Recent reviews by [HOL] Ne©tanebo

The definition of a puzzle game. Simple controls, really challenging levels and great difficulty pace. Couldn't wait less from the lead gameplay designer of Limbo and Inside.
Every aspect of the art is really beautiful and the main concept of the spheres is too clever and fascinating!

100% recommended, we need more games like this!

I can see why the reviews about this game are so divided, but for sure the game's negatives don't outweigh the positives.
Despite the fact that the game has some minor technical issues, I think its priority is to immerse the player in its world and atmosphere rather than providing a "classic gaming experience".
For those who love to unravel a story through beautiful scenes and mysterious details, Somerville is recommended 100% !

Artistically, Somerville is a masterpiece and surely those who admire art in general will deeply appreciate it. Almost every frame is a wallpaper. The story is told silently through the artwork and, although it is quite clear, it leaves room for personal interpretations, which is something I love. Generally, the comparison with Limbo or Inside is inevitable and the fact that both visual and audio assets are so close to those of Inside gave me the nostalgic feeling of "the easter egg" concept, making me look for connecting links for these two worlds.
The gameplay is slow and quite similar to the Playdead's games, but Jumpship has added a more active action mechanics through the weapon solutions. The puzzles are decent, most of them really clever but not too hard, while others are pretty simple and do not require further thought. At some points I would like the game to give me a hard time. I think I only stuck one or two times but that doesn't make the puzzles disappointing in any case.

The biggest problem I encountered is the controling of the character when he needed to sprint.
I don't know if it's my controller's problem but I had to switch to a keyboard to get through this particular action level.
That issue threw me out of my immersion but it didn't spoil the overall experience. I would have loved to see Playdead's thoroughness on some of the interaction points or some awkward animations, but these weren't game-breaking issues for me.

Overall, Somerville is a beautiful work of art that deserves to be experienced.
I can't say it surpasses any game of Playdead, but it's definitely a game you won't regret playing. I really enjoyed it!