Somerville is an adventure game developed and published by Jumpship. The game was released on Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 15, 2022 and for PS4 and Playstation 5 on August 31, 2023. It’s the debut game for the studio. The game play is similar to Inside and Limbo, but that is not too surprising considering the co-founder of the studio, Dino Patti. worked on both those games, after co-founding Playdead.
Somerville opens with a quiet evening at a rural home, where a man, his partner, their young son, and their dog settle in after a day out. Their peace is shattered when towering alien obelisks descend from the sky, triggering a cataclysmic invasion. These monolithic vessels are composed of a strange material that reacts to energy in three distinct ways: blue energy softens it, red energy hardens it, and purple energy manipulates it with attraction and repulsion.
As a human military force mounts a desperate counterattack, the family attempts to flee. Their escape is cut short when an alien projectile destroys their car, forcing them into the basement. A dying soldier, clad in alien-enhanced armor, crashes into their home and transfers a mysterious blue energy ability to the father before succumbing to his injuries. The man loses consciousness.
He awakens alone, with his family missing, the world in ruins, and alien vessels looming overhead. With only the dog by his side and the newfound power to manipulate blue energy, he sets off across a devastated landscape. Along the way, he meets a second soldier who wields red energy. Together, they navigate a collapsed mine, but the soldier sacrifices himself to save the man, passing on his red energy before dying.
Swept downriver, the man reaches a small town and reunites with his family and dog in a makeshift shelter. Their reunion is short-lived. Alien constructs attack, and a third soldier, this one using purple energy, fends them off. He leads the family to a church, where a military aircraft arrives. The man and the purple soldier escape, but the rest of the family is left behind as the aliens overrun the tower.
Taken to an underwater military base, the man is tested by scientists who suspect he may be able to replace the fallen soldiers. When the base is attacked, he and the purple soldier are launched toward the alien mothership in a last-ditch assault.
Inside the alien vessel, the man finds himself in a simulated version of his home. Realizing the illusion, he explores deeper, discovering others trapped in similar simulations. He frees them and gains the purple energy. Eventually, he confronts the alien entities in a massive chamber, where he’s presented with three choices:
– Surrender to the simulation and live in a false reality with his family, but at the cost of freedom.
– Resist and sacrifice himself to destroy the aliens,leaving behind a world in ruins, but free.
– Liberate his real family by sacrificing himself, triggering the aliens’ retreat and restoring hope.
Throughout his journey, the man learns to communicate with alien orbs, mimicking their signals. In one possible ending, this act of understanding leads to a peaceful resolution: the family is reunited, and the alien vessels begin to withdraw.
Achievements
- Stuck on the John: Find somewhere quiet to hide. (50)
- World’s best dad: Clean up after your kid. (50)
- Weary traveller: Take a short rest. (50)
- Kind of Blue: Jazz up the stage lighting. (50)
- First Contact: Make some new friends. (200)
- “Here boy…”: (Secret) Continue playing to unlock this achievement. (50)
- Resignation: (Secret) Continue playing to unlock this achievement. (50)
- Resignation Reprise: (Secret) Continue playing to unlock this achievement. (100)
- War of the worlds: (Secret) Continue playing to unlock this achievement. (100)
- Family First: (Secret) Continue playing to unlock this achievement. (100)
- Understanding: (Secret) Continue playing to unlock this achievement. (200)
