One of (if not) the best games I've played early this year. Really captivating story, old Resident Evil vibes and, last but not least, lesbians.
Remember our promise.
Remember our promise.
Con un arte bastante bizarro, pero con una jugabilidad que se siente muy bien, la música brinda un ambiente que te da nervios y un poco de terror. Tiene mecánicas de Resident muy buenas como el de los zombis que no te dan nada, puzzles muy interesantes y una duración perfecta (aunque hubiera preferido más jefes o un jefe final)
Buen detalle sobre lo de la imagen de pantalla de inicio
Buen detalle sobre lo de la imagen de pantalla de inicio
This review contains spoilers
i think my ending of signalis was bugged lmao. i cant find a video that also has several elsters layered on top of each other, while she is leaning over ariane's pod.
anyways, this is one of the greatest experiences i've ever had.
anyways, this is one of the greatest experiences i've ever had.
I really enjoyed this game. Honestly, my only complaint was that the inventory should have been 8 slots instead of 6. Signalis is the type of game where the storytelling is vague but gives just enough story and context for the player to form their own opinions on what really happened and I think it pulled it off well. Most of the game's story is told in notes, which may be a turn off for some people, but the notes were so interesting to read for me that I just loved how each note unveiled more and more of the lore. Signalis wears it's sh2 inspiration on its sleeve but by no means copies it and is a very unique game. Good game for horror fans. Elster/Ariane forever <3
Absolute Indie Masterpiece.
Play it right now or else..
Play it right now or else..
This review contains spoilers
Now that I've had a bit of time to collect my thoughts about this game I still find myself struggling to put into words how exactly I felt about Signalis after beating it, I've seen my fair share of bleak settings, but I think this one takes the cake for how brutal it can be for the characters of its own universe.
It's haunting, dreadful, merciless, and it's communicated to the player extremely well through gameplay, thanks to its overwhelming atmosphere, cryptic storytelling, and how it feels like you are never truly safe from what might be lurking around the corner. And while I think it suffers a bit from its excessive backtracking, it's still worth giving a shot, specially if you enjoy puzzle games.
One thing I'm certain about once the credits rolled, is that now I understand why its fandom is so obsessed with portraying Elster and Ariane in wholesome and cutesy situations, because it's the only thing that might save them from the overbearing feeling of Existential Dread that at least my ending (Promise) left me. But at least, I can find solace in knowing that they both went out together, to a place where time doesn't exist, to a place where they can dance together to the rhythm of the music, to a place where Ariane can finish her paintings, to a place where they can both feel whole again.
It's haunting, dreadful, merciless, and it's communicated to the player extremely well through gameplay, thanks to its overwhelming atmosphere, cryptic storytelling, and how it feels like you are never truly safe from what might be lurking around the corner. And while I think it suffers a bit from its excessive backtracking, it's still worth giving a shot, specially if you enjoy puzzle games.
One thing I'm certain about once the credits rolled, is that now I understand why its fandom is so obsessed with portraying Elster and Ariane in wholesome and cutesy situations, because it's the only thing that might save them from the overbearing feeling of Existential Dread that at least my ending (Promise) left me. But at least, I can find solace in knowing that they both went out together, to a place where time doesn't exist, to a place where they can dance together to the rhythm of the music, to a place where Ariane can finish her paintings, to a place where they can both feel whole again.
live laugh lesbian
Man, I really loved this game. I hadn't heard all too much about it beforehand but it seemed like the kind of game I would enjoy. With games like Soma and movies like Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner being some of my favorite pieces of media for the topics and philosophies they discuss, I was bound to enjoy this.
The game is played as a classic survival horror like Resident Evil or Silent Hill being the games its compared to the most, and while not having played either of those I can definitely see the inspiration. The gameplay of this game is very solidly made and although probably the tamest part it was always enjoyable and as fun to play as a survival horror can be.
Where the game really gets me is the story itself and its presentation of said story. Nothing in the game is really laid out for you, if you don't do a little digging and connect some dots you can come out of it not really understanding anything that happened. Now I will say even with reading everything I came across I probably understood less than half of the overall story even after a second playthrough for 100%.
This kind of storytelling isn't for everyone but its personally one of my favorites and you can tell that everything is very thought out on what information is displayed and when, its not ambiguous to cover up for bad storytelling like some games but to elevate the story even more. After watching several hours of lore and theory videos I'd say I have a solid grasp on what the game was trying to say, or at least an interpretation of it and I just love it.
There are some many layers upon layers and symbolism in this game its impossible to list it all. The presentation of the game is also beautiful, it goes for an older type of aesthetic, with screen glitches and even a toggleable CRT effect that I chose to play with. All these little details in the game and the way its presented add to the horror vibe in a really cool way and they also have implications on the story itself if you're looking for it.
Overall I really loved the game and I think its safe to say it will end up in my favorites as its just a combination of many things that I personally really love and while I don't think its a 100% perfect game its perfect to me.
The game is played as a classic survival horror like Resident Evil or Silent Hill being the games its compared to the most, and while not having played either of those I can definitely see the inspiration. The gameplay of this game is very solidly made and although probably the tamest part it was always enjoyable and as fun to play as a survival horror can be.
