As a pretty big horror fan, I was very much looking forward to playing Signalis earlier this year when I finally got it. I’d heard a ton of really good things about it and it felt like it was about time. I was not at all prepared for the existential dread that awaited me. And also for how great Signalis truly is.
On a gameplay level, Signalis follows the basic gameplay formula of the survival horror titles of old; there’s a clear focus on resource management, a ton of puzzle solving and the fixed camera angles to go along with it. In this department Signalis isn’t groundbreaking or anything, far from it, but that’s not its aim. This is a game that’s more about refinement than it is about revolutionizing the genre, which is totally fine (especially considering how this style of game has gone out of fashion, in the mainstream at least). Signalis combines the harsh resource management of Resident Evil on PS1, along with its level philosophy, and the structure and puzzle design of the golden age of Silent Hill to great results. The difficulty curve here is a designer’s wet dream, easing the player into the gameplay loop over time while never running the risk of being stale. There’s always something new in each area, a new challenge to confront head on; the pace is so great that I don’t think newcomers to the genre would have any difficulty adapting to it at all. That isn’t to say Signalis isn’t difficult, however; the tight inventory system, in which you’re only ever allowed to carry 6 items at a time, forces you to think about every possibility each and every time you venture out into the horrors that lay in wait. Weapons and ammunition are robbed of all importance as key items needed to progress take up inventory space, leaving you defenseless against all enemies and forcing you to come up with solutions on the fly. Even downing an enemy doesn’t guarantee your safety, as they will eventually get back up when you least expect it unless you take drastic measures to get rid of them, which will cost you even more resources. Again, nothing that’s never been seen in the genre, however all of these pieces coming together really make Signalis a prime example of something that is greater than the sum of its parts; another one of these pieces that makes it so great being the atmosphere.
Signalis adopts a retro-inspired visual style which resembles the PS1 era graphics, and while on the surface it may look like something chosen for the sake of nostalgia there is quite a bit more to it. With this level of graphical fidelity our brains have to fill in a lot of the blanks, and for a game that is all about cosmic horror and the fear of the unknown, it’s pretty easy to see why this artstyle fits the game like a glove. The dark hallways of the space station of course have an eeriness to them, but also a very slight sense of comfort as you’re still seeing things you’re vaguely familiar with. As the game progresses, however, this familiarity is pulled from under you, and as you descent further down this hellhole the true fear of that which you don’t even recognize truly sets in. This is all accompanied by masterful sound design and a soundtrack that knows when to pull its punches and when to go for the jugular. Atmosphere in games is always a bit hard to put into words, but just playing a bit of the game really tells you all you need to know. Simply phenomenal.
I mentioned that Signalis falls under the category of “cosmic horror” and honestly that’s about the only way you can describe its story and how its told. Signalis is very vague with its plot, leaving lore and character motivations up to the players who are up to the task of exploring this world (i.e. notes, computer files, pictures, environmental storytelling, etc). Uncovering the horrors that these characters are going through fills you with a sense of dread that few others in the medium can even grasp, and there are several points where it truly feels like the game is toying with you just as much as it is toying with its characters. I’d say it’s the most comparable experience to a classic Silent Hill that has released ever since the disbandment of Team Silent, so props to them. I don’t want to go into much detail here in case someone does decide to give it a go, but it is one downer of a story with few, if any, bright spots that left me feeling quite hollow.
Signalis is a modern classic and one of the greatest to ever do it in my eyes, undoubtedly the best game I’ve played all year. If you’re a fan of horror and haven’t played this, do not pass up the opportunity to do so. It is worth every minute of your time.
On a gameplay level, Signalis follows the basic gameplay formula of the survival horror titles of old; there’s a clear focus on resource management, a ton of puzzle solving and the fixed camera angles to go along with it. In this department Signalis isn’t groundbreaking or anything, far from it, but that’s not its aim. This is a game that’s more about refinement than it is about revolutionizing the genre, which is totally fine (especially considering how this style of game has gone out of fashion, in the mainstream at least). Signalis combines the harsh resource management of Resident Evil on PS1, along with its level philosophy, and the structure and puzzle design of the golden age of Silent Hill to great results. The difficulty curve here is a designer’s wet dream, easing the player into the gameplay loop over time while never running the risk of being stale. There’s always something new in each area, a new challenge to confront head on; the pace is so great that I don’t think newcomers to the genre would have any difficulty adapting to it at all. That isn’t to say Signalis isn’t difficult, however; the tight inventory system, in which you’re only ever allowed to carry 6 items at a time, forces you to think about every possibility each and every time you venture out into the horrors that lay in wait. Weapons and ammunition are robbed of all importance as key items needed to progress take up inventory space, leaving you defenseless against all enemies and forcing you to come up with solutions on the fly. Even downing an enemy doesn’t guarantee your safety, as they will eventually get back up when you least expect it unless you take drastic measures to get rid of them, which will cost you even more resources. Again, nothing that’s never been seen in the genre, however all of these pieces coming together really make Signalis a prime example of something that is greater than the sum of its parts; another one of these pieces that makes it so great being the atmosphere.
Signalis adopts a retro-inspired visual style which resembles the PS1 era graphics, and while on the surface it may look like something chosen for the sake of nostalgia there is quite a bit more to it. With this level of graphical fidelity our brains have to fill in a lot of the blanks, and for a game that is all about cosmic horror and the fear of the unknown, it’s pretty easy to see why this artstyle fits the game like a glove. The dark hallways of the space station of course have an eeriness to them, but also a very slight sense of comfort as you’re still seeing things you’re vaguely familiar with. As the game progresses, however, this familiarity is pulled from under you, and as you descent further down this hellhole the true fear of that which you don’t even recognize truly sets in. This is all accompanied by masterful sound design and a soundtrack that knows when to pull its punches and when to go for the jugular. Atmosphere in games is always a bit hard to put into words, but just playing a bit of the game really tells you all you need to know. Simply phenomenal.
I mentioned that Signalis falls under the category of “cosmic horror” and honestly that’s about the only way you can describe its story and how its told. Signalis is very vague with its plot, leaving lore and character motivations up to the players who are up to the task of exploring this world (i.e. notes, computer files, pictures, environmental storytelling, etc). Uncovering the horrors that these characters are going through fills you with a sense of dread that few others in the medium can even grasp, and there are several points where it truly feels like the game is toying with you just as much as it is toying with its characters. I’d say it’s the most comparable experience to a classic Silent Hill that has released ever since the disbandment of Team Silent, so props to them. I don’t want to go into much detail here in case someone does decide to give it a go, but it is one downer of a story with few, if any, bright spots that left me feeling quite hollow.
Signalis is a modern classic and one of the greatest to ever do it in my eyes, undoubtedly the best game I’ve played all year. If you’re a fan of horror and haven’t played this, do not pass up the opportunity to do so. It is worth every minute of your time.