Somerville

 PC
Somerville Image
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 40 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
4.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 65 Ratings

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  • Summary: Jumpship’s debut title immersse players in a hand-crafted narrative set across a vivid and rural landscape. Set in the wake of a catastrophe and grounded in the intimate repercussions of large-scale conflict, players navigate through perilous terrain as they unravel the mysteries of Earth’sJumpship’s debut title immersse players in a hand-crafted narrative set across a vivid and rural landscape. Set in the wake of a catastrophe and grounded in the intimate repercussions of large-scale conflict, players navigate through perilous terrain as they unravel the mysteries of Earth’s visitors.… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 40
  3. Negative: 2 out of 40
  1. VG247
    Nov 14, 2022
    100
    In truth, I’m not the biggest thinker when it comes to media. I watch a film, read a book, play a game, and take what’s happened at face value. If meaning is hidden behind a 10k-post Reddit thread, then, well, maybe it wasn’t conveyed well enough. Somerville doesn’t have this problem. It’s affecting in all the right ways, and a game I really can’t recommend strongly enough.
  2. Game Informer
    Nov 14, 2022
    80
    Somerville is held back by technical shortcomings, but is full of impressive moments worth experiencing with the lights turned low and and your headphones up high. The father’s adventure lingers in my mind as I reflect on what happened, and those memories do ultimately outweigh the technical shortcomings. I hope time will provide improvements to bring the game to where it deserves to be, which is high in the sky alongside the ships of the invading forces.
  3. Launcher (The Washington Post)
    Nov 17, 2022
    80
    Somerville reminded me of the qualities that I cherish in adventure games, particularly their ability to plunge one into the unexpected. I appreciated how its mechanics sidestep the usual weaponry that goes along with science-fiction games. (A gun-toting, super-soldier shows up at one point, but things don’t end well for them.) “Somerville” effortlessly pulled me in from moment to moment because I was eager to discover the next audiovisual flourish around the corner. There is a sequence toward the end where the man revisits places that is particularly captivating for the way in which it makes the familiar strange. That said, I was a little disappointed with the final scene in the game, which struck me as an overly familiar allusion to the ending of Tarkovsky’s film “Solaris.” But that aside, “Somerville” is the best adventure game I’ve played since “Little Nightmares 2.”
  4. IGN Spain
    Nov 15, 2022
    70
    A remarkable science fiction adventure that shines more for its tone, its context and its stimulating ending, than for the story of its characters. Despite this, it has narrative maneuvers that raise the interest in its text, and with a powerful staging that takes advantage of both its aesthetics and its fixed cameras. A concise and direct videogame that succeeds in almost everything it tries, and manages to leave an interesting aftertaste.
  5. 4P.de
    Nov 24, 2022
    68
    Somerville is very pretty, the gameplay is decent, but the content is unfortunately not gripping enough for an adventure.
  6. SpazioGames
    Nov 15, 2022
    65
    Unlike Limbo and Inside, Somerville looks like an experimental and unfinished project with a confused story and many gameplay hiccups.
  7. Checkpoint Gaming
    Nov 15, 2022
    40
    Somerville relies on its fantastic animations and settings to tell a story of a father trying to reunite with his family. But without important story fundamentals such as exposition, you have no idea what is going on. Coupled with the fact that the adventure consists of simply solving puzzles while walking around, it is hard to immerse yourself in the story or even care about what will happen. Solving puzzles can also be difficult because you are expected to fumble around and discover what can be interacted with. There’s no guidance or assistance, which leads to frustration when you have no idea what to do next. There’s a good attempt at telling a story here, but it’s difficult to find yourself wanting to reach the end.

See all 44 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 25
  3. Negative: 9 out of 25
  1. nicerdicer
    Nov 20, 2022
    10
    I have so many questions after first playthrough. Magic sound design and music in the game. Interesting world, challenging puzzles.
  2. arkcoss
    Nov 27, 2022
    10
    Work of art! I don't understand the comparison to Limbo or Inside ... the formula is similar, because this is the genre of the game, but theWork of art! I don't understand the comparison to Limbo or Inside ... the formula is similar, because this is the genre of the game, but the story and atmosphere - amazing. More more more...… Expand
  4. gozlukluiskelet
    Nov 23, 2022
    8
    İtiraf etmeliyim ki, oyunun son kısmında biraz sıkılmaya başlamıştım. Belki de son bölümü gereksiz yere uzatmışlar, bilemiyorum! Somervilleİtiraf etmeliyim ki, oyunun son kısmında biraz sıkılmaya başlamıştım. Belki de son bölümü gereksiz yere uzatmışlar, bilemiyorum! Somerville bir bütün olarak baktığımızda güzel bir oyun. Etkileyici girişi, ilginç hikayesi ve tartışmaya açık sonuyla son zamanlarda oynamaktan keyif aldığım bir oyun oldu. Oyunun atmosferi, grafikler, renkler, müzikler ve zaman zaman sıkıntı çıkarsa da oynanışı güzeldi.… Expand
  5. g_squidman
    Nov 19, 2022
    5
    This game looks great and runs well. I really enjoy the artistry put into this one.

    I think the gameplay is pretty weak though and the    This game looks great and runs well. I really enjoy the artistry put into this one.

    I think the gameplay is pretty weak though and the story seemed a bit out there. The game is mostly walking and when you get to a puzzle it's either too easy or too confusing. The dog seems like it's used to hint at the direction you're supposed to go half the time and the other half is just a distraction who is running the wrong way.

    I get this is supposed to be an esoteric experience like Inside, but I don't think it improves on the concept very much and puzzles are less interesting. I'm not sure how much of the same development team worked on this game, but this seems like a really good idea that wasn't fully fleshed out into a full experience. A clearer story and better puzzles that fully explore the interesting blue/red light mechanic would have been a really cool game.

    Plays great though, if you're looking for something relaxing to distract you for a day or two.    … Expand
  6. Dubeau
    Jan 2, 2023
    5
    Somerville has a great start but things gets more touchy after that. The story is silent and greatly atmospheric, which is nice. The graphicsSomerville has a great start but things gets more touchy after that. The story is silent and greatly atmospheric, which is nice. The graphics are fine and different. The gameplay is largely a walking simulator with some puzzles and actions to do. That said, many of the mechanics are not too great. Walking is kind of loose and you get not sens of perspective sometimes. Some things are very tedious like the bucket of water puzzle (that made me quit the game). The sounds and music are really great. I give it 52%. I think the game fails in the mechanical/control parts while it has a good story and atmosphere. Sad they couldn't get around making this game more playable.… Expand
  7. Xax
    Nov 16, 2022
    3
    Starts out quite intriguing and exciting, but there's very little story to grab onto. The gameplay often feels janky and frustrating, with anStarts out quite intriguing and exciting, but there's very little story to grab onto. The gameplay often feels janky and frustrating, with an often inconsistent, amateurish design language (or lack thereof). The final act is a meandering, nonsensical, incoherent mess that goes on long after you're ready for it to just end already. (Side note: the PC Game Pass version of the game is broken. I had to find an alternate source to download a version of the game that worked using keyboard and mouse.)… Expand
  8. mikettt
    Nov 23, 2022
    0
    The story was getting interesting but it is let down by the flawed controls and bad performance.

See all 25 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Most Discussed PC Game of 2022

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