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The Assembly

The Assembly is a good idea with great building blocks for its intended exploration and puzzle mechanics but it feels somewhat undeveloped. It'll no doubt leave you intrigued yet ultimately pining for more.
The Assembly Game Cover
59%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
stability, replayability
68% User Score Based on 116 reviews
Critic Score 50%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCPlayStation VROculus RiftPlaystation 5Playstation 4Virtual RealityXbox OneXboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
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The Assembly Game Cover

About

The Assembly is a single player puzzle game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by nDreams and was released on July 19, 2016. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"The Assembly" is a narrative-driven virtual reality game that offers a unique and intriguing story similar to acclaimed titles like BioShock, Half-Life, and Dishonored. It boasts a fully realized world with impressive details and a mature approach to storytelling. The game's engaging narrative and gamepad controls make it an immersive and lengthy VR experience, allowing players to become deeply invested in the story and the emotional weight of their decisions.

Genres & Tags
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The Assembly screenshot
The Assembly screenshot
The Assembly screenshot
The Assembly screenshot
The Assembly screenshot
The Assembly screenshot
The Assembly screenshot
The Assembly screenshot
The Assembly screenshot
The Assembly screenshot
The Assembly screenshot
+9
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68%
Audience ScoreBased on 116 reviews
story45 positive mentions
stability5 negative mentions
  • The game features a compelling story with interesting moral dilemmas and multiple endings, enhancing replayability.
  • Graphics and voice acting are well-executed, providing an immersive experience, especially for a game from 2016.
  • The puzzles, while simple, are engaging and contribute to the overall narrative, making it a decent walking simulator.
  • The game is very short, typically taking around 3-6 hours to complete, which may not justify the full price.
  • Controls are clunky, especially in VR, with a lack of motion controller support and a frustrating teleportation movement system.
  • The story can feel cliché and slow-paced, with some players finding it boring and lacking depth.
  • story
    107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally described as engaging and thought-provoking, featuring two intertwining plots centered around a secretive scientific organization. While many players appreciate the immersive narrative and strong voice acting, some criticize the pacing, simplicity of puzzles, and lack of depth in the conclusion, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy story-driven experiences, though it may not satisfy players seeking more complex gameplay or a longer narrative.

    • “The storytelling is clear, the plot is good, and the characters are well developed.”
    • “Great story, visuals, and voice acting.”
    • “The story is interesting, and kept me pushing on.”
    • “The story seems like it has a lot of promise as you go along and I expected some sort of epic finale after all the endless exploration, build-up of the story (which got way more convoluted at the end without much added interest or real conclusion to the main storyline) and annoyingly simple puzzles, which were also very few and far between, bookended between repetitive and pointless exploration of endless dull offices.”
    • “Worse still, a lot of the story doesn't hang together and doesn't make any sense.”
    • “Almost insultingly simple puzzles, the story is very cliché and extremely slow-paced, and is full of 'pseudo-intellectual' nonsense and so-deep moral dilemmas.”
  • graphics
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their quality and detail, particularly in immersive environments, while others find them dated or lacking in options. Some players highlight the crisp visuals and excellent presentation, contributing positively to the overall experience, while a few criticize the graphics as insufficient to compensate for gameplay issues. Overall, the graphics are generally regarded as a strong point, though performance can vary based on hardware.

    • “Really detailed locations and good graphics.”
    • “The graphics are really stunning!”
    • “Excellent graphics, lots of attention to detail which helps immerse you in the setting; a large science facility.”
    • “The world makes not too much sense and feels very graphically dated.”
    • “Pretty graphics just don't cut it when virtually everything else in the game sucks.”
    • “A massive downgrade from the PC version of the title, the visuals can induce headaches or nausea if played for too long, and this is made even worse by the fact that the game doesn't need to be in virtual reality to begin with.”
  • gameplay
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Gameplay in the reviewed game is generally seen as underwhelming, with many players noting its lack of uniqueness and brevity, often feeling tedious and repetitive. While the graphics and story have received some praise, the gameplay mechanics are criticized for being simplistic and lacking depth, particularly in VR mode, which some feel is not fully realized. Overall, the game is described as a standard adventure experience that fails to stand out in a crowded genre.

