Somerville Reviews
Somerville is a fantastic debut for Jumpship that should be commended, but a little extra polish in some key areas would have made an already great game even better.
Somerville is a true "short and sweet" gaming experience that really throws a spanner into traditional storytelling and gaming.
Somerville is a flawed game and doesn't execute all of its ideas perfectly, but from its captivating story to some of its striking imagery, there's plenty still to like in this brief adventure.
Unlike Limbo and Inside, Somerville looks like an experimental and unfinished project with a confused story and many gameplay hiccups.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Players are left to decipher the path to these endings with little to no guidance from the game itself. This lack of direction will lead players to seek guides to uncover these elusive alternate endings. Even when armed with the knowledge of what actions to take, the solutions often lack coherence and may fail to provide players with a satisfying understanding of the game’s narrative twists and turns.
I couldn't say Somerville is my favourite game, nor would I say it's particularly action-packed or noteworthy in terms of puzzles, but technically it's a serviceable emotion-stirring two-and-a-half-hour jaunt that some may find value in.
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. If you are still interested in Somerville, wait for a sale before checking it out.
Somerville's greatest flaw is just how boring it is. It is more of a walking-sim than a platforming-adventure game. Reactive objects are also colour-coded yellow, so there is never any question about what to do. This robs any sense of discovery in a title that is already so tightly focused on pushing players forward. The terribly slow walking speed will pad out Somerville's length to around four to five hours, when there is maybe only two hours of actual substance. Traditionally, these kinds of games are short but make up for it with excellent pacing. Somerville feels like a flatline for most of the entire run.
Somerville is a prime example of how great ideas and great creativity can be overwhelmed by technical and design problems. But it still promises a good and different gaming experience.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Somerville is an excellent start for Jumpship. It might not be another classic like Limbo or Inside, but it was close to being one. A must-buy for fans of the genre.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Jumpship's debut mixes grand sci-fi and familial drama in a more cinematic take on PLAYDEAD's earlier titles to mixed effect.
Somerville takes inspiration from 2 great modern classics, Limbo and Inside, however, it falls short to offer a deep contemplative experience. Despite some technical difficulties, it offers great value as a visually compelling puzzle adventure.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Somerville immerses you in a gripping adventure in the midst of an alien invasion. It will bring immersive atmosphere, well thought out puzzle elements, gorgeous visuals but also some frustration.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Somerville is a nice looking adventure game with a unique puzzle element idea, but narrative and performance inconsistencies leave the overall experience a bit muted.
Somerville isn’t always the most enjoyable game to play, then. Its puzzles aren’t anything special, and they’re hampered by clunky controls. But what is special is Somerville‘s narrative and art design. The score, too, is excellent: we just wish there was more of it – too many scenes are simply too quiet. Even if we weren’t enamoured with the ending, Somerville‘s story is worth experiencing. It’s just a shame the gameplay is a little disappointing in comparison.
Somerville is a strong IP for Jumpship to begin their portfolio.
In dark murky cues, colors pops will either mean danger or interactable objectives. There is no soundtrack thankfully as it would just divert the attention away from the environmental sounds of our man’s harsh breathing, the droning of enemy scouts, and the dire creaking of the trees and buildings around this desperate endeavour to just survive.
Somerville's biggest fault isn't with Jumpship utilizing Playdead’s successful template, but rather in forgetting to incorporate the pedigree alongside it.
If you're wanting something that is easy and quick to play, and you're a big fan of sci-fi-oriented narratives, then Somerville's short two and a half hour runtime could work for you. However, frustrating puzzles, clunky controls, and an all-round unstable performance unfortunately left a sour taste in the mouth - even for such a short game.