Somerville is an aesthetically pleasing slice of sci-fi that attracts affect from the likes of ‘Struggle of the Worlds’ and ‘Shut Encounters of the Third Variety’ to current the quick story of a bewildered man on the run from otherworldly machines as he makes an attempt to reunite along with his spouse and toddler son in determined circumstances.
Jumpship’s Dino Patti, the ex-CEO and co-founder of Playdead, has very clearly had a giant affect on the motion right here as this can be a sport that strongly calls to thoughts each Limbo and Inside at virtually each flip. It is broadly the identical setup as each of those traditional adventures, with a lone protagonist in a determined battle that sees the participant work their method by a bunch of puzzles while remaining hid to be able to push ahead and see the story by to its conclusion.
There’s the identical feeling of delicate frailty to the character you management too, with principally nothing you are able to do to be able to both defend your self or retaliate ought to you end up found by those that are trekking and searching you down throughout this desolate depiction of an earth left ravaged by full-scale alien invasion. The element within the animation of the central protagonist additionally remembers Playdead’s finest efforts, and there is a pleasingly lanky awkwardness to how you progress round and work together together with your surroundings this time round.
What’s most totally different to the likes of Limbo and Inside right here is {that a} third dimension has been launched to the combo, with the digital camera zooming out and in, panning round and pulling off all method of fancy cinematic framing as you progress into the foreground and background in addition to back and forth in your makes an attempt to keep away from discovery. That is one super-cinematic sport, for certain, it appears to be like unbelievable from starting to finish, with the violent purple and crimson strobing searchlights of your extraterrestrial opponents hitting that Struggle of the Worlds nail squarely on the pinnacle, making for a darkish, determined, and foreboding sci-fi environment that we completely adored.
When it comes to the story too, Somerville goes to some surprisingly emotional locations, with a satisfyingly surreal and fantastical ultimate stretch that attracts you in and offers you loads to consider. We cannot spoil something right here, for those who’re gonna soar into this one it is best to go in as blind as attainable, however general Jumpship has carried out a strong job narratively and the talent on present as regards to world-building isn’t unsure. There’s additionally purpose to return as soon as you’ve got accomplished your first run – a feat which took us round two hours – with a number of endings to see and some different enjoyable achievements to tick off.
Nonetheless, and it is an excellent huge nevertheless, the puzzles right here, the precise sport elements of this sport, are a let-down, there is not any method round it. In Somerville your protagonist is imbued with extraterrestrial powers proper at the beginning of the journey and these can be utilized to work together with alien particles that is been left scattered across the environments. What this principally then boils all the way down to is you shifting particles between a liquid and strong state to be able to clear up puzzles primarily based round unblocking the best way ahead. It is tremendous boring stuff sadly and the odd sprinkling of different mechanics, akin to just a few extremely cinematic disguise and search sections and one part with a minecart, actually does not do a lot to assist.
The dullness of the puzzles on supply is not the one difficulty both. The addition of that third dimension – though it does look very cool at instances – results in a careless awkwardness when making an attempt to line your self up with interactive objects or seek for what precisely it’s you are meant to do subsequent. You will not battle for very lengthy on any of the puzzles right here both by the best way, there aren’t any moments the place you are introduced with a head-scratcher that is so cleverly put collectively it will stump you then go away you delighted when you determine the best way ahead.
No, it is simply boring and disappointing all the best way we’re afraid, and we have been truly relieved once we lastly hit the ultimate stretch of the sport, which does away with environmental obstacles in favour of concentrating on pushing the narrative ahead. We must also point out that we encountered just a few bugs right here and there, with one specific puzzle bugging out repeatedly, getting us caught up and spinning round in some surroundings, till it lastly spat us out the opposite aspect on a fortunate restart. There are additionally some slight points with stuttering at just a few factors as nicely, even on Collection X.
General then, and particularly because it’s launched on Xbox Recreation Go, Somerville might be nonetheless value trying out for its aesthetic and for a sci-fi narrative that manages to considerably fulfill by the tip. Nonetheless, to be able to benefit from the finer features of what Jumpship has created right here, you are gonna must brace for some disappointingly boring gameplay that drags the entire thing down a few notches.
Conclusion
Somerville is a super-stylish slice of sci-fi that nails its aesthetic and gives a strong narrative that involves a pleasingly surreal and fantastical finish. Nonetheless, all of this good things is slowed down by boring gameplay, efficiency points and the addition of a 3rd dimension that, whereas actually very cool to take a look at, results in awkwardness as you try to unravel puzzles and work together with environments. If you can also make peace with the gameplay, you will nonetheless discover a story value experiencing right here, it is only a disgrace there wasn’t as a lot creativity in these puzzles as there’s in each different facet of what Jumpship has served up.
