Before, we’ve only been used to have two types of games. Low-end AA titles, which would release for less than £30, and would only ever be played once. And AAA titles, £40 blockbusters, which depending on their overall quality, and player appeal, could last some as much as an entire year, or as little as a single week. However, as the previous generations of consoles was heading towards its end, the online market has witnessed a tremendous influx of indie titles, and the illusion of the AA barrier has been shattered, allowing other, both smaller, and larger developers to enter the scene.
Many developers, while witnessing the change in the video gaming landscape, have decided to alter their ways. Some, such as Dontnod Entertainment, have reformed entire studios, and turned from AAA titles, to smaller, yet more impactful indie development. Whereas others, such as Nilo Studios, have abandoned AAA development completely, reforming under a new banner, with a much smaller studio. And by doing so they’ve left behind development of large AAA shooters, and concentrated on smaller, yet more complex titles, such as Asemblance.
Asemblance, is a fruit of labour of the previously mentioned Nilo Studios. And unlike the titles, which some employees of the studio have created previously, it is a first-person, psychological thriller, which doesn’t rely on jump scares, or asymmetrical combat.
Asemblance begins with ambiguity similar to the one which many were able to experience while playing P.T. However, where P.T. kept players in state of the unknown from the start, until the very end, Asemblance drops it mere seconds after the player presses the start button. The reasoning behind player’s current situation is explained within the first ten minutes, and an A.I. which is in control of the testing chamber, continuously guides players through each, and every step.
The way in which the story is portrayed, contradicts its very core, as the player character puts himself through numerous stored memories, in order to understand the truth. However, considering how the player character loses his memory, he would understandably not remember how the contraption in front of him works, or in fact what it does. And by immediately telling the player what this machine does, and why he/she should use it, it removes some aspects of mystique, the title could otherwise hold.
The immediate handholding, does take away a lot from the title, but thankfully, two, or three rooms in, it completely disappears, and from that point on, players are left to their own devices. And until the end, which unfortunately is only an hour or so away, depending on player’s problem solving ability, Asemblance, is a tremendous showing of what the developer is capable of.
Asemblance, as described by the developer, is a psychological thriller, which is deeply inspired by the Playable Teaser of Silent Hills, however, unlike the now cancelled horror title, Asemblance is a much more logical game. Where P.T. would have players spiral round and round the same corridor zooming in on pictures, and scraps of paper, in order to reach the optimal conclusion, Asemblance offers much more player friendly solutions, which are often supported by very subtle hints. Sometimes, a single word may lead to an eureka moment, which ultimately allows the player to finally move on with the story, or at times, may be nothing more than a red herring, which can make some players go insane, looking for things that may possibly not exist in this particular form of character’s dream.
To summarise, it has to be said that Asemblance, is clearly not the best title which the developer is capable of creating. While offering some memorable experiences, they are all too little too late. However, all these also prove that the studio is capable of creating something, which could challenge for the crown of the best ”walking simulator”, which now is still safely in hands of Every Body Has Gone to the Rapture. However, Asemblance is also much shorter than most titles of this genre, and the length of the title is reflected by it poultry price, of $9.99/£7.99. And while it may not satisfy the needs of some who buy it, it will surely give them hope that there is still much more to come from the Nilo Studios.
