I never had a PS1. I was born too late for that and had no older sibling or cousin to inherit it from. But still, I have played some games from that generation. And in the past 5 or 6 years, many games inspired by them.
To me, the games that came from the PS1 generation where ones with great ideas, but not so great execution. This is mostly due to the fact that, in 1994, the medium was still in its infancy and, at the same time, was going through its biggest change. 2D to 3D.
Many concepts and game design trends that persist to this day were born in this era, but most of them only hit their stride in later generations.
But now we find ourselves back in the mid 90s, as a wave of nostalgia infused games have made their way into our modern libraries. And, in paper, this sounds great. Taking the rough innovations and game desing sensibilites that characterized an era now thirty years past, and refining them with the almost three decades of advancements in quality of life and general design should be a recipe for greatness.
The reality is that most of this PS1 revival has been filled with games that seem stripped right from 1994. And i don't mean it in a good way.
Most feel exactly like PS1 games, with clunky controls, arbitrary and obtuse design, and a general lack of polish.
Which brings us to Signalis.
Admittedly, this is one of the best of its kind. Here, there are some improvements to find. In its best moments the level design, controls, and presentation are better than most PS1 inspired games. But only "some improvements" over thirty year old software isn't anything to write home about.
More often than not Signalis is just as regresive as its time-travelling contemporaries. The level design oftens feels to linear, and just as often it can be confusing, especially in the second part of the game. Combat becomes repetitive quickly and the inventory management alone is enough to pull someone out of the game.
All of this is especially frustrating when you look at something like Resident Evil 2 Remake. Both games start from a similar place. PS1 survival horror games. But one manages to update it in smart ways while maintaining the vibe and feel that made those games so special. While the other, not unlike most of its kind, seems to afraid to make changes that would make the experience better.
Signalis starts out very promising. The art design grabs you and doesn't let go. The lighting, the sound design. Basically everything that doesn't have to do with playing is impeccable.
The game tries its hardest to keep you hooked through its art style, and its alluring but always out of reach narrative. But how far that gets you depends on how deep your nostalgia goes. And when nostalgia isn't there, you're not left with much more.