Assemble with Care - Right in the Feels
Every once in a while a game will catch my attention for different reasons. Sometimes it'll be the art style, sometimes it's the music, sometimes the mechanics. But, occasionally, they'll draw me in for reasons I don't understand right away. As I've gotten older, the range of games that I enjoy has gotten wider. When I was a kid, the only ones I really played were Zelda, Mario Kart-like racing games (shoutout to Kirby Air Ride), and Pokemon. I tried other games but never made it very far in them. That's changed over the last few years, and I credit starting to stream on Twitch with that. Streaming predominantly indie games has opened my eyes to an entirely new area of games that I would never have considered before and I am so thankful for that. There are so many stories being told and so many creative ways to tell them in games. For someone who needs stories to function, experiencing the bravery in video game storytelling has been a life-saver.
Assemble with Care is one of those stories. In it, you play as Maria. She's a repairwoman. For years, she's been traveling to different cities to fix broken items, mostly antiques. By the time we catch up with Maria, she has arrived for a stay in the charming town of Bellariva. Here, we meet characters who have more than just items that need assistance. By repairing their items, the characters and Maria, begin to realize that their relationships need some tlc as well. The story never feels like it's holding your hand to understand the narrative. Throughout the game, Assemble with Care manages to show players what it looks like for family members who are experiencing grief and estranged sisters to reconcile with each other.
The gameplay mechanics are simple but clever. Players use the mouse or the touchscreen to move different pieces of broken items around to help Maria repair them. It's accompanied by a soundtrack by Thomas Williams. The music carries the player through feelings of wonder and excitement and sorrow and celebration without ever feeling overbearing. It's worth a listen to on its own and is on Apple Music and Spotify. Art style is where the game really shines for me. Each scene feels unique from the last. The impressionist-inspired game is fully hand-illustrated. The style pairs excellently with the OST to create a game that is at the same time cozy and thought-provoking. It's easy to recommend this game. Though I warn you, some moments may hit close to home. I definitely related to the story about the two sisters and doing what I can to make my sister proud as well as feeling like sometimes I focus on my issues and experiences too much. I treasure the stories that make me think about how I'm living my life. Assemble with Care did that for me.
You can find Assemble with Care on the Apple Arcade and PC. It takes about 2 hours to complete and I would recommend it. Take care, you deserve it.
