Somerville

 Xbox Series X
User Score
5.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 77 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 77
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 77
  3. Negative: 33 out of 77

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  1. ReviewThangs
    Nov 24, 2022
    4
    Hate to say this as I'm a fan of inside and limbo but this game is awful. Controls worse than a point and click game. Runs terribly, super buggy. The puzzles are straightforward, the difficulty is fighting with the game to register what you're doing. Couldn't wait for it to be over. Which is a shame because the concepts are cool.
  2. The-Light-Saber
    Nov 20, 2022
    1
    Another lesson I learned the hard way.

    This game tried to climb on Limbo and Inside reputation, but instead it came with an ugly cloned game with no purpose at all. As this game came from the cofounder of Playdead Studio (Limbo and Inside games maker), I expected a minimum level of quality that could make me enjoy the new experience, but everything in this game is a huge step down.    Another lesson I learned the hard way.

    This game tried to climb on Limbo and Inside reputation, but instead it came with an ugly cloned game with no purpose at all.

    As this game came from the cofounder of Playdead Studio (Limbo and Inside games maker), I expected a minimum level of quality that could make me enjoy the new experience, but everything in this game is a huge step down.

    The Gameplay is really bad, a 2.5D game, almost a walking simulator with simple to medium difficult puzzles, I know it is a linear game, but you cannot go any where except what the developers wanted you to be, if you skip a tiny pixel, you cannot proceed further and keep roaming until you find the accurate path.

    The camera angles are awful most of the time, and with a lot of obstacles and terrain in your way, makes finishing each level an achievement.

    The story, oh god help me here.....they tried to clone the same concept of the previous games storytelling, nonspeaking characters doing actions that let you figure out the story yourself blah blah blah...

    The problem in Somerville that unlike Limbo and Inside, that story is very superficial, Aliens invasion and person is escaping and looking for his family, WoW...How Genuine!!! that is not a spoiler by the way, you will get that the first 5 min of the game.

    They tried at the end to add some events with no common sense to give mysterious endings, but it just added salt to injury and made it worse and worse.

    You will literally lose the interest of playing after 30 min, and whatever you do, you will never care about the characters if they live or die, because it is so boring.

    I won't talk about the graphics much, I just played plenty mobile games with such better graphics, and this game for Series X.

    I played it on Gamepass, and even that I spent no money on this game, but I'm sorry for the time I wasted playing it. it is a big disappointment for a game I was waiting since I saw its trailer.    … Expand
  3. Broyax
    Dec 4, 2022
    0
    Tiens, encore un étron indé tombé dans le Daube Pass… ramassons-le pour voir… avec des gants parce qu’on voit bien qu’il est déjà tout poisseux de merde. Alors, à jouer ou à tenter d’y jouer plutôt, bonjour les dégâts…!

    C’est tout de même en 3 dimensions mais selon des angles de liberté (et de vue) très restreints, on se retrouve en fait devant de la 2d et demi mais de façon toujours    Tiens, encore un étron indé tombé dans le Daube Pass… ramassons-le pour voir… avec des gants parce qu’on voit bien qu’il est déjà tout poisseux de merde. Alors, à jouer ou à tenter d’y jouer plutôt, bonjour les dégâts…!

    C’est tout de même en 3 dimensions mais selon des angles de liberté (et de vue) très restreints, on se retrouve en fait devant de la 2d et demi mais de façon toujours trop éloignée, ce qui rend la maniabilité hasardeuse, pour ne pas dire injouable la plupart du temps.

    Les graphismes restent en tout cas fort limités et l’ennui s’installe bien vite, alors qu’on se demande ce qu’il faut bien faire pour espérer avancer un minimum dans ce petit jeu de merde à la petite semaine. Tout est minimaliste là-dedans, y compris l’interface et le personnage se déplace mollement et maladroitement comme s’il était soûl.

