Signalis
| Signalis | |
|---|---|
| File:Signalis cover.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | rose-engine |
| Publisher(s) | Humble Games Playism |
| Director(s) | Yuri Stern |
| Designer(s) |
|
| Programmer(s) | Yuri Stern |
| Artist(s) | Yuri Stern |
| Writer(s) |
|
| Composer(s) |
|
| Engine | Unity[1] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | October 27, 2022 |
| Genre(s) | Survival horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Signalis is a survival horror video game developed by rose-engine and published by Humble Games and Playism. The game was released for Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 27, 2022. It received generally positive reviews upon release.
Gameplay
The core gameplay consists of top-down shooter elements from a top-down 2.5D perspective, with occasional puzzle elements. Puzzles vary from manipulating switches and dials, to searching for certain frequencies to broadcast in Elster's radio implant.[2] Difficulty and thematic elements are enhanced through the use of resource management as a gameplay and narrative mechanic. Elster is limited to six items on her person, including weapons, ammunition and key items for use in puzzle-solving and unlocking doors. In the fashion of Resident Evil, another survival horror series, there are safe rooms that allow the player to save progress and store their items for future use.[3][4]
Synopsis
Signalis is set in a retrofuturist world[5], in a planetary system reminiscent of the Solar System that is governed by the totalitarian Eusan Nation, which remains at war with a larger Empire from which it broke away. The player character "Elster" is a ship technician Replika unit[6] that awakens in the wreck of her crashed scout shuttle and sets out to look for the human pilot of her ship, encountering strange events of possibly supernatural origin in an underground mining facility.[7] The game features multiple endings depending on the choices of the player.[8]
Development
The game was developed by the two person German studio rose-engine, with development beginning in 2014.[4][9] Additional help was brought on through external composers.[2] The game was released across multiple platforms on October 27, 2022.[10] Publishing was handled by Humble Games and Playism.[9] Signalis is influenced by the Silent Hill and Resident Evil series.[11][12][2][13] Aesthetically, the game pulls inspiration from the graphics of the fifth generation of video game consoles, particularly from the original PlayStation. The game includes a CRT mode to further mimic the effect.[10][14] Additional aesthetic influence comes from more traditional artwork, incorporating The Shore of Oblivion by Eugen Bracht as well as Arnold Böcklin's Isle of the Dead into the game.[15] Literary influences include The Festival by H. P. Lovecraft and The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers.[2][10] Filmic works by Stanley Kubrick, Hideaki Anno and David Lynch helped shape the narrative's themes of identity and memory in the game.[16]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | NS: 84/100[17] PC: 81/100[17] PS4: 80/100[17] XONE: 82/100[17] |
| OpenCritic | 85%[18] |
Signalis received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic,[17] and 85% of critics recommended the game, according to OpenCritic.[18] Critics generally praised the atmosphere and environmental storytelling of the game, although limited inventory and combat received criticism.[20][4][2] Some reviewers offered praise of the overall game, while noting a specific aspect that they felt held it back. The Verge noted issues with a few puzzles, but praised the overall game.[24] GameSpot noted that the aiming was "unreliable", while Nintendo Life instead critiqued that the boss fights of the game were not well suited to the combat system.[19] The game was included on Polygon's list of the best games of 2022.[25] Willa Rowe, in a review published by Inverse, referred to the game as the "best horror game of 2022".[26] The game was included on PC Gamer's list of the top 100 PC games of all time.[27]
Accolades
- 2020s horror video games
- 2022 video games
- Dystopian video games
- Humble Games games
- Indie games
- New York Game Award winners
- Nintendo Switch games
- Playism games
- PlayStation 4 games
- Retro-style video games
- Retrofuturistic video games
- Science fiction video games
- Single-player video games
- Survival horror video games
- Top-down video games
- Video games developed in Germany
- Video games featuring female protagonists
- Video games set in outer space
- Video games set in the future
- Video games set on fictional planets
- Windows games
- Xbox One games
- Video games about time loops