Somerville

Somerville is a short but fun adventure puzzle game that does a lot of things right but it sadly doesn’t have the same impact that other titles developed by Jumpship have. The presentation is quite good and helps deliver an atmosphere of mystery and hopelessness. This fits perfectly with the gameplay that is focused on walking and solving puzzles, which is fun, but it can become just too repetitive in some instances. The story, however, is where the game stumbles, as it keeps a lot of things too vague, which some players may like, but people who are looking for a more traditional narrative will be left disappointed.

The puzzles are enjoyably straightforward, however, involving pushing and pulling mine carts to climb, starting up generators to power lights, and using movable cover to avoid insta-death laser beams. Even with the introduction of a couple of light-manipulating powers, the puzzle blockades never held us up longer than a couple of minutes, making for a short but sweet five-to-six-hour experience all told.

Somerville is a game where both the new and old ideas don't work in the game's favor. The platforming is nonexistent, while the puzzles are hampered by either a lack of creativity, an uncooperative physics system, or a combination of both. The use of 3D produces situations where your objectives can become obscured due to the camera angle and distance. The shock and awe one would expect from the game's pedigree is greatly dampened, and the wordless story doesn't do much to carry a narrative that seems pedestrian and doesn't care about its characters. Some will still find fun in the various situations, and the runtime is brisk enough if everything works in your favor.

Still, Somerville isn't also without its problems, especially when it comes to creating an enjoyable gameplay experience. As a result, Somerville itself isn't something that I would deem a must-play, but Jumpship as a whole is a studio that I'll continue to keep an eye on as time goes on.

Somerville kind of sucks. The best parts of the game are when it focuses on the alien invasion aspect. The worst parts are everything else. Honestly, skip this game.

Despite its issues, Somerville manages to offer a mostly enjoyable experience. The family bond forged in an opening scene, which is easily the highlight of Somerville, simply works and drove me through the game.