    Encore une daube prétentieuse bricolée par des blaireaux qui pètent plus haut que leur cul et n’ont pourtant aucune idée de ce qu’ils font… mais je vais vous le dire : ils font simplement de la grosse merde, point merde.    … Expand
  4. Jt0429
    Nov 16, 2022
    7
    Good-
    Captivating story; Effective, wordless storytelling; Simplistic and straightforward gameplay is largely engaging; Some gorgeous scenes and vistas.
    Bad- Gameplay can be frustratingly opaque at times; Movement feels wonky and inaccurate; Some technical issues. Thoughts- Even with its issues though, Somerville is an accomplished sci-fi adventure title. Depending on how quickly    Good-
    Captivating story; Effective, wordless storytelling; Simplistic and straightforward gameplay is largely engaging; Some gorgeous scenes and vistas.

    Bad-
    Gameplay can be frustratingly opaque at times; Movement feels wonky and inaccurate; Some technical issues.

    Thoughts-
    Even with its issues though, Somerville is an accomplished sci-fi adventure title. Depending on how quickly you go through its story, it will last you anywhere between three and six hours, and throughout that brief runtime, it keeps throwing some fascinating things your way, whether it’s a smartly designed puzzle, heart-wrenching intimate moments, surprising story developments, or gorgeous visual vistas. Somerville might not be a genre giant, but if you’ve enjoyed similar games in the past, you’re probably going to enjoy this as well.    … Expand
  5. Snake1991
    Nov 22, 2022
    0
    One of the worst 3d, 2dgame that I have ever played, so boring and game play is awful stipid character barely move as if he is drunk, environment is not even art just dark corors and repeat **** red and blue stuff, about puzzles there is no puzlles at all just move its slender drunr **** character to unknown location and they last story is for God sake the worst of worst, DO NOT EVEN PLAYOne of the worst 3d, 2dgame that I have ever played, so boring and game play is awful stipid character barely move as if he is drunk, environment is not even art just dark corors and repeat **** red and blue stuff, about puzzles there is no puzlles at all just move its slender drunr **** character to unknown location and they last story is for God sake the worst of worst, DO NOT EVEN PLAY IT For FREE IT MAKEs YOU MAD AND STupid due TO MOVEMENT OF THE CHARACTEE. it make me so angry God damn you developers… Expand
  6. Thetype
    Nov 18, 2022
    2
    Boring... New gen game ? That's a mobile style not really interesting
    Gave us true technical games, not mini games running on ipad
  7. Jgitw
    Nov 17, 2022
    2
    This is a Very Bad Game. It desperately needs button prompts for obscure and inconsistent controls, and highlight for interactive objects, and some sign of climbable surfaces. It's just not playable as it stands. The gameplay design is truly awful, and it all reads terribly to the player. Performance is bad, too—framey, glitchy. The few promising elements—scenario, cinematography, trackingThis is a Very Bad Game. It desperately needs button prompts for obscure and inconsistent controls, and highlight for interactive objects, and some sign of climbable surfaces. It's just not playable as it stands. The gameplay design is truly awful, and it all reads terribly to the player. Performance is bad, too—framey, glitchy. The few promising elements—scenario, cinematography, tracking camera—are just buried beneath the torturous experience of actually playing it.… Expand
  8. d3uzZ
    Nov 16, 2022
    3
    Самый мутный и унылый симулятор ходьбы, который попытался выехать на имени Inside и Limbo. Управление отвратительное, анимации топорные, постоянно приходится заниматься пиксель-хантингом, чтобы персонаж схватился за нужный объект, левел-дизайн отвратный и ты вообще не понимаешь, чего от тебя хочет игра в данный момент. Играть строго по геймпассу.Самый мутный и унылый симулятор ходьбы, который попытался выехать на имени Inside и Limbo. Управление отвратительное, анимации топорные, постоянно приходится заниматься пиксель-хантингом, чтобы персонаж схватился за нужный объект, левел-дизайн отвратный и ты вообще не понимаешь, чего от тебя хочет игра в данный момент. Играть строго по геймпассу.
  9. nibblo
    Nov 19, 2022
    9
