Before we head onto the details and start getting chased by Lady Dimitrescu, I must warn you of the MASSIVE SPOILERS. Technically, the game isn’t released yet. However, there are hints, enticing details, and some flashes released by the game studio. After all, they are keeping us hooked and hyped for the climax. And we love em for that! It is set to release on May 7th, 2021.
This time, what Resident Evil has brought forth is the gorgeous female villains. We cannot get enough of them. I know I can’t. I practically drool over Lady Dimirescu every time I see her finger blades embedding into the camera in a cutscene. And she isn’t the only deadly beauty that can make short work of you. So, who are these female villains?
Tall Vampire Lady
“Mother Miranda…I regret to inform you that Ethan Winters has escaped that fool Heisengberg. Because he is in my castle and has already proven too much for my daughters to handle. When I find him…”
The internet has created dozens of memes about Lady Dimitrescu and her three witch daughters. She is honestly gorgeous. Deadly…as well as enthralling. First time I saw her…I was simply dazed by her. Her name is equivalent to the maiden’s blood and being a badass villain isn’t the only thing she excels at. Lady is an excellent winemaker too!
She is actually a persistent boss who hounds you around. We all know for sure that she is very tall, practically towering over poor short Ethan. And she is a vampire. I am afraid at this point we can all speculate. First, let us focus on the phone call she makes.
She talks to someone named Mother Miranda…that is right! Her mother! So, this charming lady that can easily make short work of you isn’t the biggest evil. This Mother Miranda is the one. She further talks about her brother, whom we can guess isn’t a normal chap either. Both siblings are monsters, her brother of course being far less charming than her.
Secondly, the lady Dimitrescu cannot keep tabs on absolutely everything that transpires in her castle. She guesses that Ethan has escaped and is rummaging around her stuff…shooting her pets and daughters. Avoiding big charming woman…what an idiot!
One thing that absolutely beguiled me was the richness of the lore. There are four houses, one of which belongs to Lady Dimirescu. Means there are other three houses and we are not even talking about full extent. That Mother Miranda is bound to fit somewhere too. Maybe as head of those four houses.
The Lovely Witches!
There are three witches. And the entire lore and gameplay seems to be inspired by the Dracula and his three brides. Here, they added just a bit of twist.
Witches in the world of the resident evil village are simply mutants. Boy, are they sadistic! They practically love inflicting violence over petty matters. To make matters worse, the castle had…human servants. A fodder for cruel games of both Lady Dimirescu and the three witches who even went as far as slicing the face of their servants. Although we have only limited knowledge, we surely can speculate that they appear as villains. Having powers such as exploding into thousands of blood-thirsty insects and appearing randomly at any place at any time, they surely prove to be formidable foes. Of course our hero Ethan Winters gives them a tough time so they are not invincible. They throw their blood-thirsty chase to the entire mix of horror elements, adding to the spooky environment.
Mother Miranda
To be honest, I don’t think the mother of that vampire lady might be gorgeous. For all I can think, she might actually be an old hag. But then…age is pretty tricky factor among vampires. Heck, she might even appear younger than her daughter.
We know or at least can speculate that she is the big bad. Or close to it. And there is a ceremony involved, the true importance of which only she knows. We might very well have a reason to believe that she is the main boss, controlling everything from behind the scenes.
(This article is for those gamers who have actually played the game…spoiler warning!)
I still remember the time when I was a little kid. Life was pretty good. All I had to worry about was going to home from school and turning on my pc. And the moment the desktop screen showed up, I always clicked on the icon named “resident evil 2”. Jill Valentine was practically my heroin as well as a crush. Who wouldn’t love a woman who kicks ass and at the same time, also reveals some of her vulnerability! I loved how Leon was being a kickass police officer, managing to escape the hordes of those zombies. All this mess created by that notorious umbrella corporation.
