don't know, Remothered is a series inspired by Clock Tower. Grotesque, unusual enemies haunt a singular location that you just so happen to find yourself in and so finding any means of escape quickly becomes one of a few main objectives. In the case of Broken Porcelain, Jennifer winds up at the Ashmann Inn. It's a place she quickly discovers comes with a dark past and upon the opening of our demo provided by video call, things have already taken a turn for the worst. Tied to a meathook, the protagonist needs to quickly escape her life-threatening predicament and avoid the horrifying inhabitants of the hotel.

And what immediately struck us about the presentation is that Remothered: Broken Porcelain has taken the concept of the original and run with it. Movement is more freeing with new ways to navigate the environment. Cover mechanics make staying out of sight and getting about the place quickly but silently so much easier. However, counteracting those additions is the presence of more Stalkers than ever before. It is immediately clear that creator Chris Darril has crafted a bigger and bolder sequel -- proven by the introduction of the new Moth Eye ability.

That's not something we can discuss right now, but its implementation alongside other new mechanics makes for a far deeper experience. With multiple enemies to contend with at any one time, Jennifer has to keep her wits about her and utilise crawl spaces to quickly escape or use the environment to her advantage by climbing over obstacles. Compared to its predecessor, which simply dabbled in hiding spots, distraction items, and keeping the noise you make to a minimum, the game appears to be so much more dynamic. Remothered: Broken Porcelain allows you to bounce back from being spotted and turn it into a positive rather than force you into retreating and breaking sight like others in the genre would traditionally do.

You can even start to fight back against those who stalk you with craftable weapons. The hostile hosts of the Ashmann Inn can be temporarily stunned if you manage to sneak up behind them and deliver a fatal blow with any one of the makeshift inventions. Done so by collecting materials and objects hidden throughout the environment, it's yet another way for Darril Arts and Stormind Games to provide you with new interactions and means of engagement. Options are at the forefront of the frightening undertaking and no matter which path you take, it appears to lead to a lot more gameplay opportunities than Remothered has sported before.

It does continue to retain one of its defining traits though. While Tormented Fathers took place in Richard Felton's grand mansion, Broken Porcelain is set entirely within the confines of the Ashmann Inn. This is a conscious decision, producer Antonio Cutrona explained. You have the chance to really learn the ins and outs of the place, where the best hiding places are, and how you can outsmart the enemy in meaningful ways. The game seems to revel in that, turning a location which could become stale into a haunted playground of opportunities.

Remothered: Broken Porcelain is a sequel that expands on its core concepts in all the right ways. By staying true to what fans loved about the original title, Stormind Games has smartly pieced together new ways to surprise and delight. From new abilities and movement options through to crafting techniques, this is a game that faithfully builds upon its solid foundations. Of course, the proof will be in the pudding when we finally get our hands on the final version later this year. But from where we're standing, Remothered: Broken Porcelain is already doing everything right.

Remothered: Broken Porcelain is scheduled to launch on PS4 this summer. Are you interested in this follow-up? Did you love Tormented Fathers enough to hotly anticipate its sequel? Avoid the Stalkers in the comments below.