I loved the atmosphere and the obvious homage to old survival horror games, however Signalis felt to me like little more than a hollow impersonation of the classics... A black bean burger posing as the real deal. While containing similar component parts, Signalis simply lacked that secret sauce that made games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill great. This really upsets me as I really wanted to like it but the minute to minute gameplay just didn't hold my interest enough to care about the plot and pretty much every encounter can be easily avoided so most of the tension disappears a little over an hour into the game.

This is a work that is so insanely derivative of so many things that I love that I was worried that it wouldn't be able to find its own identity. I don't think it drowns in its influences at all though. If anything I think Signalis drills down to the core of the appeal of all of its influences, surgically extracts the perfect crystallization of what makes those pieces media so beloved (by me), and then cuts that crystalline extract in such a way that it gleams with a blood red sheen that has permanently imprinted itself on my brain. That is to say, this is a [THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

It feels like I should like this way more. Like, it mixes classic Resident Evil exploration, Silent Hill-ish environments and some big aesthetic inspiration from Square's CGs/FMVs... And yet I'm left sort of cold by it.

It could be the clumsy backdrop of nuclear-era anti-communist propaganda. But it's not like I haven't loved culturally clumsy games before. It could be that at this point Lovecraftian reference soup as an aesthetic has very much worn out its welcome for me. But again, I have liked lovecraft-inspired games before, and Signalis sooort of uses it as a metaphor more than anything else(?). I mean, the isometric visuals, for how pretty, I didn't think fully worked with the genre, but that's a nitpick tbf. It might just be that the game is neither as scary as the first Silent Hill nor as vibe-y as Silent Hill 2? I guess...

Honestly I think it's just too... polished? Too successfully big and cinematic? There's no underdog charm here, none of the counter-cultural kavorka that many micro-games on itch.io have when touching on similar themes and aesthetics. It has a that sort of, sterile big-game feel, and while it's overall a solid experience, I don't think that its, separately great, elements come together well enough to transcend that.

Also I think I would have liked it a lot less if I didn't realize that, playing it on steam-deck, you can limit the game to 30fps. The game is too smooth in a way I really don't like when running at 60fps.

Also the 3d bits are neat.

(P.S. I know that it was functionally made by two people, so it's not a big production per se, but that's the general vibe that the big level of polish of the game gives me)

[173.000 khz]

...

regardless of one’s drink of choice in media, a horror auteur’s life and eventual death is one of conditional love.

scarce hints of flowers visible let alone getting your due bouquet is a rarity that shouldn’t be taken for granted. the scent of roses. to scare the viewer without knowing the eyes that stare at you. your creation, appearing. a genre so cruel and frustrating. tantalizingly clear and seemingly unbreakable glass ceilings follow you whether you make films, novels or video games. seeing it present, there is no doubt in your mind that the great forests of freedom and boundless creative inspiration are behind the reinforced block ahead.

yet rarely do any of these people get to set the new standard. the gold star.

...

___________________________________________

Kenji Eno died at only the age of 42 due to hypertension. He is likely best known for his foibles, like refusing to release a game on the sony playstation because sony didn’t create enough copies or his musical recognitions. Although we here at Backloggd and other eclectic gaming communities appreciate him now, it can hurt knowing that he really did deserve a grander fate here on this planet. ’D’ (1995) and how it would be received today pales in comparison to the remake ’Resident Evil’ (1996) got in 2002. You and I may love the stranger side of horror but there is no mistaking it, the 2002 Resident Evil remake for the Nintendo GameCube is the mainstream peak of the survival horror genre and one of the most impressive titles ever made. That is without mentioning the most obvious inspiration for ’Signalis’, the ’Silent Hill’ franchise. I don’t think anyone can reasonably achieve the same heights to the general public.

A year ahead of time and a project entirely different from what came after. Life accomplished and tragically short. That ceiling didn’t budge quick enough but one day, maybe it will for Kenji Eno. Do not cry because he didn’t get to create more, celebrate that a genre so limited to the world outside of it steadily grew in recognition. True shame that he didn’t get to see it and see the small game developers in the horror game test their craft alongside him. I’d say his mainstream success was to be always limited by the box of horror. Or his baby would be remade by Bloober Team, a depressing thought that could lead to a day in bed.

Go ahead and become an author. Sentenced to a life of “oh like Stephen King?” and a medium that is sorely ignored. Being an author is extremely hard and thankless work.

Make a horror film but remember that you barely have any choice of direction. You can create something that is full of gore and makes a bit more money. Almost none of you or your heart is in it. You can make a film that you personally think is terrifying but makes everyone laugh instead. The timeless conundrum of intentionally antagonizing your audience but just enough to make them enjoy it.

Even if you are in it for glamour, adoration and fortune... You’ll never win best picture at the Oscars. It is cruel and some of the wisest minds I’ve met over my years were avid horror fans/creators first.

Knowing the expectations that the team at ’rose-engine’ had, I applaud them for what they made. It reaches high in many different directions but doesn’t quite stand at the top of the mountain. In the journey to the summit, there are inventory issues and reminders of the past littered throughout it. With that being said, I can’t help but admire what two people made and how unique it feels through the familiarity. Many will say that this game is not scary enough and I would agree only if we can come to the conclusion that the enemies are flawed. For the psychological beats it hits the taiko to, I came away more than impressed.