Unlike the people who only play it for fun, I was actually quite in the story. Part of my childhood memories were formed around this game. How I used to see my character in my place, getting trapped among those zombies and how the aspect of playing the next level kept me awake at night. Time passed, and I kept following where the franchise the headed. Resident Evil 3 came…then 4 and then 5th installment. Believe me…like many fans I was heart broken to see blonde haired Jill Valentine acting as villain. Until I had a moment of phew when Chris literally knocked some sense into her with his new partner in crime, Sheva. I loved how they
Moving on, following resident evil 6 and 7, we moved forward, finally approaching the notorious year of 2020. I got to admit. Amidst the chaos initially unleashed by coronavirus pandemic, our hearts were already shaken. Ever since the quarantine began from march, we had been shaken from the coronavirus. It was a frightening aspect to witness something like that collapsing our economies and pushing us to experience moments of isolation. We were tucked up in our houses with our loved ones and we experienced firsthand the pandemic situation. Not something we would ever enjoy…
That was when I finally heard that Capcom had rebooted the resident evil 3 and were launching them. It was fifth April when I got the DVD. I must say that my neighbor who had started playing flashy kids games had made the right decision. Just imagine… I turn on the PC, install the game and then launch it.
A bit about the game
Here is how it starts. A reporter is telecasting that the global pandemic has spread worse than they had imagined. Buildings are crashing down and there is chaos everywhere. That was the situation before the zombies showed up. Imagine now some human eating creatures running rampant…what a way to improve the pandemic’s situation. When I had said that I wanted to take my mind off the coronavirus pandemic, this was not what I had in my mind. Capcom has the ability to produce the addictive content based on the current crisis. Back in my childhood, this aspect was awesome and frightening. Back to this 2020’s version of me, this was outright horrifying. And somewhat…interesting as well as addictive!
Then the zombies start showing up and all hell starts breaking loose in the resident evil 3. There is one wonderful aspect that other gamers don’t like. Some people like me have spent their entire childhoods escaping that horrifying creature that chases Jill Valentine till the ends of the Racoon City. Some of us resident evil addicts saw that familiarity with old elements packed in new environments. I must say that is not something everyone likes. I mean I am like the fan of the franchise like every other fan out there but to me, still keeping the defining feature of remake to be that ionic creature chasing Jill is epic! They managed to keep something that we have been playing and at the same time, they ended up changing everything. The game is indeed a masterpiece. It is visually stunning, throwing you into nostalgia every time you pass through a street and remember its version in original game. Changing something while keeping its essence same requires a lot of master-planning.
Some folks come with a lot of expectations from game like how it was supposed to be and how it was not. I just gotta say that I respect everyone’s opinions, but I recognize effort as well as a masterpiece when I see one. Resident Evil 3 remake had tones of changes to fit more realistic model of game’s characters as well as to introduce things that made sense.
Changes in Jill Valentine
Coming towards the game’s model of Jill Valentine, I got to say they did their homework on what makes a character, true protagonist. I mean if we compare notes, the Jill of resident evil 2 original version really was just a video game character that didn’t have much of personality. Now this Jill! This one is fire! How so? Let me explain.
Let us start with her voice acting. I must admit, when I heard someone new voicing my childhood crush, I was kind of surprised. I mean this franchise is known for holding on to the old voice characters. Then why did they switch? It is not a bad change and the voice actress behind Jill’s voice in the game has done similar roles before. She did her part too well. In case you are wondering, her name is Nicole Tompkins.
Let us come towards the outfit. I must say, the old skirt didn’t make much sense to me. Like really! Imagine running around in that skirt and managing to perform all sorts of actions in them. To me, it was kind of a surprise. Luckily, they fixed it. They replaced it with jeans and a blue tank top. Those who didn’t like the changes in her outfit, please give me a way to jump, kickass and perform stunts while wearing a skirt. I bet you can’t!
A Russian model named Sasha Zotova was chosen to be her face model. Quite a smart move Capcom! What better way to make realistic graphics than to actually use the real people? This was very refreshing to me to experience a realistic Jill Valentine.
The game designers also didn’t keep some of the elements of original version. I guess in my opinion, some of the old elements of the games are no longer relevant when we want a remake with respect to the current year. One of the most visible changes was that she didn’t go to the police department.
Coming towards dialogues, I believe once again Capcom made the right decision by giving her a livelier outlook. She is a living person that reacts to the situations. Every time the nemesis shows up, her reaction is something natural. Similarly, she is shown to have a personality that defies the grim nature of the situation is kind of refreshing. If I was back to my childhood, I would have been heads over heels for this version of Jim.
