Somerville

Somerville is a noble attempt at matching the style and eerie substance of games that came before it. As a first-time effort, Jumpship stuck the landing on creating engaging moments in time for an intimate narrative. But a lack of memorable connective tissue means that players have little reason to dwell in this world and ask bigger questions. With perhaps a bit more time and polish, the studio’s second attempt can be truly remarkable.

Somerville is a short but sweet sci-fi apocalypse story with an attempt at telling a human story. Whilst the narrative does fall flat by feeling no connection to the characters, the action set pieces, puzzle mechanics and overall art direction are spectacular. If you can look past the inconsistent controls and lacklustre story, there’s a lot to enjoy about Somerville and it’s a quality debut from Jumpship.

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.