Somerville analysis – Xbox area somerville

One of the most anticipated independent video games of this year 2022 finally arrives. Somervillethe latest creation from Dino Patti (former co-founder and executive producer of Play dead), was born on November 15 and is available in Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One PC. Moreover, it lands directly in the game catalog of Xbox Game Pass.

For those who don’t know Dino Patti’s career, he is one of the architects of Limbo and of On the inside, two of the works that are, to this day, two capital references of this genre. Two heavyweights of the independent scene who have paved the way and, if you haven’t had a taste of it yet, since xbox area We recommend that you try them as soon as possible. Following his undeniable success, Dino Patti leaves Playdead to found his own studio, jump shipwho presents us today his first film: Somerville. Will he live up to his older brothers? We already predict that it will be very difficult.

There’s something going on in Somerville

In Somerville we assume the role of a father who moves with his wife, his son less than a year old and his dog in a secluded cottage in the country. One night, as the family falls asleep on the couch in front of the TV, strange things start happening outside. bewildering lights which come from the sky are flooding the town of Somerville to make way for some sounds of thunder and a monstrous roar of the earth. After the initial confusion, the house begins to crumble and the family is caught up in what appears to be an alien invasion.

In an attempt to save their lives, the family runs to take refuge in the basement. Once there, something hits the roof of the house, goes through it and ends up in the basement itself. To everyone’s surprise, they discover a mysterious and dying humanoid figure who seems to call for our help. The father approaches to tend to him and after a brief contact with the creature, he passes out.

When we wake up we discover that we are alone, only with our dog. Our family is gone. We must find them! So we’ll go outside looking for our loved ones, but not before realizing that we have something strange on our arm. An extraterrestrial object that gives us certain abilities that, from now on, you will have to discover for yourselves.

Somerville and its reminiscences of two masterpieces

SomervilleWritten and directed by chris olsonis the typical game that the less we know about him the better. It is a work of science fiction that focuses on the personal consequences of large-scale conflict. We are in front of a narrative adventure peppered with platforming notes and puzzles, just as they were Limbo oh On the inside. In fact, those who have already played the previous titles will see that He is Somerville drink a lot of these two.

If there is something fundamental that differentiates it from the titles of Play dead it is that henceforth our movement will no longer be limited to going from left to right. the jumpship game embrace 3D to accentuate the exploration of the sets a little more and thus create more depth. And here is the main problem with the title: does it understand? Yes, is it effective? No way.

Most 3D sections don’t suit you very well

The truth is that this move to 3D has not been very good for a title that could be planned perfectly in 2D like those mentioned above. The main reason is the brutal manipulation of the main character added to a static camera It does not help at all when moving. What should be the most basic thing in this type of exploration game, which goes from point A to point B, in most cases becomes a nuisance.

Long ago the first 3D platforming titles where we didn’t have control of the camera and made some jumps a real headache. Also, jump ship insisted on bringing back those weird 3Ds under the guise of making the title more cinematic. He succeeds, it’s true, but at the cost of a mastery that leaves something to be desired and that he will be able to destabilize the slightest patient. Here there is no jumping platform but sometimes you want to pass behind a certain object and you can’t, you crash into another or yourself because you are not able to calculate the distances well. And we will get stuck again and again. In most cases, there will be no more inconvenience than taking longer because, in general, It’s a very quiet adventure. But it is true that sometimes we will have to run from something and we will end up dead until we learn the course by heart without getting bogged down in a ridiculous way.

Seen puzzles and overused new mechanics

We don’t understand the review’s decision to make the game this way because, as you’ll see if you play it, Somerville could have been developed entirely in 2D since the essence is the same as previous Playdead games. Basically we will have to do the same things that we have seen in many other titles, such as moving platforms to climb high, pulling levers, covering ourselves with walls or sneaking around in the shadows. Nothing we haven’t seen before. In this aspect is very uninspired.

