Played on Xbox Series X

Developed by Jumpship

Released 15th November 2022

If you were to mistake this game as the continuation of Playdead's immaculate formula that they nailed with 'LIMBO' or 'Inside', then you wouldn't be far off being correct. Developed by Jumpship, the studio was co-founded by UK film animator Chris Olsen and one of Playdead's co-founders, Dino Patti, after he left Playdead with a misinterpreted resignation letter and rift between him and Arnt Jensen (Playdead's other co-founder). Dino Patti would state to leave Playdead "in a state where it can definitely manage itself", as he pursued "new challenges". 'Somerville' was the cultivation of this, as it retains much of that 2.5D, adventure DNA that Playdead's efforts had, although not to as an effective degree, with the game coming across as inspired more than a next step in the blueprint. Until Playdead releases their third game, the first since the co-founders' split, 'Somerville', for better or worse, is the most recent title you can play if you need your fill of 'LIMBO' or 'Inside'-esque energy.

Story

While it started strong and had some redeemable moments, I found the story to be quite tiresome to get through. Gone is this blend of enigma and spectacle found in Playdead's titles. The narrative here can be easily identified as a man trying to reunite with his family after a global alien invasion separates them. There is some mystery enshrouded here and there such as the true intent of the aliens, their origins, and how these alien-powered superhumans come into play, but at its very roots, it's a straightforward tale that unfortunately comes across as uninspired. Like I said, the introduction and certain areas of this game are great, like the beginning having this bloodrushing set-up to a horror-thriller-esque situation. But as the story continued, and its odd inclusion of Power Ranger-like entities came into play, I started to lose interest. The moments where you're running for your life in the streets of a desolate city or slowly going through a field of abandoned tents, cars and buildings; these horror-like moments; these are the moments that were top-tier and added gravitas. The interludes in between where they resemble a "chosen one" plot is what lost this effect on me. Additionally, the purpose behind finding your family wasn't a strong enough narrative focus with how little I cared for them due to my greater intrigue in the world that was being set before me, and even when you do find them, the whole plot point gets retconned (which I liked for how differently it was executed compared to other portrayals of this storyline in other media, but I know many will not feel the same way).

Gameplay

The gameplay here isn't too different from what we’re used to with the sidescroller puzzle formula: moving carts around to match, moving around in sequence with an instant kill puzzle, etc. The addition here that 'Somerville' makes is that the player can utilise this red and blue energy, where the blue solidifies the alien goo left behind in these environments, while the red liquidifies them. There are many instances of these puzzles being crafted greatly like having to fill up a cart with the alien goo and freezing it to create a weight in the mines. Still, most others felt passable compared to the quality of puzzles that have been set in other sidescroller adventure games, even outside of Playdead's realm. Additionally, there are moments where you "parkour" and run away from an advancing threat, but the fear in most of these moments doesn't work as effectively as in other sidescroller adventure games, with the suspense build-up coming across as unfinished. The city section is the only successful attempt at this, but everything else is forgettable. The rest of the game's efforts simply don't have the same impact as it needs to be memorable.

Characters

There isn't enough here for me to critique the characters outside of the well-animated moments that could've been evocative like the reunion scene, but they just lacked that emotional value and build-up to make them effective. Other than this, there isn't much for me to go off of.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is often the highlight of games like these and 'Somerville' is no different in this situation. Firstly, the sound design is phenomenal. It booms, bangs, crunches, echoes, brings out the best point of immersion in every environment, and sells this daunting and alien-flooded vibe incredibly well. As for the visual approach, it's beautiful at some points, but stale in others. The graphical approach and style of the game are immaculate at many points, perfectly capturing the feel and look of a world gone to ruin. In addition to the haunting and oppressive purple beams of light scouring across a lifeless forest or the scattering of these alien beasts in the dense city centre, the colour palettes and grading work fantastically well together. The parts where it gets stale are when the same visuals are repeated several times during the same section: it looks great, I get it, but show me something different in this 3-hour experience. Overall, it looks amazing and it's very clear most of the budget went towards making the presentation good rather than the actual game.

Story - 5/10

Gameplay - 5/10

Atmosphere - 8/10