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Somerville Review (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S & PC)

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Somerville Review

Alien invasions have been the core of movies, TV shows, and even video games. The interaction with the extraterrestrial beings is always from an antagonist versus protagonist point of view. The common “We come in peace” lingo seems nonexistent in the adaptations since, in most cases, humanity is always battling it out for survival with extraterrestrial beings. The same can be said about Jumpship’s new brainchild, Somerville. With the co-founders of the Studio behind the release of Limbo and Inside, it is no surprise that Somerville is a silent adventure with unsettling music setting the scene. Although, unlike the other games that feature a 2D and 2.5D side-scrolling platformer, Somerville lets you traverse freely in a 3D environment and interact with your surrounding as you guide your family to safety. So is this game a good pick for you? This Somerville review will flesh out all the details for you to decide. Let’s jump in.

Not Your Average Family

Somerville Review

The events take place in a remote farmhouse. After a splendid night out, a couple returns home and spends the rest of the evening watching TV, which is very Simpsons-like. Not long after, the couple and the baby sleep off on the couch (typical family). The TV broadcast then switches to a paranormal-like event that wakes the baby up. Armed with curiosity, the baby makes his way to the kitchen and takes advantage of the sleepy parents drifting off to slumberland. Soon after, the baby’s wails wake the parents, and the mother tends to the baby. This is where the plot thickens.

The father decides to fetch the dog’s food from outside. Soon after, a crackling sound coupled with purple lights shakes the home, and just like that, your adventure begins. 

Visitors From Out of Space

Right from the start, Somerville feels like the survival horror story we’ve been undeniably creating in our subconscious. The bleak darkness, suspense music, and limited luminosity are the perfect settings for an intriguing mystery. As a matter of fact, the possibility of an alien invasion has crossed the minds of many. It could be in the form of a spooky encounter. Or the hope of emancipation from humanity to join a group of more advanced lifeforms. Either way, Somerville brings us closer to this experience with the descending of massive Martians to the sleepy town. 

An impressive feature is the construction of the aliens. It speaks fear to what we imagine these life forms would look like; massive and obnoxious looking. With varying shapes, sizes, and functionality, Jumpship delivers an intense feeling of intimidation. It also doesn’t fall short in delivering the overwhelming sensation of a corrupted world at the hands of the UFO. 

As expected, an area 54-military organization swoops into action and immediately launches an attack against the green bastards. This leads to the wanton destruction of the lands, which brings down the family’s home. 

You would think that a massive armor would take down these species. Well, Jumpship confirms our suspicion of alien technology and adds an intriguing detail that soon gives the father his heroic quest. The lifeforms respond to different shades of light. While red energy makes them more robust, blue energy renders them susceptible and causes them to disappear. It's intriguing how Jumpship took it a notch higher by including a kryptonite feature. 

The All Mighty Father

Somerville review

From the look of things, the father is your average Joe who sprawls into action when his family's safety is under threat. After an alien vessel crashes into their home, the family moves to the basement to seek shelter. Soon after, a soldier hobbles into their derelict home and gives his account of events to the man. 

In a truly Tony Stark to Spiderman moment, the soldier passes over the power to manipulate the blue energy to the man before dying. Of course, this overwhelms the father, who then gets knocked out. The man soon awakens to quiet skies, but his wife and baby are missing; only his dog remains. The duo then set off to the grim outside in search of the man’s family. What a way to keep with the “dog is man’s best friend” slogan. 

However, the dog turns out to be just a companion in this desolate world. Aside from giving you hints on which direction to take, that’s all it does, and soon later, the two of you get separated. 

Jumpship does a marvelous job of turning a typical father figure into the story’s savior. Having no combat skills or a treacherous history that would have prepared him for the outlier events, the man takes the lead with no questions asked whatsoever. I figure this is why the game sits so well. Unlike previous games where heroes are born with supernatural abilities, this game uses a typical situation and centers it on family values. It really begs the question, “How far will you go for the people you love?”

Gameplay

SOMERVILLE Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 FULL GAME [4K 60FPS PC ULTRA] - No Commentary

With no dialogue or narration, the game uses animation and events to tell the story. The less-than-four-hour quest is played from a third-person perspective in an enchanting 3D environment, unlike its spiritual successors, Limbo and Inside. Players take control of the father on a quest to reunite with his family and eliminate the extraterrestrial invasion. Combat is pretty much nonexistent. However, you can interact with your environment and perform non-combat actions such as closing and opening doors or gates. 

I might be wrong, but Somerville gives the impression of another classic superhero tale. From the dramatic transfer of power to a glowing arm that takes down enemies, doesn't this sound like the typical founding story of your average man-turned-superhero? Anyway, that aside, wielding the power of the blue light, the father uses it to turn the alien vessels into a jelly-like substance that dissipates them. 

Moreover, there are a couple of physics-based puzzles along the way to solve using your newly-found power. Due to the minimalist nature of the puzzles, you’ll spend a few minutes or so completing them by liquefying the alien architecture. This progress adds a bit of power to your glowing arm, but not enough to give you the edge you need.

Out of Touch

The overlying impressive feature is the false sense of reality in the game. Jumpship takes it a notch higher by granting the extraterrestrials god-like features. I admit that, at some point, I thought the game was over, but it was all an inexplicably cut scene that merges into a new storyline. It turns out that it was a mirage that the aliens were using to alter the character’s perceptions. I’d like to see any other game top this.

Moreover, the man’s wonderous journey creates an elusive feeling with no hints or pointers on the right path to take. The eerie silence seems to be your only companion until a car alarm goes off and gives you a jump scare.

The land is ravaged into a post-apocalyptic setting with minimal signs of life. At one point, it may feel like running through a vast desert with massive structures laying all over until a beam of purple light drops from the sky, searching for remnants. No matter what you do, stay away from the light. Crawling into spaces is a safe hideout. 

The Verdict

Undeniably, Somerville has an enticing and captivating storyline that combines fear and bravery. From the premise, the somber and dull mood creates the right setting for an intriguing mystery. Aside from the occasionally awkward camera angles, which make it impossible to decipher the environment, Somerville is a distinct entry into the puzzle-adventure genre. Although it feels more like a survival horror story, every frantic encounter sparks an irresistible desire to get to the story's bottom line. 

Moreover, the suspense in every scene is unfathomable. With no knowledge of where your fate lies, you must peel back the onion one scene at a time. The game does an excellent job of not detailing the intentions of the species. However, the good thing is you get to see different versions of events, which gives a hint about how things go. 

Also, the monochromatic color adds depth to the eerie environment. Also, it creates the perfect scenery for a captivating and thrilling experience. 

The game is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. For more updates on the game, be sure to follow the official social handle here.

Somerville Review (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S & PC)

A Realistic Peek into a Looming Alien Invasion

Somerville is a 3D action-adventure game by Jumship that follows a man on a quest to save his family and the world from a catastrophic alien invasion. The game takes you through a desolate world bearing the aftermaths of a grand conflict, armed (literally) with a supernatural ability to take down the extraterrestrials. 

The game’s unique structure, bleak environment, and unsettling music set the right atmosphere for an intriguing mystery. All this, without any dialogue, makes an exceptional and unseen masterpiece in the genre. Not to forget the intricate value the storyline places on family. If you’ve been bracing for a visit from the Martians, here’s your chance for an episodic adventure to take them down and save humanity.

Evans I. Karanja is a freelance writer who loves to write about anything technology. He is always on the lookout for interesting topics, and enjoys writing about video games, cryptocurrency and blockchain and more. When not writing, he can be found playing video games or watching F1.