I don’t know why they changed the starting though. I actually loved the original version in which the game starts as she is with an NPC who has lost his daughter. Kind of makes things tenser. In this version, she is seeing a nightmare and then wakes up in her apartment. Still terrifying but the original one took the lead in this scenario.
Now let us come more towards her personality. Sorry to disappoint some of the classic Jill lovers but she didn’t have much of a distinct personality in original series. This is coming from a diehard fan of resident evil. She is sarcastic, irritable and that is what makes her standout. Now imagine that along with the inner rebellion which defies the direness of situation. You get a perfect heroin that kicks ass and stands out from others. She is not the damsel running from that evil nemesis. She is confident and far smarter whose every escape actually makes sense now.
The last aspect is something that makes Jill truly a living breathing human. She has trauma…something that was never even mentioned in original games. Like seriously…someone who has held her own against hordes of zombies and was forced to slay the undead creatures that were once humans must have grief. She struggles with nightmares in which she is seeing herself transforming into one of those zombies she has been killing. This is something that shows the mentality of someone who has been through such ordeal and survived.
Fast Paced Gameplay
I really love solving puzzles. But let’s face it. Who doesn’t like a direct game that lets you be just a killer of zombies for a change. I would want to vent and take charge for a while. It might actually be a biased opinion but the reason why we would want to play games is to take control of something interesting and epic. I absolutely loved the remake of resident evil 2 and how it delivered the stunning essence while changing a few details neatly. However, if you are stuck on a puzzle or a nasty level, you would feel a bit irritated. I mean I do. You can say the survival aspect of resident evil 3 remake is a little bit easier in a sense that ammunition is plenty. Unlike the previous remake, this one doesn’t focus much on solving puzzles and doing intellectual stuff.
There is one thing was kind of lost. I guess it was because original is still original.
Nemesis didn’t feel like a threat that could emerge out of anywhere. It had a few jump scare sequences and a few boss fights which weren’t quite hard in my opinion. However, perhaps we already knew that nemesis was going to be Jill Valentine’s biggest threat. Heck it was the defining feature of the original one. How could it not be the same in this remake too? So, it kind of lost that first time introducing “ever present threat” status. I really missed getting chased by that creature while doing stuff or trying to get away from it. I guess we were already expecting that the nemesis was the big bad of this remake and it kind of took the unexpected. Furthermore, I wished they hadn’t introduced the jump scares. I mean I loved them. But jump scares is kind of a thing that has become signature within all resident evil series. Especially in resident evil 7. Still, Capcom manages to deliver them in an amazing thrilling manner. So, no complaints really!
The game follows somewhat a linear structure. As I explained earlier, the famous police station is gone now from the remake. You can’t go there anymore. The focus is on Jill Valentine and I guess the lack of flexibility in the game design and playthrough was kind of expected. Like really! Somethings are mirrored as it is from the resident evil 2 remake. However, the creepy environment sometimes goes missing. Imagine getting through the stairs and seeing a bright donut shop’s billboard along with other colorful billboards around. It kind of made me feel that if zombies were absent, it would actually be a depiction of colorful city night.
Parts which are Different
For some, the lack of flexibility in the remake is what makes it feel like an expansion of resident evil 2 remake which I heartily disagree with. It kind of feels like a continuation but storyline is very different and I personally am not bothered by the linear stages. In original resident evil 3 nemesis, you chose your path and got different ending. But that is not the case here. For some, this may risk disappointment.
Then, coming towards other elements of the story, the gameplay is obviously much different. You don’t have fixed camera anymore. The story is a changed version of its original part. The story choices that you wanted to make in resident evil 3 nemesis aren’t present here anymore. Your pathway is linear and inflexible. Most of the puzzles have been removed and you no longer get the giant worm boss fight.
Final Verdict
I must say, it is thoroughly entertaining game if you play it. The remake is not exactly how the original was. It has its differences, but it makes up for them in form of other perks and advantages. They have worked really hard on this game and if you keep playing it, you will find many things to enjoy. Overall, it is thoroughly entertaining. Just don’t go around expecting everything to be like the original nemesis.
Continuing where the original series of Tormented Fathers left, Remothered Broken Porcelain is bringing old as well as promising new features!
