Somerville

A thoroughly captivating science fiction mystery, though it definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea.

The art direction is impeccable. The modeling, palettes, sound, music, level design, and even camera movement all come together to produce a coherent, enigmatic atmosphere. The inspiration is obviously Stanisław Lem's Solaris, and probably more directly Andrei Tarkovsky movie based on it. It's a silent game, but so much is told through environmental storytelling. And yet it is never fully explained. Players have come up with some clever theories, but the mystery endures. This is not a game for those who demand full closure.

Also, unfortunately, the gameplay can be grating. It's very slow, and honestly mostly a walking sim most of the time. There are also some puzzles, which are sometimes quite fascinating in that the game silently teaches you the solutions through environmental cues. Some puzzles, however, are obtuse or clunky. There's a bit of stealth, too, and some frustrating chase scenes that I don't think anyone has ever enjoyed in any game ever.

All in all, it doesn't hold up as an enjoyable experience throughout, but I think the artistic presentation is so searing that I can easily recommend Somerville.