It is true that it seeks to surprise, at least initially, with its main mechanics to solve most puzzles. Let’s say that the protagonist has a very curious ability that allows him to progress in the adventure. We are not going to comment on it here because this “capacity” is formed intrinsic part of the narrative itself

but we will say that it’s as much about objects as it is about colors and light. This is something quite new, at least in the first bars of the story. Then, in time, we will find that this mechanic is obviously abused and it gets very monotonous. That’s a shame.

The story is diluted in an overwhelming atmosphere

There is nothing that justifies mechanics of this type except to make some good plans because, without too much spoiler, not much to explore. After an exciting start, the story clears up to such an extent that we will see ourselves going through screens with no other motivation than to get where we need to go. The sets, built in 3D supposedly to promote exploration and depth, hide nothing more than what is needed to move from one area to another. Nothing more.

This according It’s not necessarily a bad thing if what you come up with has enough personality to grab you and take your breath away. But we have doubts as to whether Somerville is at this point. so many Limbo as On the inside They had an atmosphere that captivated you from the first minute and its ease of use did not prevent you from worrying only about enjoying its setting. That doesn’t happen here, at least at these levels. Despite the atmosphere surrounds you from the start, over the hours (few, about 4) the “magic” is gradually lost due to poor control and the “emptiness” of the scenarios. In addition, the artistic part is not striking enough.

Graphics and sound at opposite poles

The artistic section of Limbo there On the inside it was frankly sublime. With a minimalist style, they were able to captivate the viewer and surprise him with their particular and disturbing staging. In Somerville have opted for the low poly technique to recreate his sci-fi universe, with results that, in our opinion, they are completely improved. This technique is translated into Spanish as “low polygoning” and deals with designs with a low polygon count, that is, geometric elements that have few faces or vertices, such as spheres, cylinders or cubes. Also the color palette used here is much broader

than that of the two previous titles, which on the one hand makes the world “something more like the real thing” but on the other hand lose that haunting dark touch. All this has an explanation but we don’t want to get into spoilers for you to discover everything for yourself. We will simply say that the game is more colorful because it is important for the development of its mechanics and it is something new and a more risky bet of the studio.

What is on another level and happens to be the star section of the title is the sound. At the end, the sound section is what succeeds in fully immersing you in this sci-fi universe of Somerville. We played with headphones, of course, and the sound is spectacular. lack of dialogue, like its clear references, but the psychedelic and mechanical sound effects manage to keep you going throughout the adventure. Many scenes come with sound effects that wouldn’t be the same without them.

The music is also at a very high level. He’s not too lavish but when he appears it’s always a very special moment in the plot. Solitude, agitation, immobility, danger, happiness… everything is beautifully represented by a sound section that delights. Without a doubt, it’s the best work.

Conclusions on Somerville

Somervillethe new atmospheric adventure of jump ship He wants to explore further and focuses on 3D scenarios, but he encounters difficulties along the way. The greater freedom of movement offered by the title clashes squarely with the coarseness of the character and its imprecision. This, added to its slowness when moving, makes it difficult on many occasions, especially when stuck in a puzzle. We understand that the speed at which the character moves is in line with what the author himself wants to express and that this plays in favor of the plot, but a sprint button at certain times would have suited him very well. we insist, it is the game itself that prevents itself from being played.

It is a title that seeks to surprise, especially in its beginnings and in its main puzzle-solving mechanics. However, is not able to create enough spin shot to leave the player thrilled. A promising start that fades into a succession of scenarios in which the important thing is to know how to get out of it to keep moving forward.

Despite everything, it’s not a bad game and it has some surprises in store (especially in the home stretch) that won’t leave you indifferent. There is also some amazing camera shots that give it a very interesting cinematic feel. If you are a lover of the genre and are taken by sci-fi style stories War of the Worlds you must try. What’s more, it’s included in Game Pass now so there are no valid excuses.