With the already present tension of the year 2020, we need the entertainment industry more than ever. This is automatically provided in the form of top upcoming horror games of 2020. Fellows like you and me thrive on something to take out mind off the real world. We are always hyped about new games and movies. There is good news. Following this 25th August, the masterpiece with a name, “Remothered: Broken Porcelain” is coming out. If you are a fan of series, this means amazing good news for you.
This is not wishful thinking. This is actually a confirmed news from Modus Games and Starmind Games, both of which have a dominant role in developing this game. The game will be released on platforms such as PC, Xbox, Playstation, PS4 and switch.
But before anything, what exactly is the remothered series?
Remothered Series
If I am to simply describe the Remothered series, I would describe them as deep and immersive. The story telling has been done brilliantly and most of all, it is very easy to be immersed into the horror world of Remothered. If you are a new fan, you will be simply amazed. Chances are, even if you start from the second series, you will get somewhat a gist of the story. As for the old fans, we already know our craft too well. The story is amazing, and the horror environment simply takes your breath away.
They have introduced new elements into the gameplay which only makes it better. The storytelling is great, and the best part is, they have introduced real time cinematics which make you feel like you are living through the experience of the character.
The story will once again tell new secrets and uncovered truths about the Ashmann inn. The stalkers and deranged hunters roam its boundaries. You will be pushed to the limit of your wits as survival is not just a game of quick reactions anymore. Be ready to sneak, fight or flee when the situation arises. And there will be times when your perception of environment will be wrong, causing you face the threats head on. That would definitely be a challenge and your intuitive skills will soon be put to test then.
So, what is new?
There are many characters which are reintroduced. We have the Red Nun, deeply terrifying character that returns with same stalking persona or perhaps more. You will follow the journey of a new character named Jennifer who will explore the mysteries of the Ashmann Inn. There will of course be new elements and some of them mean new characters, enemies as well as environments.
Features Introduced
Some of the features that deeply drew me in are also introduced in this game. The chief among them is the stealth approach. Believe me, I am not a very stealth oriented guy. But for someone who has played the Dark Amnesia series, I must say it is an art to make a gameplay based on running and hiding. Too many things can go wrong. The main focus is shifted on the art of storytelling and unless, the story is powerful and amazing, the interest is soon going to be diverted.
Psychological Thriller: The psychological thriller is not just the jump scare. It is playing the game and finding out something dark and sinister. A secret that is concealed in the dark is always going to be present there. You are going around a corner and come across something terrifying! That is the essence of the original horror. The aspect of something unknown…it also creates euphoric experiences of witnessing something new. The old game achieved that perfectly and a similar feature is hoped from this game.
Realistic Survival: I have played Dead Space and Amnesia Series. What is one thing that makes a game truly horror? It is basically the aspect of vulnerability. Otherwise what is even the point? For me, the aspect of being vulnerable is what makes you truly enjoy the experience. Your wits are put to test and thanks to your wits and decisive actions, the victory becomes yours. The first game tormented fathers had realistic survival and I am confident this second series will have it too.
Stealth Gameplay: Distract your opponents. Use your environment. These features of gameplay make you use your environment to the fullest. You get to know your own mental prowess. And trust me, there is nothing more ecstatic than to try something and see it working. Here, the stealth is intense and make you decide carefully and wisely.
Exploration: The aspect of exploration is a true art thanks to the amazing game studios of Starmind and Modus Games. Ashmann Inn is a place of madness, horror and dark secrets that should never be let out. That is what makes them so amazing! You explore in hopes of finding out something new and stunning. Every turn is treacherous and one wrong move can render you discoverable by those nasties roaming around. Sneaking and learning about the environment and its secrets is most rewarding.
A True Beauty to Experience
All in all, I would ask all horror games fans to actually go for this game. It is amazing and intense. The storytelling is a masterpiece. Use your environment, hide and run if necessary. And most importantly, have fun while exploring the dark secrets of Ashmann Inn on 25th August!
I still remember the last time when I played the little nightmares by Tarsier Studios. And believe me, when I heard that little nightmares II was on its way at anytime in 2020, I was pleasantly surprised. Really it is one of the most anticipated games of 2020. I wondered how could I never expect it. Probably because of the reason that the studios confirmed it later that they would be releasing a sequel to first game.
