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Somerville begins with a peek into the life of a young family and their dog. Everyone fell asleep watching TV on the couch, but the curious toddler gets themselves into some inconsequential trouble, forcing the family into their routine. Both the child and dog need to be fed and the kitchen needs to be cleaned, but something feels off. In an explosive moment that truly caught me by surprise, the family is suddenly reckoning with an alien invasion. An intense, often scary adventure kicks off from there. When Somerville hits its highs and fires on all cylinders, it\u2019s a moving spectacle, but unfortunately, technical hiccups and some unclear puzzles hold it back from being truly incredible.<\/p>\n

To call a video game an alien invasion story might recall Space Invaders, but Somerville represents something much more intimate and human. The story mainly follows the father of this young family and examines, without any text or dialogue, what the world might look like and how you would survive if everything you knew about Earth instantly changed. You make your way through Somerville by moving along a linear path, solving environmental puzzles, and avoiding instant death at the hands of imposing enemies. By the end, I didn\u2019t know much about the invading force, but I didn\u2019t care because I was only interested in how to stay alive and connected to my family.<\/p>\n