Rate top gamesSomerville is a single-player action-adventure and sci-fi story game. It strikes a very similar tone and atmosphere to that of ‘Inside’ and ‘Limbo’, but is very much different in many ways, as it has a more vibrant color-pallet and a more highly developed set of gameplay mechanics. It’s still a simple-but-great type of game, and feels like a departure from Playdead without being something incredibly different from the style I’ve come to adore. Unfortunately, it’s not quite as thought-provoking, but it offers an epic yet heartfelt cinematic experience that will mostly satisfy fans of its predecessors.
The gameplay isn’t amazing nor terrible. There are plenty of minor visual bugs and the occasional lag-spike, but considering the circumstances of it being the first game coming out of an indie studio, that’s excusable. The movement feels clunky, and the puzzles were never particularly clever or intellectually challenging in comparison to Inside and Limbo. That being said, it’s definitely not a walking simulator. There is enough fun in the beautiful cinematic experience to keep you hooked, and the game constantly presents you with new locations and obstacles. From a functionality perspective, this game feels more like a traditional action-adventure single-player story game than the highly-restrictive world of its predecessors, but the bounds are small enough for it to feel similarly contained. Once again, it’s a nice balance of new and old.
The story features no dialogue. The narrative is emotionally conveyed entirely through visual storytelling, which is fantastic. It’s a very artsy game. That being said, it pales in comparison to Inside and Limbo in its impact. There is nothing quite as thought-provoking and sophisticated about the story, and there isn’t even really a clear character arc for the protagonist.
Overall, this is a good game and I would give it a 7 or 8 out of 10. I would recommend playing it at least once, considering it’s fairly inexpensive.
The gameplay isn’t amazing nor terrible. There are plenty of minor visual bugs and the occasional lag-spike, but considering the circumstances of it being the first game coming out of an indie studio, that’s excusable. The movement feels clunky, and the puzzles were never particularly clever or intellectually challenging in comparison to Inside and Limbo. That being said, it’s definitely not a walking simulator. There is enough fun in the beautiful cinematic experience to keep you hooked, and the game constantly presents you with new locations and obstacles. From a functionality perspective, this game feels more like a traditional action-adventure single-player story game than the highly-restrictive world of its predecessors, but the bounds are small enough for it to feel similarly contained. Once again, it’s a nice balance of new and old.
The story features no dialogue. The narrative is emotionally conveyed entirely through visual storytelling, which is fantastic. It’s a very artsy game. That being said, it pales in comparison to Inside and Limbo in its impact. There is nothing quite as thought-provoking and sophisticated about the story, and there isn’t even really a clear character arc for the protagonist.
Overall, this is a good game and I would give it a 7 or 8 out of 10. I would recommend playing it at least once, considering it’s fairly inexpensive.
«Liked before it became a hit»
«Underrated»
«Beaten more than once»
«OST on repeat»
Other reviews2
Horrid controls with no UI prompts on screen or any hint of interactable objects.
«Disappointment of the year»