Where the game really gets me is the story itself and its presentation of said story. Nothing in the game is really laid out for you, if you don't do a little digging and connect some dots you can come out of it not really understanding anything that happened. Now I will say even with reading everything I came across I probably understood less than half of the overall story even after a second playthrough for 100%.
This kind of storytelling isn't for everyone but its personally one of my favorites and you can tell that everything is very thought out on what information is displayed and when, its not ambiguous to cover up for bad storytelling like some games but to elevate the story even more. After watching several hours of lore and theory videos I'd say I have a solid grasp on what the game was trying to say, or at least an interpretation of it and I just love it.
There are some many layers upon layers and symbolism in this game its impossible to list it all. The presentation of the game is also beautiful, it goes for an older type of aesthetic, with screen glitches and even a toggleable CRT effect that I chose to play with. All these little details in the game and the way its presented add to the horror vibe in a really cool way and they also have implications on the story itself if you're looking for it.
Overall I really loved the game and I think its safe to say it will end up in my favorites as its just a combination of many things that I personally really love and while I don't think its a 100% perfect game its perfect to me.
To preface this review: I would like to state that I'm exceptionally unfamiliar with the Survival Horror genre- outside of multiplayer titles I've been convinced into playing, it's never really been a genre I've given a second thought towards. That isn't to say I didn't think I would like them- hell, some of my favourite pieces of media tackle very harrowing subjects, but it's just not something I've really played often. With that being said, please take my inexperienced, biased opinion into account with this perspective on Signalis.
[I played on Survival mode as well. I do somewhat regret this.]
In addition to this, I'd like to keep it short, sweet, and light on plot.] This is, as its core, a plot-driven experience. I'm not here to dissect the lore, the relationships or the story itself. Infact, I would go as far as to say if the game looks even mildly intriguing to you- it's not long. Go and play it, and come back to see my criticisms if you want.
Given the above, I'll briefly mention that I'm an absolute sucker for environmental world-telling and non-linear narrative structure. Having to piece together what's happening with little aid from the game itself is really fun- I found myself trying to make sure I interacted with, engaged and read most of the text in the game. I don't doubt that I likely missed a thing or two, but I'll get onto that later.
The visual and audial presentation of this game was absolutely great. The technology of the game is reminiscent of the late cold war- so to reflect that by purposely choosing to have the game be presented like a PSX title, CRT filter and all, is charming. It's not ground-breaking, but it is very endearing. It allows for a simultaneous familiar, homey feeling whilst also being able to capitalise on the innate eeriness of the setting, complimented by plenty of subtle environmental effects that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Mechanically speaking, I enjoyed a number of the puzzles the game had to present, especially given the fact that some of them will allow you to simply bypass collecting the required passcode/etc. in a future playthrough, whilst others will still ask you to seek out preliminary items first. The radio signal itself is used "frequent"ly, but sparing enough to the degree where I never found it to be an intrusive design choice.
Now- I would like to stress this, the obtuse design choices made for the gameplay of Signalis did not kill my enjoyment of the game, though it is primarily what is preventing me from bumping my review score any higher.
Chiefly. Six. Inventory. Slots. No shade, of course, but I feel like you have to be really spineless to design your game around backtracking [which I just unequipped the gun to carry more key items for a lot of the second half of the name,] double down on your decision shortly after release, only to then backpedal on this decision by introducing inventory slot options post-launch. Whilst I think having the option to have eight inventory slots is a good idea- it should probably be the default, and I'm shocked that the decision to keep six slots made it into the initial launch. It isn't so bad until you get the modules, the flashlight being nigh-required for all exploration in the second half of the game; which then reduces the amount of spare slots you have to [very likely] two. A realistic inventory looks like this:
Flashlight Module
Healing [X]
[Gun of your choice]
[Ammo of your choice]
X
X
Which then means that you're suffocating yourself to only one slot if you want to bring a utility tool as well, or you simply sacrifice usage of them once you obtain the Flashlight Module. This is a shame, because I feel like there would be a lot more strategy involved in my play-through if I actually were able to use tools like the thermite flares more frequently- I only found myself utilising them once or twice after the first boss.
The enemies themselves are generally annoying more than they are engaging or challenging. The challenge stems moreso from their placement than their AI, the most challenging rooms are those that are either loaded with enemies, or place enemies in corridors that make engagements almost unavoidable... or a combination of both. As a result, there are a number of late-game rooms that just weren't fun to navigate through, especially when trying to ferry a number of key items that prevented me from carrying a larger arsenal.
Finally, and this is more of a personal gripe than an actual fault of the game's design- I think the map system in place is perfectly functional- so to have it be taken out of a third of the game was... Frustrating. Especially in combination with the puzzle its attached to. As someone who is very easily disoriented- both in meat-space and in virtual space, this area was one part where I admittedly used a companion guide to help me navigate where some of the doors were, because I kept on going in circles.
In closing, Signalis isn't the game I expected to wind up playing at this current point in time, but I'll hand it this: It's the second time I've cried at an ending to a game featuring a queer robot's solemn, "'Till death do us part" promise. Again- If you are even remotely interested in setting, I wholeheartedly recommend it, even though it does unfortunately seem to stumble in some departments.
