Psychological thriller first-person game Asemblance from Nilo Studios is launching for PS4 users in May.
The game, which was announced by Nilo Studios' creative director Niles Sankey on PlayStation's official blog, will be the first episode of an expansive franchise. According to Sankey, the game took its inspiration from certain TV series that include The X-Files, The Twilight Zone, and Black Mirror.
"You wake to find yourself trapped inside an experimental machine," states the game's introduction on its official site. "A machine built to simulate memories. You have no idea how you got here... But to break the cycle, you must look into a past that you may not want to remember."
Apart from the TV series, Sankey added that the game's inspiration also came from titles that allow gamers to explore various theories where they ultimately engage one another in a bid to know the truth. These titles include video games such as The Stanley Parable and PT.
"We were inspired by this approach to create a narrative where you're never quite sure what's real or what's not," says Sankey.
Prior to establishing Nilo Studios, Sankey used to be a developer at Bungie for a decade, where he worked on Destiny and the Halo series.
Nilo Studios was founded only last year, with its headquarters based in Seattle, Washington. Though it's a relatively new game developing studio, Sankey said its developers have several years of experience in writing books, creating games, and producing music. He added that being able to start something new, as well as having the chance to experiment further on narrative game design, is an exciting achievement.
"So where should we begin? What do you remember? Just enter the simulation. And relax. You had a good life. But things changed. Do you remember your home? Your wife? How you met? Are you sure you want to remember?" says the voice-over from the game's trailer release.
Asemblance is set to launch in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia in May 2016. The game also features the soundtrack by Seattle electronic underground artist Kid Smpl.
Check out the game's trailer below to get an idea of the title's "psychological" appeal.
