Somerville

Somerville is a science-fiction adventure game with action elements. It was developed by Jumpship, an indie studio founded by Chris Olsen - co-creator of Limbo and Inside - along with Dino Patti, former CEO of Playdead.The game tells the story of a family separated due to an alien invasion and their attempts at survival.

Plot

One day, the peaceful life of a family consisting of a married couple, their child and their dog is unexpectedly disrupted by an alien invasion. As a result, the family members are separated and must reunite. The player takes control of the father.

The story background, which the player learns throughout the game, is vague and open to interpretation. The game features several different endings, depending on the protagonist's actions.

Mechanics

The gameplay in Somerville is shown in 2.5D, from the side. As in the aforementioned Limbo and Inside, the player must traverse interconnected levels and solve puzzles of varying complexity. During puzzles the protagonist must use his powers of affecting matter, acquired very early on in the game.

There are also numerous sequences during which the player must avoid detection by the hostile aliens. They must run away from them and hide behind objects. Some objects can be moved, creating mobile hiding spots.

Technical aspects

Somerville is a very short game, taking about three to four hours to complete. The game has an original, dark, slightly cartoonish artstyle with a color palette of various shades of gray. The one responsible for said artstyle is Georgi A. Simeonov, co-creator of games such as Batman: Arkham Origins, Brink, Rising Kingdoms and Nemesis of the Roman Empire.

Last updated on July 20, 2017