Somerville 2022, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

[Grand Conde]

As far as I can tell all the creative people all stayed at Playdead.

 

[old pig]

Have you played Inside? Its their past game (when they are part of a larger group) they split into two different studios, this is the first solo effort, and the other studio is making another game.

Inside is by far their best game and the one you want to play if you want to see what the hype is about.

ya that’s why I was kind of excited for this

 

[Grand Conde]

idk what it is but it feels like a chore…the light power is cool for like a minute or two then you realize practically every puzzle revolves around it which makes them more so a chore than a challenge…it’s not a horrible gaming experience but I’m not enjoying it as much as I anticipated

I finished Limbo, Inside and Little Nightmares 1 but I generally appreciate these games more than I enjoy them.

I actually installed this but man the impressions online are baaaadddd.

 

[old pig]

I actually installed this but man the impressions online are baaaadddd.

it’s only about 2-4 hours so I don’t mind killing a bit of time playing it…I’ve wasted time doing worse lol…the reviews I’ve seen are in the 7s which seems accurate so far imo…it’s not anywhere near bad enough for me to definitively say someone shouldn’t play it

the presentation/atmosphere they’ve created is cool and there’s enough intrigue to keep me pushing along and see what will happen next but the puzzles are just real easy…any “difficulty” I might’ve had were due to control issues but I knew exactly what to do each time

 

[MeachTheMonster]

idk what it is but it feels like a chore…the light power is cool for like a minute or two then you realize practically every puzzle revolves around it which makes them more so a chore than a challenge…it’s not a horrible gaming experience but I’m not enjoying it as much as I anticipated

Agree with it feeling like a “chore”

There’s no real challenge so it’s basically like you are just walking and taking in the story.

Don’t think im gonna finish this one

 

[Fctftl]

interesting game so far…been jumping back and forth between the XSX and the steam deck to play it…the puzzles aren’t difficult but the controls can be a little frustrating at times

Oh u got steam deck? I kinda want one, especially considering steam prolly has my biggest library of games outta all the systems/platforms. How you like it so far?

 

[old pig]

Oh u got steam deck? I kinda want one, especially considering steam prolly has my biggest library of games outta all the systems/platforms. How you like it so far?

it’s cool…great device tech-wise…the hardest thing is going to be using it consistently…I’m gonna try to use it for PC exclusives, small indie games and some strategy games where it’d be more fun to play on a handheld…it can easily stream/handle AAA games but there’s no way I’m going to be at home and decide I want to play ragnarok on it over my TV…I’d probably only do so when I’m traveling

 

[old pig]

Agree with it feeling like a “chore”

There’s no real challenge so it’s basically like you are just walking and taking in the story.

Don’t think im gonna finish this one

I’m about halfway thru…I’ll definitely finish it but only bcuz the “story” has me interested to see where it goes even tho I’m expecting a fuzzy ending like ‘inside’ where I’m probably gonna be left with way more questions than answers

 

[old pig]

aww man…I got like 3 chapters left (there are 14 total) game has gotten better but I hope what looks like just happened didn’t happen tho.

Spoiler: Chapter 11 Spoiler

I just got reunited with the wife and kid not too long ago only to lose them again and this time it looks permanent…I was taken away in a friendly alien’s ship while a horde of aggressive aliens surrounded and attacked the wife and child

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

aww man…I got like 3 chapters left (there are 14 total) game has gotten better but I hope what looks like just happened didn’t happen tho.

Spoiler: Chapter 11 Spoiler

I just got reunited with the wife and kid not too long ago only to lose them again and this time it looks permanent…I was taken away in a friendly alien’s ship while a horde of aggressive aliens surrounded and attacked the wife and child

Let illegals attack your family, breh

 

[old pig]

Let illegals attack your family, breh

they was moving too slow anyway

 

[old pig]

I’m in the middle of chapter 13…I’m mad the game waited this long to get far more interesting/less predictable…shyt kinda ill tho they way they’re now using the light powers in the game

 

[old pig]

on the last chapter…this reminds me of abzu but with more puzzles and “action”

 

[old pig]

game got real surreal after chapter 11 so I have no idea what this ending means lmao

this is how I felt at the end of ‘inside’ but at least ‘somerville’ made some sense up to a certain point…‘inside’ was weird from the jump

I enjoyed the game…I think the 7 it has on MC is warranted…my personal rating is 7.5

the user ratings are pretty low…I’m curious to know why…for me it helps that this was on game pass…I would’ve been more critical if I paid fukking $30…maybe that’s were the poor reviews come from…it felt like a step down from ‘inside’ whereas I was anticipating there’d be some improvements

I think there are alternate endings…I’m gonna go watch some vids and see what they are and listen to some interpretations of the story (more so the ending)

 

[old pig]

this review mirrors a lot of what I said granted he gave it a ‘0’

sounds like he paid for it tho so I get the disappointment

I highlighted 3 points that I wholeheartedly agree with…it was still a fun experience for me overall tho

I had such high hopes for this title. It shares a pedigree with Limbo and Inside, two games known for their alluring visual style, puzzles, and atmosphere.

While I appreciate vague storytelling, I do require a modicum of visual narrative. Somerville doesn't feel like a cousin of Inside or Limbo but rather reminiscent of those painfully derivative knock-offs that don't offer enough puzzles or narrative to be recommended. Not a single puzzle had my head scratching for more than 10 seconds, and there weren't enough of them as often I would walk for ten minutes before encountering one. Given my experience in these types of games, I am usually patient. I take my time and try to enjoy the scenery.

Given that, I was still able to wrap Somerville in less than 3 hours.

That's insane for a game charging this much. I know it says 3.1 on my record, but that takes account of me sitting through credits, baffled by the game's logic to end when it decided to. Just when you acquire your third ability, the game barely makes use of it before an ending that makes Inside feel straightforward.

And let's not ignore the game's polish in that it isn't. You get hung up on terrain, characters vanish and reappear, and navigation can be a real pain as you try to understand where you are supposed to walk to. That ended up being more of a chore than the puzzles. The puzzles were easy. I bet I spent twenty minutes of the game wandering around a room trying to figure out where I can walk to.

It's such a damn shame as I was really looking forward to this title. Also, most of the trailers ruin the game's most interesting moments, so if you think there is some great revelation or moments the game is holding back, sorry to disappoint, but that won't happen.