    • “The presentation, graphics, and gameplay here are absolutely excellent.”
    • “I did enjoy the story-driven gameplay and would recommend it.”
    • “Gameplay follows standard adventure game conventions, interact with objects and clues, and search spaces to find answers.”
    • “Not really unique enough or long enough (like 3 hours of gameplay) to warrant $30.”
    • “Impressive graphic quality, but the story is confusing and gameplay is slow and dreary.”
    • “Very tedious fetch gameplay (whether it's 'discovering' passwords or finding a key).”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the optimization of the game appears to be solid, with many users reporting smooth performance and good image quality. However, some negative reviews suggest that performance issues may be linked to specific hardware setups, such as underpowered PCs or Oculus-related problems. Notably, there seems to be a lack of customizable graphics options, which may limit user control over performance settings.

    • “The image quality and performance is good.”
    • “Had no trouble performance-wise, everything seemed smooth, but I didn’t see any graphics options, so I played with how it was set up.”
    • “I am playing the assembly on a normal screen, no VR for me, but it's very well optimized and feels very good so far.”
    • “I wonder if it is an Oculus thing with people's experience with performance, or maybe under-spec'd PCs.”
    • “Had no trouble performance-wise; everything seemed smooth, but I didn’t see any graphics options, so I played with however it was set up.”
  • stability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is severely criticized, with frequent bugs leading to crashes and freezes, often forcing players to restart entire levels due to a frustrating save system that only saves progress every twenty minutes. This combination results in a highly unstable gaming experience that detracts significantly from overall enjoyment.

    • “So, combine a save once every twenty minutes with a buggy game that can't tolerate losing your headset and you're going to find yourself repeating entire levels... a lot.”
    • “Almost to the end of a level and I accidentally teleport into a wall... game freezes... crashes... and I'm back at the start of the chapter.”
    • “First, the game is super buggy and freezes or crashes frequently.”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive qualities, effectively drawing players into its aesthetic and narrative. Described as a "walking simulator," it emphasizes storytelling and ambiance over puzzles, similar to titles like Firewatch, making it a captivating experience for those who appreciate atmospheric gameplay.

    • “The atmosphere and aesthetic really do help with immersion, resulting in a great combination that easily sucks you into the game.”
    • “It's a 'walking simulator' with an interesting story and great atmosphere.”
    • “It's more like Firewatch, where there aren't many puzzles and it's more about taking in the atmosphere and story than it is about exploring worlds and solving puzzles.”
    • “The atmosphere and aesthetic really do help with immersion, resulting in a good combination that easily sucks you into the game.”
    • “It's more like Firewatch, where there aren't many puzzles and it's more about taking in the atmosphere and story than exploring worlds and solving puzzles.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers feel that the game has potential but lacks depth in its character development, suggesting that more thought and intentionality in this area could significantly enhance the overall experience.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful.”
    • “The depth of character backstories adds layers to the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
    • “Could be a really good game if more thought and intent was put into theme and character development.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers limited replayability due to its short length, but players can explore multiple endings and achievements, which encourages some revisits. While not extensive, the potential to discover different outcomes adds a layer of replay value.

    • “It has a bit of replayability with multiple endings and achievements.”
    • “I might go back and discover the other Adam options.”
    • “It is quite short and there only seems to be a little bit of replayability. I might go back and discover the other Adam options.”
    • “It has a bit of replayability with multiple endings and achievements, though.”
    • “And while the game is rather short, it has some replayability.”
  • music
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music, sound design, and voice acting in the game are consistently praised as exceptional, contributing significantly to the overall experience.

    • “The sound, music, and voice acting are just great.”
    • “The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
    • “The music is incredibly immersive, drawing you deeper into the game's world.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be extremely tedious, with repetitive fetch quests and a lack of saved progress contributing to a frustrating experience.

    • “None of the extremely tedious progress was saved.”
    • “Very tedious fetch gameplay, whether it's discovering passwords or finding a key.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke feelings through a blend of sci-fi and medpunk exploration, complemented by puzzles that, while not overly challenging, provide a rewarding and touching experience for players.

    • “Wolfie's fine, honey. If you enjoy sci-fi, cyberpunk, and medpunk exploration with a touch of really not difficult but touching and rewarding puzzles, then this is for you.”
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50%Critics’ scoreBased on 9 critic reviews
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6h Median play time
5h Average play time
3-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Assembly is a puzzle game with science fiction theme.

The Assembly is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing The Assembly.

The Assembly was released on July 19, 2016.

The Assembly was developed by nDreams.

The Assembly has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

The Assembly is a single player game.

Similar games include The Gallery - Episode 1: Call of the Starseed, The Uncertain: Last Quiet Day, The Station, Sherlock Holmes The Devil's Daughter, Paradise Lost and others.