'Somerville' is a gorgeous twist on alien invasion stories

With his dog in tow, the father goes on a journey that takes him across farmland, through a forest, past the desolate remains of an outdoor music festival and elsewhere. Along the way, he must outfox predatory robots (whose look reminded me of the E.M.M.I. in "Metroid Dread") and patrolling spaceships that vacuum up every living thing in sight. There is a moment somewhat early in "Somerville" when you run past the edge of a forest into a clearing and duck into an abandoned tent to avoid being snatched by one of these flying sentinels. While huddled in the tent, the landscape trembles beneath the bright purplish-white light cast by the alien ship. There is a stark grandiosity to the scene -- as well as to other alien encounters in the game -- that works because of "Somerville's" remarkable art direction.