This is a stylish, beautiful, cinematic and (if you look closely) interesting project in its plot. But the gameplay here is not at all catchy. Rather, it is most often perplexing. Camera selection is sometimes fiddly, puzzles are often unintuitive (although there are some interesting ideas), and action sequences can fall apart in a less-than-polished state of the game. The hero has interesting abilities, but the game seems to lack moments for their disclosure and interaction. Many game design decisions raise questions too (one of the main problems I see is that often you don’t quite understand what the game wants from you or where to go).

The slightly tediously repetitive gameplay (especially in the ending) coupled with the minimalist storytelling keeps the player from being as involved as the game seems to want it to be. It’s really a good setting and story concept, but I’m sorry that I learn about this from a guide from a person who was much more interested in exploring this world. The mechanical and technical side of Somerville unfortunately doesn't let me dig that deep. And although this is undoubtedly a visually pleasing project, its fundamental parts are not executed at a level sufficient so that they do not interfere with absorbing and laying out the plot and concept in the head. And therefore Somerville is just a beautiful sketch, but, alas, not something more.