Years back as I grew older I discovered the chase genre of survival horror. Games like Rule of Rose, Haunting Grounds, and Clock Tower put players in circumstances where they truly were powerless to triumph directly over the horrors surrounding them. If you were to survive you’d have to keep you wits about you, know when to move, when to hide and sometimes just outrun the SOB.

Where Resident Evil and Silent Hill lead to a grounded power fantasy after you got good at them, the chase genre lent more towards an intellectual satisfaction. A satisfaction that would disappear from the industry for some time with the exception of half baked entries like  Silent Hill Shattered Memories for years.

Penumbra and Amnesia would carry the torch, but it wasn’t until Outlast that the survival-horror genre got its revival. Owing more towards the growth of digital distribution than the too smart for you “it was science all along” lore the Outlast continues to devolve further into. With pleasant surprise then that I discovered a more true to the genre classics Remothered Broken Porcelain while browsing trailers.

Where the previous entry encapsulated many of the features from the entries hailing from the golden age, Broken Porcelain appears to be putting a tighter focus on stealth and resourceful escapes. It also will be doing away with cinematics as it puts all the scenes in game akin to Half Life 2. Likely leading to a few deaths as players stare at the “that’s pretty cool” scene unfolding in front of them.

What is most appreciable about the franchise is the realistic design of the puzzles. Resident Evil and Silent Hill grade puzzles in the golden era were simple without sacrificing complexity; all while being backed by lore. Nowadays puzzle design takes too much from the point-and-click genre of “what would be cool or challenging,” as opposed to what makes sense based on the location and situation.

We’ll have to wait for summer next year to unravel the mysteries  at the Ashmann Inn, but at least the description doesn’t include: “A strong-willed and brave female protagonist,” as some other games are.

Description

Broken Porcelain brings an abundance of welcome changes to the series, introducing new gameplay and storytelling elements that breathe new life into the characters and an unprecedented level of immersion in this haunting adventure – perfect for both new and returning fans to the series.

The truths buried in the Ashmann Inn will not be discovered easily – its many mysteries are intertwined and guarded by the looming threat of the stalkers, powerful hunters trapped in time and the confines of its walls. Survival will take more than just quick reactions as a strategic and resourceful approach will quickly become critical in this haunting adventure. Be smart – knowing the best time to sneak, flee or fight imminent dangers can quickly make the hunters become the hunted.

• Thrilling Psychological Plot. The award-winning cult classic Remothered returns in Broken Porcelain, the perfect entry point for new fans discovering the franchise as well as series veterans craving additional lore surrounding the events and characters of Tormented Fathers.

• Realistic Survival Horror. The Ashmann Inn is as rich in resources as it is dangers. Cautiously scour the environment for items to aid your exploration of unsettling locations that hide grave secrets of a terrifying past.

• Intense Stealth Gameplay. Roam among the shadows of Ashmann Inn and use everything at your disposal to distract enemies for a resourceful escape.

• Investigate and Escape. Challenging puzzles, expanded lore, and a haunting soundtrack by composer Luca Balboni (Remothered: Tormented Fathers, Mine, Watch Them Fall) transforms the dark and gloomy atmosphere into a terrifying experience that will haunt players well after the game is over.

• Captivating Characters. The roster of charismatic characters grows as fan favorites return to meet all the new additions to the cast inspired by the protagonists of horror classics.

• Real-Time Cinematics. In a series first, fully animated real-time cinematics will breathe new life into the characters and world of Remothered for an unprecedented level of immersion.