The Assembly trailer promises a VR thriller with "impossible choices"

The Assembly is an “immersive, interactive VR story” currently in development at nDreams, which promises to tell an intriguing tale. A mysterious organization—the titular Assembly—has been conducting experiments that go well beyond what's considered morally okay by polite society. But as those secrets are about to be exposed, two people, each with unique motivations, are given the chance to influence the future. And, as nDreams website states, “For better or worse, the impossible choices they face will transform not just their own lives, but that of whole nations.” Dun dun der!

The behind the scenes video released today highlights the depth and detail of the game world nDreams is trying to create. A realistic visual style is vital, but Art Manager Martin Field says “completeness” and consistency is even more important to making it a believable experience. That includes not just what players see, but also what they hear. 

“Audio in VR games needs a complete reset,” Audio Director Matt Simmonds explains. “You could just use the same methods that you use in a traditional flat-screen game, but the biggest difference is detail. In an immersive environment, like having a VR helmet on, everything is so much more intimate. You're so much closer to the action. You can just walk right up to something, peer straight into it, and get a lot more visual feedback. So we've got to match that with the audio in order to make things feel more real.” 

The Assembly is being developed for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR. No release date has been set, but nDreams says it's “coming soon.”   

Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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