I’ve dipped my feet in on the idea of creating a game at some point, but I would not dare choose the horror genre. Last night I was talking with one of my best friends ExAndOh about a point he brought up, the fine line between the negative reception that Resident Evil 6 received and the love that is ninety nine percent likely to be showered on the Resident Evil 4 remake. It is conversations like this and the right balance of physical v. mental horror with the addition of b-movie comedy that plights most of the genre today. We horror fans can’t really help it; it just comes with the territory. The love for RE4 is coming but after playing that demo, I’m not that sold. It feels unnecessary just like how ’Signalis’ feels derivative to many Silent Hill fans.

It is with that comparison that I will implore that anyone who hasn’t tried this yet to temper your expectations. Try to go into it with an attempt to clear your mind of the past. Sometimes you just can’t live up to what came before you, but I’ll be damned if you shouldn’t at least try.

Take ’Signalis’ for what it is.

___________________________________________

[316.000 khz]

…

extra half star for being made in hamburg when I’m trying to learn german, this being a two-person show and suiting the steam deck well. great stuff but almost brilliant.

…

Como um grande quebra cabeça de Survival Horror.

É assim que vejo Signalis. O jogo bebe diretamente de diversas fontes em vários de seus aspectos.
A gameplay inspirada em Silent Hill e Resident Evil funciona muito bem com a escolha artística e isométrica. Os elementos de metroidvania corroboram com a sensação labiríntica dos ambientes. Alguns puzzles são inclusive bem chatinhos de perceber. É um desafio bem interessante. Vale dizer, contudo, que o limite do inventário traz, para além de dificuldade, dor de cabeça, já que temos que ficar indo e voltando o tempo todo para a área de Save.
Já na estética e enredo, o jogo parece inspirado em obras famosas da cultura pop ocidental e japonesa. Os elementos de terror cósmico são bem presentes. As personagens tem arte "de anime". Diversas cenas referenciam animes como Evangelion e Ghost in the Shell.

Dito isso, meu ponto principal talvez seja de que essas inspirações se deram de uma forma um tanto pretenciosa. O enredo é contado de maneira que o jogador simplesmente não o entenda. E por quê? Creio que seja intencional para deixar a curiosidade aflorar. Não é um caso de "aberto para interpretações". O jogo simplesmente não quer dar as peças de seu quebra cabeça. E mesmo se você procurar na internet o significado do final ou coisa assim, algo até caricaturalmente já associado com esse tipo de obra mais pretenciosa, você verá uma figura montada que não diz muito. O que entendi no fim fazia sentido, mas não dizia nada. O enredo não tinha tema. Por isso um quebra cabeça. A diversão é apenas ver uma imagem (de survival horror cult).

O jogo ainda assim é muito bom.

Signalis tem uma gameplay decente pro que se propõe, com alguns problemas frustrantes aqui e ali. O inventario é muito pequeno e não é expandido em nenhum momento, a mira não funciona em alguns momentos pontuais e as portas travam as vezes (cansou de travar comigo com inimigos atrás de mim que me deram danos desnecessários)

As Boss Fights também são fracas, apenas curti a ultima das 3.

Contudo o jogo consegue compensar em outros pontos como a atmosfera, puzzles, backtracking, ... Tudo isso é bem acima da media.

I'm relatively new to this genre, but I liked this one a lot.
The aesthetic alone SLAPS, german + japanese + some analog horror + some Lovecraftian concepts = really good idea and very well executed.

The game's visuals are really pleasant to see even though they are doing that PS1/DS thing. Specifically, the lighting system of the game is really good and adds a LOT to the atmosphere.
The gameplay loop is basically getting a key and opening X thing to get another key or something like that, and the loop continues, until the end. Although I don't think this is bad per se - I had some fun - this is pretty much the only thing you'll be doing throughout the entire game. Good thing it's only 10ish hours or so.
You'll also solve some puzzles and do some killing.
The puzzles are nice, most of them are relatively hard (especially if you're not experienced, like me) but most of the time, you'll be able to choose between solving it solo, or using some help that the game itself provides to you through documents and such. It's optional. No handholding if you don't want.
The killing on the other hand fucking sucks ass. Your character is slow and clunky compared to every enemy, and although it is probably intentional, it's STILL considerably frustrating. On top of that, the enemies REVIVE (yes.) so you have to burn them with a super scarce item if you don't want to have to deal with them again. This ended up being an interesting mechanic since you need to decide where to use said item, usually in places where you go all the time (hallways to saverooms, recurrent puzzles, etc)

The story is confusing, I'll have to watch some YT videos to understand it completely, but it's nice to read about the world of the game through diaries or documents.

The final thing that I want to add, is that, again, I am new to this genre. Taking this into consideration, I was not afraid, but wary, apprehensive ALL THE FUCKING TIME. Since you're always low on ammo, health items, and shit, you're afraid of using anything you have, cuz you don't know what comes next. I finished the game without using the nitro or the grenade thing ONCE.
I had some conflicting thoughts, cuz even though I WAS having fun, I was also feeling something that I should not feel while playing a videogame, at least to my notions.
If it was indeed intentional, congratulations to the devs.

The ending could be better, the final area is good but it definitely lacked some final boss or a final section.
I'm not even sure if the game only has one ending. I probably skipped something, but them's the breaks

Basta decir que es de los juegos que me rogaban llevar un documento aparte con mis sentimientos y pensamientos que florecían mientras jugaba. Profundamente introspectivo, una variación del core-core. Collage de sentimientos, imágenes y música que te pone en el mood. La historia suficientemente críptica como para haber entendido las temáticas generales, pero también para quedar con las ganas de ver 5 videos de análisis de 1 hora. Increíble que lo hayan hecho dos personas. Las mayores de las felicitaciones, es una obra de arte.