    Really enjoyed this, a top-notch sci-fi puzzle narrative game that always keeps you guessing. I am trying to figure why other people don't like it looking at review scores and the only negative thing I can think of is the controls as it uses a lot of depth and sometimes it is hard to know where you are at to move laterally but you get used to it very quickly and the game always gives youReally enjoyed this, a top-notch sci-fi puzzle narrative game that always keeps you guessing. I am trying to figure why other people don't like it looking at review scores and the only negative thing I can think of is the controls as it uses a lot of depth and sometimes it is hard to know where you are at to move laterally but you get used to it very quickly and the game always gives you clues about where to go and what to do. Graphics are very good, colourful and sombre at the same time and a lot of care and work went into them. The story is the highlight but there is no dialogue so if you like your story told to you this is not for you.
    In the end a very good next game from this team who have made a much more ambitious game than Inside but because of that may not be to everyone's tastes.    … Expand
  10. samkaz
    Dec 1, 2022
    10
    This is easily the best game I have played in years, and I play a lot of games. The art design, pace, music and general feel of this game is nothing short of prolific. It had a profound effect on me. All while there was absolutely no narrative and almost no instruction. The storyline was deep and poignant. I’ve never played anything like this before. It was intuitive and the puzzles wereThis is easily the best game I have played in years, and I play a lot of games. The art design, pace, music and general feel of this game is nothing short of prolific. It had a profound effect on me. All while there was absolutely no narrative and almost no instruction. The storyline was deep and poignant. I’ve never played anything like this before. It was intuitive and the puzzles were challenging but never too much so. It really made you think. Yeah there are a few framerate issues and sometimes your character gets stuck behind an obstacle. Even though it may be a teeny bit glitchy people are giving it terrible reviews. Honestly I don’t see where all this the hate comes from. This is one for the history books. An instant classic. A game I’ll never forget.… Expand
  11. FGPT
    Nov 23, 2022
    10
    This game is incredible. Not the traditional type of run and gun, but a game that catches you due to its beatiful artstyle, score and enganging story. Highly recomend it
  12. GenNew
    Dec 1, 2022
    10
    I really enjoyed Somerville. The sci-fi story and graphics grabbed me from the very beginning. Kudos to the developers. Not quite sure why there have been negative reviews. I played the game from beginning to end with zero issues with mechanics or controls. I enjoyed the multiple endings and how I was rewarded for paying attention early on to certain dynamics that unlocked differentI really enjoyed Somerville. The sci-fi story and graphics grabbed me from the very beginning. Kudos to the developers. Not quite sure why there have been negative reviews. I played the game from beginning to end with zero issues with mechanics or controls. I enjoyed the multiple endings and how I was rewarded for paying attention early on to certain dynamics that unlocked different ones. I feel it equals Limbo and Inside at the very least and preferred Somerville to both in some ways especially the multiple endings. Don't listen to the reviews and play it yourself. I was expecting the worst and it was so much better than what I read. I feel bad for the developers because they really made something special. Hope to see more from them in the future.… Expand
  13. slaine130177
    Nov 24, 2022
    7
    Fini en 03h30 environ, Somerville distille le très bon et le moins abouti.
    Au rayon des choses vraiment excellentes on ne peut que saluer la direction artistique magnifique et son ambiance unique. Le jeu s'inspire et rappelle énormément Another World (certaines situations, mise en scène, animations, ...).
    Malheureusement, en plus d'être très court, le jeu souffre de quelques défauts    Fini en 03h30 environ, Somerville distille le très bon et le moins abouti.
    Au rayon des choses vraiment excellentes on ne peut que saluer la direction artistique magnifique et son ambiance unique. Le jeu s'inspire et rappelle énormément Another World (certaines situations, mise en scène, animations, ...).
    Malheureusement, en plus d'être très court, le jeu souffre de quelques défauts notamment la position de la caméra qui complique souvent la compréhension de ce qu'il faut faire, ou quelques mécanismes un peu capricieux.

