Somerville begins with a peek into the lifetime of a younger household and their canine. Everybody fell asleep watching TV on the sofa, however the curious toddler will get themselves into some inconsequential hassle, forcing the household into their routine. Each the kid and canine have to be fed and the kitchen must be cleaned, however one thing feels off. In an explosive second that really caught me without warning, the household is abruptly reckoning with an alien invasion. An intense, usually scary journey kicks off from there. When Somerville hits its highs and fires on all cylinders, it’s a transferring spectacle, however sadly, technical hiccups and a few unclear puzzles maintain it again from being actually unimaginable.
To name a online game an alien invasion story may recall Area Invaders, however Somerville represents one thing far more intimate and human. The story primarily follows the daddy of this younger household and examines, with none textual content or dialogue, what the world may seem like and the way you’ll survive if all the pieces you knew about Earth immediately modified. You make your manner by way of Somerville by transferring alongside a linear path, fixing environmental puzzles, and avoiding prompt loss of life by the hands of imposing enemies. By the top, I didn’t know a lot in regards to the invading drive, however I didn’t care as a result of I used to be solely inquisitive about the right way to keep alive and linked to my household.
After an inciting incident units the sport in movement, the daddy should depart his house to seek out security and make the most of a wierd newfound skill to assist remedy puzzles and progress. The sport’s visuals and audio design are incredible and mysterious. Weird sound results paint unusual explosions within the distance and the occasional mild, synth orchestration and unassuming piano items are expertly used to punctuate scenes.
The simplistic designs of the characters and setting are placing. The world feels large regardless of being tangibly small, and there are many moments the place the digicam seems out towards the horizon to border a very spectacular vista. The animation additionally feels pure and fluid… when it really works.
Somerville’s largest challenge is finally a useful one that’s typically simple to look previous, however sadly, extra usually, unimaginable to disregard. Moments of emotional sincerity are undercut when a personality blinks out of existence for a second, or worse, the protagonist will get caught in geometry whereas making an attempt to resolve a puzzle. I needed to restart checkpoints usually simply to verify issues executed as they need to. The bugs have been significantly irritating within the moments the place I might assume, “I wager that may have seemed nice… had it animated accurately.”
These points additionally prolong to puzzle fixing. Grabbing levers and switches is inconsistent and leaping up on ledges – a frequent motion – is typically tougher than it ought to be. Even with out these points, although, there are some puzzles whose options I simply didn’t take pleasure in. An early one, for instance, concerned carrying an object to a particular spot that I unintentionally prevented.
When Somerville is working correctly, nonetheless, and the story is being delivered because it ought to, it results in a number of the most memorable moments within the style. The invaders are actually scary. I teared up throughout not less than one emotional second, and the journey goes locations I by no means would have predicted and ends in a manner that may make Steven Spielberg proud.
My first playthrough with Somerville was tough, however I instantly restarted the sport after seeing the credit. There isn’t a incentive to replay. No new sport plus, and even added context from a second playthrough – I simply needed to expertise the story once more and hoped giving it a second shot would make for a extra constant expertise. It did work higher after I knew precisely what I used to be doing, however I used to be upset my first playthrough felt like a gown rehearsal.
Somerville is held again by technical shortcomings, however is stuffed with spectacular moments price experiencing with the lights turned low and and your headphones up excessive. The daddy’s journey lingers in my thoughts as I mirror on what occurred, and people reminiscences do finally outweigh the technical shortcomings. I hope time will present enhancements to carry the sport to the place it deserves to be, which is excessive within the sky alongside the ships of the invading forces.
