Signalis (Game) Review

 

 

CW: Mentions of depression, queerphobia, burnout

 

This review was written after a second playthrough and achieving all achievements within game as well as things only seen on a second playthrough.

 

I'm tired.

 

It's hard to explain without kind of going into deep rooted fears but it does relate, I promise. I'm really tired. I'm weary and a lot of days, even surrounded by the best people in the world, it doesn't quite ease. It's scary honestly, how weary you can feel in a world that does not abate to give you reasons to feel empty at points. Or rather, the people and society you live in, treating you as less in service to a cause you don't feel connected to or much care for or about. It is common in the modern day, to feel, especially as someone who is queer and femme, downtrodden by a society desperate to use you as a tool or cast you aside and label you an abomination.

 

So, Signalis is to me in this moment, what World of Horror was in a previous; a game of the feeling, of the moment. A game about a robotic being named LSTR (Elster) searching for someone they have lost in a ship crash. And from there, where the narrative and society and world degrades to the point what you're doing this for is both so small and perhaps the most meaningful thing you can do. To continue going.

 

To be clear, I played this game a long time ago with someone. Much like time, things changed and I no longer got to talk to that person much anymore. I am playing this game in the midst of a year full of what feels like departure and tragedy; and under a hovering threat of uncaring greedy facisism. Though it's intent and design are its own, it's hard not to play Signalis and draw proximity to elements, to how fearful it is to be yourself or what you desire to be under authoritarian rule that decries you as a tool to be discarded when no longer useful.

 

Love is at the core of this game. Whether it is too twisted or resonant for the one playing I feel is going to be subjective. For me, the love at its core is while forlorn, one I understand, even if there are elements I don't wish to. I know how hard it is to let go, I know how much pain it is when you remember the good times and then are confronted by now. Whether you let go or move the heavens to maintain the now, that is up to you again. For me, the endings of this game, which discuss that topic vary but while they did not move me as hard as I thought, they were ones I could understand the reasoning behind as I experienced them.

 

There's gameplay, it's neat. It conforms to aspects of survival horror games, such as the two I've played of writing this recently, Resident Evil and Crow Country, in the weapon handling, aspects on how to deal with opponents and the limited management of ammo; the 'Rule of 6' classic inventory option for me, feels too limiting to be enjoyable and I find higher difficulties to be not to my enjoyment either with the jump from casual to survival feeling borderline too much but that is my personal perspective. Those who enjoy one or two touches and managing inventory extensively will enjoy this.

 

I'm still tired. It's still not been easy. But Signalis is a game that I may have finished at just the right time. Just enough to know when to let go. And when to hold onto what matters. It's just deciding which of those which is what I'm still puzzling over; not as badly as that incinerator puzzle mind you…

 

Image taken from nintendo-insider.com