#jumpship

Had sudden impetus to draw Battletech-style spaceships. Because they have to be built around a long spine of a jump core, they kinda have their own aesthetic - this long, irregular shape with spars jutting off of them. Contrasts a lot to the compact and often spherical dropships.

We pair to procreate, or so we're taught. Love itself is inconsequential when measured against the scale of the galaxy.

Look at this fucking shirt I found on depop

As co-founder of Playdead, Dino Patti had already made a name for himself in the gaming realm. The “say less, show more” approach to his titles helped to make the likes of Limbo and Inside household names. Now with the new development studio Jumpship under his belt, Patti aims to bring that style of storytelling to a different level. Somerville, the studio’s debut title, is the end result, but does it deliver as memorable of an experience as Patti’s predecessors?

Told with no dialogue at all, Somerville follows a man seeking his family. After an alien invasion destroys his home, the man finds himself with the power to destroy objects and obstacles. With his dog on his side, the man seeks answers as to why aliens are attacking, and where exactly his wife and son are. But the deeper he goes, the more the threats start to follow.

Where Somerville gets it right is in its tone. Throughout the game, the man is constantly wandering around, seeking answers and trying to find his family. There’s no rhyme or reason for why all of this is happening, causing him to feel at loss in his current predicament. Worse, with every new area he enters, the grimmer things appear to be.

There’s a theme of marching towards a lost cause that’s prevalent throughout the game. Although the man has his dog by him side, there’s a good chance that the four-legged pal might be his only family met. Nary a clue or feeling is within this character that gives him any hope that his family is alive. On top of that, without any sign of survivors, there’s no way to know where any sort of sanctuary is located.

“You ever wonder why Dead Orbit keeps a Hawk fueled and ready in the Tower hangar at all times?”

“Do they? I just assumed that was Jalaal’s ride.”

“Maybe it is, but I checked the logs: that Hawk is always berthed on a takeoff pad, and is kept prepped for launch at all times.”

“Huh. Maybe Jalaal really doesn’t like being late for meetings.”

“Or maybe Dead Orbit knows something we don’t, and the Arach goes out of his way to be ready to skip out at a moment’s notice.”

“C’mon, Dead Orbit’s whole thing is preaching about abandoning Earth. Of course Jalaal wants a jumpship on hand to get back to their fleet in short order, but that hardly means they have some specific reason to think he’ll need to do that.”

“What if they do, though?”

“Then whatever intel they have is pretty weak. How long do the logs say that ship’s been there?”

“Just about since the new hangar got up and running.”

“Well there you have it. Just general paranoia, Dead Orbit style—and I can’t really blame them, after how badly Ghaul surprised us.”

“I don’t know. Something about it just feels... off.”

“It’s Dead Orbit. They’re all a little off.”