In addition to this, I'd like to keep it short, sweet, and light on plot.] This is, as its core, a plot-driven experience. I'm not here to dissect the lore, the relationships or the story itself. Infact, I would go as far as to say if the game looks even mildly intriguing to you- it's not long. Go and play it, and come back to see my criticisms if you want.
Given the above, I'll briefly mention that I'm an absolute sucker for environmental world-telling and non-linear narrative structure. Having to piece together what's happening with little aid from the game itself is really fun- I found myself trying to make sure I interacted with, engaged and read most of the text in the game. I don't doubt that I likely missed a thing or two, but I'll get onto that later.
The visual and audial presentation of this game was absolutely great. The technology of the game is reminiscent of the late cold war- so to reflect that by purposely choosing to have the game be presented like a PSX title, CRT filter and all, is charming. It's not ground-breaking, but it is very endearing. It allows for a simultaneous familiar, homey feeling whilst also being able to capitalise on the innate eeriness of the setting, complimented by plenty of subtle environmental effects that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Mechanically speaking, I enjoyed a number of the puzzles the game had to present, especially given the fact that some of them will allow you to simply bypass collecting the required passcode/etc. in a future playthrough, whilst others will still ask you to seek out preliminary items first. The radio signal itself is used "frequent"ly, but sparing enough to the degree where I never found it to be an intrusive design choice.
Now- I would like to stress this, the obtuse design choices made for the gameplay of Signalis did not kill my enjoyment of the game, though it is primarily what is preventing me from bumping my review score any higher.
Chiefly. Six. Inventory. Slots. No shade, of course, but I feel like you have to be really spineless to design your game around backtracking [which I just unequipped the gun to carry more key items for a lot of the second half of the name,] double down on your decision shortly after release, only to then backpedal on this decision by introducing inventory slot options post-launch. Whilst I think having the option to have eight inventory slots is a good idea- it should probably be the default, and I'm shocked that the decision to keep six slots made it into the initial launch. It isn't so bad until you get the modules, the flashlight being nigh-required for all exploration in the second half of the game; which then reduces the amount of spare slots you have to [very likely] two. A realistic inventory looks like this:
Flashlight Module
Healing [X]
[Gun of your choice]
[Ammo of your choice]
X
X
Which then means that you're suffocating yourself to only one slot if you want to bring a utility tool as well, or you simply sacrifice usage of them once you obtain the Flashlight Module. This is a shame, because I feel like there would be a lot more strategy involved in my play-through if I actually were able to use tools like the thermite flares more frequently- I only found myself utilising them once or twice after the first boss.
The enemies themselves are generally annoying more than they are engaging or challenging. The challenge stems moreso from their placement than their AI, the most challenging rooms are those that are either loaded with enemies, or place enemies in corridors that make engagements almost unavoidable... or a combination of both. As a result, there are a number of late-game rooms that just weren't fun to navigate through, especially when trying to ferry a number of key items that prevented me from carrying a larger arsenal.
Finally, and this is more of a personal gripe than an actual fault of the game's design- I think the map system in place is perfectly functional- so to have it be taken out of a third of the game was... Frustrating. Especially in combination with the puzzle its attached to. As someone who is very easily disoriented- both in meat-space and in virtual space, this area was one part where I admittedly used a companion guide to help me navigate where some of the doors were, because I kept on going in circles.
In closing, Signalis isn't the game I expected to wind up playing at this current point in time, but I'll hand it this: It's the second time I've cried at an ending to a game featuring a queer robot's solemn, "'Till death do us part" promise. Again- If you are even remotely interested in setting, I wholeheartedly recommend it, even though it does unfortunately seem to stumble in some departments.
Above all else, Signalis captures, molds, and refines its atmospheres and themes in such a deliberate way that you feel you know exactly what you're in for - but never exactly when.
Never knowing quite how or why you've come to this place becomes only more terrifying the deeper you dig; discovering and piecing together the scattered facets of who you are, were, and should have been. I don't think I've ever been so compelled to keep a promise, especially so for not even knowing what it was.
When I play this again, it will be to open that damned safe.
Never knowing quite how or why you've come to this place becomes only more terrifying the deeper you dig; discovering and piecing together the scattered facets of who you are, were, and should have been. I don't think I've ever been so compelled to keep a promise, especially so for not even knowing what it was.
When I play this again, it will be to open that damned safe.
What an amazing piece of media.
Signalis is a lovecraftian, sci-fi spacial game that behaves as a silent hill game with a lot of emphasis in the narrative, there's a lot of foreshadowing and hints everywhere.
The music is great, the ambient is mindblowing, the references from art, literature and history are great, the puzzles are really interesting too, and the whole idea of the story is really crazy.
Signalis is a lovecraftian, sci-fi spacial game that behaves as a silent hill game with a lot of emphasis in the narrative, there's a lot of foreshadowing and hints everywhere.
The music is great, the ambient is mindblowing, the references from art, literature and history are great, the puzzles are really interesting too, and the whole idea of the story is really crazy.