Five years after developer Jumpship formally unveiled its side-scrolling sci-fi apocalypse adventure Somerville, a release is in sight, with the studio having somewhat unexpectedly announced a 15th November launch on Xbox One and PC earlier today.
Jumpship is an independent studio founded by film animator Chris Olsen in collaboration with Dino Patti, co-founder and former CEO of Limbo studio Playdead. And while Somerville’s formal reveal came in 2017, Olsen – who has worked the likes of Skyfall and The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron – had already been tinkering away on the project for three years before that.
Somerville – described as a “hand-crafted narrative experience set across a vivid rural landscape” that sees players navigating perilous terrain “to unravel the mysteries of Earth’s visitors” – has continued to look wonderfully intriguing since its big reveal. However, it’s been nearly a year since its most recent public showing.
Somerville was given a vague 2022 window during last year’s Xbox-Bethesda showcase, but with the year rapidly nearing its end, it was starting to look like it might not make it. Now, however, Jumpship has confirmed a 15th November launch for the game, with the news being accompanied by a low-key new trailer.
Come its long-awaited launch date, Somerville will be available on Xbox, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. It’s also a day-one title on Game Pass.