Signalis review – (un)traditional survival horror

While we had a pretty long period in the last decade where survival horror all but disappeared from the video game industry, the genre is now making an impressive comeback. And not only in AAA games, but also in indie games. This review will be about one such. I confess that I first heard about Signalis after its release, but immediately became intrigued and started playing. Looking back, I definitely don’t regret it.

• Platform: PC (Verified), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
• Publication date: 27.10.2022
• Developer: rose locomotive
• Publisher: humble games
• Genre: survival horror
• Czech localization: Not
• Multiplayer: Not
• Data to download: 1 GB
• Game time: 10 hours
• Price: €19.99 (Steam), available on Game Pass

At first glance, Signalis is a fairly traditional survival horror game, visually reminiscent of titles from the original PlayStation era. Nice pixel art is very suitable for the game and immerses you even more into an interesting world that was built only by the two-man rose-engine studio. The chosen visual style works not only in the main parts, but also in shorter 1st person episodes that often develop the story.

If I had to compare the title to a standalone game, it would definitely be Silent Hill, because that’s how I envisioned SH in space. In Signalis, you play as Elster, the so-called Replica, who sets out on a journey to find her lost dreams. And also for a person who is very close to her.

While the story is one of the main strengths of this game, don’t expect long cutscenes or anything like that. The story is told here through clues, various documents and memories. And while I’m a fan of such arcane storytelling, Signalis really suited me in terms of plot as well. The game gradually gives you enough information to form your own opinion about what really happened. And even after beating the game, the plot will surely make you, like me, go online and look at the various theories of other players. The developers have worked hard to create not only the main storyline, but the whole world in which the game takes place.

But it’s clear to me that you’re probably most interested in how the game is played. Simply put, if you are familiar with the first installments of well-known series, such as the already mentioned Silent Hill or the rival Resident Evil, you will feel right at home. You are moving in a confined space where it is essential to carefully plan your path before leaving the safe room. Yes, they are here too and work in exactly the same way as in both mentioned series. However, there is no limit to the amount of memory, and trust me, you will use it a lot.

In the underground complex, you will meet a few friendly faces, but they will not be many. The vast majority of living beings are, of course, enemies. And that you will meet many of them. In the first half, I still found her pretty balanced, just right for a survival horror game.

But this cannot be said about the second half of the game, where the developers went a little too far with the number of enemies. Running away from them can be quite frustrating sometimes, and you just can’t kill them all. Unfortunately, I can not praise and variability. It is present at the visual level, but all the enemies behave very similarly.

On the other hand, I liked the mechanics of reviving some of the corpses, as we know, for example, from the Resident Evil remake. If you don’t light them, you can never be sure that they are really gone. I also liked the boss fights, there are not many of them, but they are worth it.

The real strength of Signalis, however, lies in the quieter part. Explore disturbing and terrifying rooms, learn more about the world around you, and solve creative puzzles. I was very happy with them in terms of difficulty because they are hard enough but not too hard to be frustrating. I only got stuck twice in the entire game, both due to my own inattention. There is a lot of praise for the developers here because designing a survival horror game is not easy at all. In addition, puzzles are combined with the use of objects, pattern recognition, or the use of your radio – yes, again, another common element with Silent Hill.

Of course, the inventory is limited to only 6 slots. So going back is absolutely key, which I personally enjoyed, but I can’t rule out that it could turn out to be a disappointment. I think it would be nice if the authors made it possible to expand the inventory by at least two slots during the game, or completely rework the system of how it works, because almost always you need to have a pistol and a flashlight with you, and these are already two slots from six, so you don’t have much left.

Even these shortcomings did not prevent me from enjoying Signalis immensely. A dark atmosphere, a plot that needs a little thought, pleasant musical accompaniment and quite traditional Survival Horror gameplay. If you are a survival horror fan, you definitely shouldn’t miss this interesting title. And, perhaps, finish it more than once, this game hides many secrets.