I first took notice of this game while browsing Game Pass a few months ago and noted that the cover looked pretty interesting, then I read the description and thought it might be a fun play. It was a bit out of my comfort zone, but I figured there was little harm in trying it. I am SO glad that I did. SIGNALIS is a hidden gem and I don’t regret a second of the 10 hours I spent on my first playthrough.
Pros:
- While there are some specific aspects of the gameplay I discuss in the cons section, in general I loved the gameplay. The conservative nature of the gunplay (if you can even call it that) fits the vibe nicely, and the exploration felt rewarding because I was simultaneously dreading and waiting for what lay behind every door. The puzzles also have their fair share of “eureka” moments; I won’t spoil the solutions but my favorites had to be the butterfly safe and the microphone keypad. They took me forever and when I finally realized how to solve them, I felt like I was the next Einstein.
- Another unique aspect that I really enjoyed was the limited nature of the save rooms, though I suspect this is just a survivor horror thing and not exclusive to this game. In SIGNALIS, you should save every chance you get, because if you die, you are getting sent back ALL THE WAY to the last save room you were at, which might have been 30 to 60 minutes ago if you weren’t careful, You’d think this is a bad thing but I honestly loved the tension it brought to the game. I had to pace my ammo usage and ensure that I had enough to get out a situation unscathed because any death meant having to start all over. The relief I would feel seeing a red monitor…
- The atmosphere and setting of this game is something else entirely. There are so many little aspects that go into making sure every inch of the environment is foreboding and disconcerting, it's perfect. From the glitchy cutscenes, to the ability to toggle on ‘CRT mode’ (which distorts the screen as if you were playing on a CRT monitor), to the fact that the game tells you ‘you will regret this later’ if you choose to continue without saving. The setting itself is also amazing. Roaming the halls of a labor mine belonging to a communist, dystopian space collective, filled with shambling Replikas (sort of like androids) that writhe and contort as they take notice of you? Yes please.
- Of course, the atmosphere is also set by the music and sound design. I’m not the best at critiquing audio, but I really loved the muted, static-y soundtrack, interspersed with beautiful piano music; it's unlike the music of any game I’ve played before. And the sound design is also top notch: you are acutely aware of every single noise you make, which does wonders for a horror game.
- The story is very interesting as a significant part is left up to the player’s interpretation. There is no one theory that solves the entire thing (though some cover a lot of bases), and almost every player you meet that theorizes about this game will have a different idea of what Elster’s (the player character) journey meant. Some may take issue with this, but in my opinion it's what makes this game so impactful. Regardless of the specific story beats, the EMOTIONS I felt playing SIGNALIS were never in question, and that I believe is the story’s true strength. This game will leave you equal parts unsettled and somber. There are bits and pieces here and there that slowly build up an engaging narrative, and only in the end do you realize what Elster was truly meant to do. It hit me like a truck. This is the kind of game that warrants a video essay; there is truly so much to understand about it. I can’t deliver the story justice, you’d just have to check it out yourself.
Cons (not too many):
- For the most part, the limited inventory system is more annoying than challenging. Six slots is pitifully small: merely having a healing item, a weapon, and its ammo already takes up half of the space, and that doesn’t even take into consideration using a utility (flashlight, photo module), another weapon, or any puzzle/exploration items. The amount of times I had to backtrack to a save room to get ONE thing, then run all the way back to where I was before, was insane. Doesn’t help that Elster doesn’t run all that fast.
- The aiming mechanic could also have used a little more work. It's not terrible by any means, but it can take a decently long time to acquire targets, and if enemies are close together, it can be hard to switch between them quickly. This problem is magnified by the fact that most combat takes place in small rooms or tight corridors, meaning if you can’t aim quick enough, you’re going to get hurt.
Objective rating: 4.5 stars
Subjective rating: 5 stars
Pros:
- While there are some specific aspects of the gameplay I discuss in the cons section, in general I loved the gameplay. The conservative nature of the gunplay (if you can even call it that) fits the vibe nicely, and the exploration felt rewarding because I was simultaneously dreading and waiting for what lay behind every door. The puzzles also have their fair share of “eureka” moments; I won’t spoil the solutions but my favorites had to be the butterfly safe and the microphone keypad. They took me forever and when I finally realized how to solve them, I felt like I was the next Einstein.
- Another unique aspect that I really enjoyed was the limited nature of the save rooms, though I suspect this is just a survivor horror thing and not exclusive to this game. In SIGNALIS, you should save every chance you get, because if you die, you are getting sent back ALL THE WAY to the last save room you were at, which might have been 30 to 60 minutes ago if you weren’t careful, You’d think this is a bad thing but I honestly loved the tension it brought to the game. I had to pace my ammo usage and ensure that I had enough to get out a situation unscathed because any death meant having to start all over. The relief I would feel seeing a red monitor…
- The atmosphere and setting of this game is something else entirely. There are so many little aspects that go into making sure every inch of the environment is foreboding and disconcerting, it's perfect. From the glitchy cutscenes, to the ability to toggle on ‘CRT mode’ (which distorts the screen as if you were playing on a CRT monitor), to the fact that the game tells you ‘you will regret this later’ if you choose to continue without saving. The setting itself is also amazing. Roaming the halls of a labor mine belonging to a communist, dystopian space collective, filled with shambling Replikas (sort of like androids) that writhe and contort as they take notice of you? Yes please.
- Of course, the atmosphere is also set by the music and sound design. I’m not the best at critiquing audio, but I really loved the muted, static-y soundtrack, interspersed with beautiful piano music; it's unlike the music of any game I’ve played before. And the sound design is also top notch: you are acutely aware of every single noise you make, which does wonders for a horror game.
- The story is very interesting as a significant part is left up to the player’s interpretation. There is no one theory that solves the entire thing (though some cover a lot of bases), and almost every player you meet that theorizes about this game will have a different idea of what Elster’s (the player character) journey meant. Some may take issue with this, but in my opinion it's what makes this game so impactful. Regardless of the specific story beats, the EMOTIONS I felt playing SIGNALIS were never in question, and that I believe is the story’s true strength. This game will leave you equal parts unsettled and somber. There are bits and pieces here and there that slowly build up an engaging narrative, and only in the end do you realize what Elster was truly meant to do. It hit me like a truck. This is the kind of game that warrants a video essay; there is truly so much to understand about it. I can’t deliver the story justice, you’d just have to check it out yourself.
Cons (not too many):
- For the most part, the limited inventory system is more annoying than challenging. Six slots is pitifully small: merely having a healing item, a weapon, and its ammo already takes up half of the space, and that doesn’t even take into consideration using a utility (flashlight, photo module), another weapon, or any puzzle/exploration items. The amount of times I had to backtrack to a save room to get ONE thing, then run all the way back to where I was before, was insane. Doesn’t help that Elster doesn’t run all that fast.
- The aiming mechanic could also have used a little more work. It's not terrible by any means, but it can take a decently long time to acquire targets, and if enemies are close together, it can be hard to switch between them quickly. This problem is magnified by the fact that most combat takes place in small rooms or tight corridors, meaning if you can’t aim quick enough, you’re going to get hurt.
Objective rating: 4.5 stars
Subjective rating: 5 stars
Reviewed on Mar 30, 2023