| Signalis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | rose-engine |
| Publishers | |
| Director | Yuri Stern |
| Designers |
|
| Programmer | Yuri Stern |
| Artist | Yuri Stern |
| Writers |
|
| Composers |
|
| Engine | Unity[1] |
| Platforms | |
| Release | October 27, 2022 |
| Genre | Survival horror |
| Mode | Single-player |
Signalis is a 2022survival horrorvideo game developed byHamburg-based rose-engine and published byHumble Games andPlayism. The player controls agynoid named Elster as she aims to solve supernatural mysteries after waking up in a hostile mining facility.
The game was designed to replicate the graphics and gameplay of thefifth generation video games, drawing inspiration from theSilent Hill andResident Evil series. Additional aesthetic influence came from traditional artworks and films that contained the themes of memory.Signalis was released forWindows PC,Nintendo Switch,PlayStation 4, andXbox One on October 27, 2022. It received generally positive reviews upon release, and was nominated for and won numerous awards.
The core gameplay consists oftop-down shooter elements from a top-down2.5D perspective, with occasionalpuzzle elements. Puzzles vary from manipulating switches and dials, to searching for certain radio frequencies.[2]
Difficulty and thematic elements are enhanced through the use ofresource 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 ofResident 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]
Signalis is set in aretrofuturist world,[5] in a planetary system reminiscent of theSolar System that is governed by thetotalitarian Eusan Nation, which remains at war with the Eusan Empire, from which it has revolted. The Nation employs Replikas, "biosyntheticclones manufactured to emulate model workers and soldiers".[6] Also within the game are humans, or Gestalts, defined in-universe as "a person that is not a Replika".[7]
The player character, Elster, is a ship technician Replika unit[8] who awakens fromsuspended animation in the wreck of her crashed scout shuttle and sets out to look for the human pilot of her ship. Entering a vast mining facility, she must puzzle out the strange, possibly supernatural plague which has killed most of the staff –and survive the remaining "Corrupted".[9] As Elster searches for her shipmate, she uncovers lost memories and forgotten relationships as she enters arecursive time loop.[7]
The game features multiple endings depending on the choices of the player.[10]
The game was developed by the two person German studio rose-engine, with development beginning in 2014.[4][11] Additional help was brought on through externalcomposers.[2] The game was released across multiple platforms on October 27, 2022.[5] Publishing was handled by Humble Games and Playism.[11]
Narratively and in structureSignalis is influenced by theSilent Hill andResident Evil series.[12][13][2][14] Aesthetically the game takes inspiration from the graphics of thefifth generation of video game consoles, particularly from the originalPlayStation. ACRT mode further mimics themise en scene.[5][15] Additional aesthetic influence comes from more traditional artwork, incorporatingThe Shore of Oblivion byEugen Bracht as well asArnold Böcklin'sIsle of the Dead into the game.[8] Visual influences are also taken from anime such asNeon Genesis Evangelion.[16]
Literary influences include "The Festival" byH. P. Lovecraft andThe King in Yellow byRobert W. Chambers.[2][5] The films ofStanley Kubrick,Hideaki Anno andDavid Lynch also helped shape the narrative's themes of identity and memory in the game.[17]
The game's music was co-composed by 1000 Eyes and Cicada Sirens.[18] In February 2024, rose-engine collaborated with the bandHealth to create a music video for their song "Don't Try" featuring gameplay footage fromSignalis.[19]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | NS: 84/100[20] PC: 81/100[20] PS4: 80/100[20] XONE: 82/100[20] |
| OpenCritic | 85%[21] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 9.5/10[11] |
| Eurogamer | Essential[5] |
| GameSpot | 8/10[23] |
| GamesRadar+ | 3/5[24] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4/5[15] |
| Nintendo Life | 9/10[22] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 92/100[26] |
| Polygon | Recommended[2] |
| Push Square | 8/10[4] |
| TouchArcade | 4.5/5[25] |
Signalis received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregatorMetacritic,[20] and 85% of critics recommended the game, according toOpenCritic.[21] Critics generally praised the atmosphere and environmental storytelling of the game, although the limited inventory and combat received criticism.[23][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.[9]GameSpot noted that the aiming was "unreliable", whileNintendo Life instead critiqued that theboss fights of the game were not well suited to the combat system.[22]MetalSucks described the game as "a dark love story caught up in a retrofuture survival horror masterwork".[16]
The game was included onPolygon's list of the best games of 2022.[27] Willa Rowe, in a review published byInverse, referred to the game as the "best horror game of 2022".[28] The game was included onPC Gamer's list of the top 100 PC games of all time.[29]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 12th AnnualNew York Game Awards | Chumley's Speakeasy Award for Best Hidden Gem | Won | [30][31] |
| 34th GLAAD Media Awards | GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Video Game | Nominated | [32] | |
| Gayming Awards 2023 | Best LGBTQ+ Indie Game Award | Nominated | [33] | |
| Authentic Representation Award | Nominated | |||
| Best LGBTQ+ Character Award | Nominated | |||
| Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film [de] | Animated Games Award Germany | Won | [34] | |
| Anifilm International Competition of Computer Games | Best Visual Art | Nominated | [35] | |
| 12th International Games and Playful Media Festival | Most Amazing Award | Nominated | [36] | |
| German Computer Game Awards 2023 | Best German Game | Nominated | [37] | |
| Best Debut | Won | |||
| Best Game Design | Nominated | |||
| Best Graphic Design | Nominated | |||
| Best Audio Design | Won | |||
| Horror Game Awards 2023 | Horror Game of the Year | Nominated | [38][39] | |
| Best Character | Nominated | |||
| Best Narrative | Won | |||
| Best Game Design | Nominated | |||
| Best Score/Soundtrack | Nominated | |||
| Best Indie Horror | Won | |||
| German Developer Awards 2023 | Best Graphics | Nominated | [40] | |
| Best Story | Nominated | |||
| Best Indie Game | Nominated |