So, before we venture further into this wonderful game and how it manages to capture our interest, I got to ask one thing. What exactly makes a horror game, horror?
Zombies? Night creatures out to get you? Perhaps an infected alien ship that is going to make your character traverse through the living hell…
When was the last time you checked a horror game to see if it had monsters or not? Do monsters make a game horror?
What makes a horror game fun?
My money is on the vulnerability. The aspect of being alone, trapped in someplace where your cries will never be heard. And what a way to be vulnerable than being a little kid who is escaping the evil clutches of evil monsters?
The aspect of vulnerability is what makes a game truly horror. To feel the fear…that anytime anything can happen, and you have to survive the monsters hidden in that dark. This is what sends shivers down your spine. A great example of such a game is little nightmares. I am so glad that 2020 will be the year in which little nightmares II will be released. When? That is not confirmed. All we know from the Tarsier Studios is that 2020 is the year in which it is coming. No date has been given.
To make things unbearably exciting, the studios have also released some of the information about the game. That is what I will share too.
A Bit about the First Game
First lets talk about the first game. The entire gameplay is an art. If you have seen Tim Burton’s movies, you will find a familiarity with the theme that has been used. And if you haven’t seen his movies, I would suggest dropping everything and seeing them first. You are missing an entire new world which you don’t want to miss. It gives that gothic creepy vibe. Not all of his movies are horror, but that gothic feel is present in all of them. Now imagine when gothic meets with horror.
For a person who enjoys horror games, Little Nightmares is a must. It makes you feel the experience of a little girl named Six who survives by relying on her wits to solve puzzles and hide from the monsters roaming around. The place where she is apparently trapped is a vessel named Maw. The residents who live there are the ones you would want to encounter. Personally, that dreadful long armed janitor gave me creeps…a lot of creeps to be honest. His long creepy arms couldn’t get out of my head for at least a week. Then there were those blood sucking leeches that felt like they could suck your blood any moment. Combine that with murderous twin chefs and well…you got the perfect horror game.
One of the best things about the game is how the designers communicated with us. I mean seriously!
How Little Nightmares tells story
In the entire game, you don’t get any dialogues that tell the story. You are in fact shown whatever the hell is going on on that vessel. You come across different environments in which you have to react, solve a puzzle or avoid getting caught by bloodthirsty figures. And the visual descriptions show you what is happening. It is a great way to tell the story and as a storywriter, I must say I was deeply impressed by this all.
I must compliment the developers for creating a character whose face you never see but you quickly grow emotional attachment to. You are literally controlling her every movement as she has to escape the clutches of the horrible and twisted residents of Maw. You never see the face of this little girl in yellow raincoat. Her escape becomes your escape and her struggles soon become your struggles.
Really as you play the game forward, you start getting the story better and better. I must admit that I wasn’t as much satisfied with the ending as I should have been. It was good really…but it left room for so many questions awaiting to be answered! I was personally glad that Six, the little girl in yellow raincoat had gotten out of that dangerous vessel. After defeating the Lady, she reached to an island. However, it is later revealed that it wasn’t the island but the upper deck of Maw.
Some speculated that she herself has become a little nightmare. Running for your life, being forced to resort to violence and somehow, absorbing the powers of an evil entity might do that to you. A hell lot of questions were in my mind when I beat up that game. I even speculated that it was completed. For me, it was a sad thing to think that the nightmares my main character Six had spent her time escaping had gotten inside her, turning her into one. A sad ending really!
Little Nightmares II – What to expect?
Really, now the little nightmares II has become one of the most anticipated games ever since Tarsier Studios made that announcement, confirming the game’s development. That was when I had multiple plots in mind. Perhaps the little girl Six we followed in our previous game becomes one of the villains. Or perhaps she is guiding someone else to come find her. Did the nightmares ended up taking her again? Or did she become one? So many freaking questions!
Little nightmares II will be bringing a new protagonist. He will be a boy named Mono who will later team up with Six. That was when I realized and thanked the heavens that our sweet Six wouldn’t be turning into one of the nightmares. There would be new nightmares added, new twisted freaks introduced that will chase after you.
