Why roll out one major company announcement when you’ve got two ready and raring to go? That’s seemingly the PR philosophy of Dino Patti, the ex-CEO of Inside developer Playdead who took the decision to explore industry pastures new earlier this year. Some months later, we’ve now learned both the name of Patti’s new UK-based development studio and their first full project in the space of a single week…
Takeaways:
- Based in Guildford, UK, the indie studio Jumpship wants to “break perceived notions of what games can be by exploring the creative possibilities of the medium”, all while showcasing the medium’s potential “as a tool to question the human condition” and “rais[ing] entertainment to something deeply personal” along the way. Ambitious, eh?
- As we speak via digitally coded blogging software, the Jumpship team is on the hunt for gameplay designers, generalist programmers, character controller programmers and character animators to assist with their debut title.
- The title in question? Somerville, a sci-fi action adventure where players experience “the lives of key individuals in the wake of a global catastrophe”. To our knowledge said worldwide disaster wasn’t caused by any Presidents of the United States or EU referendums in the context of the narrative lore, but one can never be certain…
- What does seem clearer, however, especially based on Somerville‘s premiere trailer (below), is the likelihood that the storyline will take at least partial inspiration from Denis Villeneuve’s hit 2016 big-screen sci-fi tale Arrival as skyscraper-rivalling behemothic UFOs take residence on Earth – albeit with considerably more hostile intentions if the war-torn skies which the trailer depicts are any indication.
No official release date has been set for Somerville what with the title presumably remaining in the early stages of production. That said, given how much of a seismic impact Patti’s previous efforts had on the industry – not to mention this writer, who’d gladly rank his Limbo and Inside playthroughs among the most entertaining in recent memory – expect this one to receive no shortage of attention between now and its eventual launch.
Until we know more, check out Somerville‘s promisingly stylish teaser trailer below…