    Le jeu propose plusieurs fins possibles et on se rend compte au fil de l'aventure qu'il est intéressant de refaire une partie en connaissant les mécanismes et certainement découvrir de nouveaux secrets (communication avec les aliens par exemple).

    Bon petit jeu qui aurait mérité plus de clarté dans son scénario sur la fin, et beaucoup plus de niveaux, avec une petite dose de perfectionnement du gameplay.    … Expand
  14. cchenders40
    Jan 11, 2023
    8
    INSIDE comparisons killed this game.

    This game is good. People expecting it to be INSIDE are going to be disappointed because it is not INSIDE it is not even trying to be that game other than in font and art style. It also is not LIMBO, and that is good because I think it is better than LIMBO (not better than INSIDE). Positives: - Story is good. - Score is beautiful and used    INSIDE comparisons killed this game.

    This game is good. People expecting it to be INSIDE are going to be disappointed because it is not INSIDE it is not even trying to be that game other than in font and art style. It also is not LIMBO, and that is good because I think it is better than LIMBO (not better than INSIDE).

    Positives:
    - Story is good.
    - Score is beautiful and used subtly.
    - Art Direction
    - Stealth sequences.
    - Some good puzzles.
    - Fun Achievements.
    - Different endings.

    Negatives:
    - Long ending. It just drags on and on and on and it feels like you are just doing nothing.
    - Bad navigation. The 3D navigation portions are awful. 2D-3D should be a 2D game with 3D components not a 2D game that makes you navigate in 3D.    … Expand
  15. m3taz
    Nov 19, 2022
    9
    good game

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  16. GamerSection
    Dec 12, 2022
    8
    The controls are a bit janky, but The gameplay is good. The Storytelling is good.
  17. Warzyffo
    Nov 23, 2022
    9
    Great game for people who liked Limbo or Inside. It has some minor bugs, but other than that I really enjoyed it.
  18. ustunab
    Nov 21, 2022
    7
    +Good and kinda weird story telling
    +Amazing sounds
    +Creative design