One of the most amazing aspects of the original game was that it didn’t involve any combat. You would have to rely on stealth, puzzle solving skills as well as your wits to proceed. That is kind of an art in my opinion. To make a game tell such an immersive story without combat is wonderful. But to spice things up, the developers are adding combat system which might be an addition from the previous series. The combat was quite light as shown in trailer so hopefully, the actual aspect of the first game would either be preserved or enhanced. New puzzles…new twisted creeps to avoid and so much more! Who is excited? I sure am!
New Characters in the sequel
One of the new characters that I ended up developing so ideas about was a sadistic teacher. There are so many ideas that can emerge from this character. What would be her story? What would she be doing? No idea and that is exactly what maintains the aspect of mystery and creepiness. She was seen holding a class, slapping that ruler on her hand, her wicked smile hiding a bestial need she has to fulfill.
One of the other aspects of little nightmares II was that it would be set in the world outside the Maw, the vessel of first game. Perhaps the guests onboard would be properly introduced or at least the background of the characters will be explained more deeply.
Another amazing aspect of the little nightmares II was that it would be based on the horrors lying outside the world. We would now come to know more about this twisted and warped world which Maw was the part of in first game. So, you can expect more creative environments that don’t revolve around the decks of the ships. Although they were very dark and every next level I got to, I feared someone after me. The environments of the sequel will be focused on outside world. I read about the level based on a creepy forest with another chasing character. There is also going to be a creepy cabin inhabited by a bloodthirsty hunter. You get the point…
One of the biggest mysteries of all time that keep me scratching my head are the retro-style TVs. It is quite clear that they are hypnotic, controlling the residents. So, the question is…are the residents in complete control of their actions? Or are they controlled by a darker force that rules over them by the TVs that connect to the signal towers? Does this mean that the nightmares we had been escaping from in previous game were victims too? Kind of makes you wonder about the real evil there. Furthermore, are kids impervious to this mind control? To my horror, I saw some of the kids rallying up against the two heroes, Six and Mono. If the hypnotic control is ever present, how did the two heroes manage to get out of it?
So many speculations! Seeing that the world is getting more immersive in the little nightmare series, it will soon be explored further in Little Nightmares II.
Results of an Interview from Lead Producer and Senior Narrative Designer
What better way to speculate than to ask information from the authorities who designed the game?
In the blog written by the reporter Emma Kent, she explains that there is a lot the sequel is bringing to the table. Things such as a new character (the boy named Mono), the new locations, some form of combat as well as two-character gameplay. The reporter had the chance to interview the lead producer as well as the senior narrative designer. Like all the producers, they were reluctant to give out full information. The info that they provided seems to spice things up a bit more. Quite a way to make us fans more hyped!
The time period of the little nightmares II is of course after the first one. That was all the report Emma got from the producer. Of course why would anyone want to give the spoiler.
In the end of the first game, Six ended up gaining the Lady’s powers. The status of her powers is unknown since that sort of information reeks of spoilers and we know how much the producers hate those. The producer didn’t tell about her powers. On to the next questions then?
The producer further told that the signal tower was the core to everything they had been doing. It was the core of the story. He also told about locations like the school that obviously is not your ordinary school. It has a sadistic teacher after all. Then he further discussed about how non-Disney like the forest was. The hunter living there would not be your friend at all. Furthermore, the televisions would play a vital role and apparently, some sort of gameplay would be associated with them.
One of the interesting things the producer talked about and I am personally interested in is the claustrophobic environment. One of the key features of first series was claustrophobia that was introduced. How will it be introduced in the second game? Because the locations involve outside the ship’s confined spaces such as a forest or even a school.
Regarding gameplay, the developers are sticking to the active personality of Six. Of course, in first you only had to worry about yourself. Now, you have a companion. Furthermore, you can interact with environment and actually use some items. This changes the gameplay.
Furthermore, the motivation was to show the greed and corruption as well as the lack of aim. This is what inspired the producer to instill within this game. One more thing…Mono is a shy boy!
My Silly Theory
If speculations had to be made, something does happen after Six escapes the Maw. Something like a rebellion happens when Six manages to get out. She meets Mono and both do adventures together, breaking the mind control TVs. They are sent to school to meet that teacher. I guess that the forest part will be linked with destroying the TVs to stop the control of signal tower.
Well that is all from my side. Hopefully, the game will come soon and well will finally get our clear answers!
