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. 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
  2. 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
  3. ustunab
    Nov 21, 2022
    7
    +Good and kinda weird story telling
    +Amazing sounds
    +Creative design

    -Terrible control design
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. Jattaman
    Jan 10, 2023
    5
    Puzzle game mediocre. Stile grafico che personalmente non mi esalta ed enigmi piuttosto banali. Trama poco coinvolgente.
  7. JasonGeely
    Dec 1, 2022
    7
    Although other evaluations are not satisfactory, it is still a good work of a small workshop in my mind
  8. 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.
  9. 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

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.
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  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. 
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