    -Terrible control design
  19. hama1200
    Nov 22, 2022
    9
    this game is amazing ... wonderful soundtrack with great story ... it deserves 9/10
    .
  20. Sadra_The_Gamer
    Jan 2, 2023
    9
    Somerville excels in every department except the technical, and it will stay in your mind for a long time after finishing it. Also, the game has very good puzzles that are rare in history! Unfortunately, Somerville suffers from technical problems and a very small amount of bugs. If you enjoyed the experience of "Inside" and "Limbo", don’t miss it!
  21. chenocorp
    Aug 22, 2023
    5
    Lo destacable de este juego es la estética y lo que te hace vivir, con esa invasion. La jugabilidad está poco refinada, siendo un walking simulator. Muy extraño el final, pero eso no le resta.
  22. Yijaaaaa
    Dec 4, 2022
    2
    Juego muy malo, la cámara no enfoca bien en muchas situaciones, gran decepcion
  23. Lordmk11
    Mar 23, 2023
    10
    for heavens sake , stop all this fuss ! the game is literally great , playing on Xbox SS, I could recommend everyone playing this beautiful piece of Art .
  24. O3liveon
    Dec 5, 2022
    5
    This game should win or at least be nominated for it's sound design. Perfect and satisfying! I found myself getting frustrated during my playthrough though, not because of the puzzles, I thought they were easy and interesting enough and well thought out. But more because of the movement of the character. The way they designed the 2d/3d is gorgeous and well realized and detailed, but itThis game should win or at least be nominated for it's sound design. Perfect and satisfying! I found myself getting frustrated during my playthrough though, not because of the puzzles, I thought they were easy and interesting enough and well thought out. But more because of the movement of the character. The way they designed the 2d/3d is gorgeous and well realized and detailed, but it left wanting on the actual mechanics of it all. It's on game pass so I think you need to experience it, but I wouldn't buy this one.… Expand
  25. Jattaman
    Jan 10, 2023
    5
    Puzzle game mediocre. Stile grafico che personalmente non mi esalta ed enigmi piuttosto banali. Trama poco coinvolgente.
  26. neomoonsevin
    Apr 28, 2023
    10
    Awesome game I liked this journey I thought the dog would die saving them but nope didn't happen great game I enjoyed the ride and worth a purchase on deals
  27. samuhel
    Nov 26, 2022
    1
    eu estava muito ansioso por esse jogo por causa do hype que foi colocado em cima dele com comparações a INSIDE e Limbo, mas a única comparação a ser feita aqui é o estilo de jogo. de resto Somerville está bem longe é impressionante como conseguiram deixar esse jogo tão inconsistente em tantos sentidos. a história tão sem sentido e sem graça, seus personagens tão vazios, parece que eles nãoeu estava muito ansioso por esse jogo por causa do hype que foi colocado em cima dele com comparações a INSIDE e Limbo, mas a única comparação a ser feita aqui é o estilo de jogo. de resto Somerville está bem longe é impressionante como conseguiram deixar esse jogo tão inconsistente em tantos sentidos. a história tão sem sentido e sem graça, seus personagens tão vazios, parece que eles não tem motivo pra tentar se manterem vivos na realidade do mundo que estão vivendo ali. um bando de fantasmas sem propósito correndo de um lado para o outro será que custava mesmo colocar opção de fazer carinho no cachorro? uma coisa tão simples que ajudaria a deixar o jogo 0,5% mais tocante. mas nem isso teve.… Expand
  28. JasonGeely
    Dec 1, 2022
    7
    Although other evaluations are not satisfactory, it is still a good work of a small workshop in my mind
  29. Ulriken
    Mar 27, 2023
    7
    The puzzles are nice and inventive but the movement of our character is very annoying. The graphics are fine, the parts I could actually see anyway. Nice sound design, tense moments are nicely captured and the storytelling is purely graphic and environmental, but it conveys a message nonetheless.
  30. mikeinashed
    Dec 16, 2022
    6
    I'd heard that this was reminiscent of Inside and Limbo, both of which I loved, but it's not quite there. It's a striking looking game that veers from being interesting to just plain odd. I'm still not sure what how the story resolved itself and, while that's not normally an issue, it just felt like they'd tagged an ending on when they didn't know what to do.
    That said, it's a nice enough    I'd heard that this was reminiscent of Inside and Limbo, both of which I loved, but it's not quite there. It's a striking looking game that veers from being interesting to just plain odd. I'm still not sure what how the story resolved itself and, while that's not normally an issue, it just felt like they'd tagged an ending on when they didn't know what to do.
    That said, it's a nice enough puzzler and if you have game pass, it's well worth a go - you may like it more.    … Expand
  31. ulises1
    Jan 26, 2023
    8
    Es un buen juego, con problemas de control del personaje, pero tiene una historia original, sujeta a diferentes interpretaciones.Su gráficos tienen mucha personalidad. No está al nivel de Inside pero es disfrutable a un precio económico.

Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Best Xbox Series X Game of 2022
32
#32 Most Discussed Xbox Series X Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 27
  3. Negative: 1 out of 27
  1. Cubed3
    Jun 7, 2023
    40
    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.
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  2. IGN Japan
    Jan 27, 2023
    70
    With low quality puzzles and unpolished motion for certain objects, Somerville feels rough around the edges when compared with the games that made its creators so well regarded. Sudden twists in the game’s second half feel unnatural, and the multiple endings don’t feel different enough from one another. That being said, the studio’s potential can be felt throughout the game.
    Read full review
  3. ComicBook
    Dec 15, 2022
    60
    Somerville feels like a game that is going through growing pains. As the first title to come from Jumpship, there's a fair amount to like here and quite a bit that can be built off of moving forward. 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. 
    Read full review
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