Signalis Reviews

Signalis is ranked in the 89th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
GameGrin
Spooky One
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2022

I can confidently recommend SIGNALIS for its puzzle element, but its combat, inventory, and sound design manage to bog it down to a merely okay title.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2022

Signalis is a brooding, atmospheric slice of survival horror that unfurls its dread in a slow, tantalizing manner. Its bleak retrotech world is a fine backdrop for the disturbing mysteries that must be uncovered in the frozen wastes of an ice planet.

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8 / 10
Oct 25, 2022

A stylish replication of survival horror's roots, which manages to capture and refresh the unsettling horrors of the genre's 90s origins.

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Eurogamer
Top Critic
Essential
Oct 25, 2022

A sapphic, sci-fi fever dream that finds horror and beauty among the stars, Signalis is dense and alluring to the last.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2022

Signalis offers an incredible story with a terrifying atmosphere that is just as much about your surroundings as it is about the creatures.

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4 / 5.0
Oct 25, 2022

While Signalis won't be leading to a full-on fifth-gen survival horror renaissance, if only because some of the genre's past sins still linger, it still delivers an enjoyable adventure that perfectly captures the feel of the classic era while also doubling down on more detailed cosmic horrors and twisted visuals, capped off with some sturdy combat and impressive puzzle design.

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8 / 10
Oct 25, 2022

Signalis is a nostalgic haunt that knows exactly where it came from but still dares to forge ahead, too.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2022

Signalis is a true retro survival horror with a unique visual style and a compelling story.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.4 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2022

A love letter to horror that was perhaps not suitable for anyone but, precisely for this reason, to be devoured in one go if you like the genre.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Unscored
Oct 25, 2022

In engaging with the story’s opaque and contradictory surfaces, one may flail about, tentatively reaching for this or that hypothesis. But if the game wants to get nuts, let’s get nuts. Maybe Ariane is somehow adrift in her own dream, in which her subconscious is drawing from the tyranny of the Eusan regime and from Ariane’s personal torments, which are adumbrated in notes and cutscenes. Elster may be a dreamed-up figment after all, a conduit for Ariane’s vague psychic baggage, whereas Ariane may herself be subject to the dreams of a less discernible entity (“the red eye beyond the gate”). In any event, Elster and Ariane seem to be searching for each other, and for some mystical escape hatch — a means of jettisoning their dismal surroundings. They do not wish to die, but they long to see beyond the veil, and to answer at last some dimly perceived wake-up call.

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Oct 25, 2022

Signalis conjures a memorable retro-futuristic vibe with its art design, matched with a story that explores the terrifying extremes of sentient life. But its Resident Evil inspired systems feel overly mechanical and fail to produce tension, draining energy from a potentially chilling scenario.

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8 / 10
Oct 25, 2022

All in all, this is an astoundingly stylish effort from such a small studio. Signalis is riveting in both the construction of its world and the tense survival horror gameplay it executes so well. Don’t overlook it because of its very late last-gen release: rose-engine’s effort has its feet firmly planted in the future.

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9.5 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2022

A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.

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Unscored
Oct 25, 2022

Signalis is a game that asks you to repeatedly plunge yourself into the abyss and face what meets you there. Those willing to look beyond its occasional nagging pain points and homage-laden surface will find a surprisingly intimate take on cosmic horror, one which beckons the player to consider, again and again and again, the question of what truly makes a person who they are, and just how far are they willing to go to keep a promise to a friend.

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GameBlast
Gohan Dutra
8.5 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2022

Effectively executing all the classic techniques that made the genre popular, but with its own creative storytelling, SIGNALIS is set to be a horror fan favorite for this October, or even long term. Being a solid game, it's hard to point out too many flaws in the experience.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

4 / 5.0
Oct 25, 2022

Despite some flaws, Signalis is a delightful addition to the survival horror genre in the style of the classics. A lot of care has been put into its world, and its gameplay never outstays its welcome. If you like traditional survival horror games and want another game that fills that niche, Signalis is a worthy title to keep in mind.

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80 / 100
Oct 25, 2022

All in all, Signalis is an unforgettable and eerie experience. It makes retro survival horror feel new and unique again. Just be prepared for a story with lots of room for interpretation. And the art is still very anime.

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80 / 100
Oct 25, 2022

SIGNALIS never lets up from feeling completely strange and unsettling. This works great in the context of a terrifying and disturbing alien world. However, this bizarreness stretches into archaic gameplay designs, a muddled story, and strange visuals. It feels like genuinely stepping into the past of the late 1990s, both for better and worse.

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7 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2022

In the end, Signalis is a rather fascinating adventure with gorgeous retro visuals and excellent audio colluding with an exciting story and lore and great story to offer a world absolutely worth exploring.

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Oct 25, 2022

Much like NieR: Automata's storytelling, Signalis heavily focuses on philosophy and requires multiple playthroughs to get the true experience. While some may not resonate with ambiguous storytelling, the only true flaw is the inclusion of Lovecraft's mythos. The story is initiated when players find a copy of "The Yellow King," a powerful god of malevolence in Lovecraftian lore. This inclusion is not only distracting due to the anticipation of if/when he'll appear, but it gives the impression that the story isn't confident in its own identity. Cosmic horror doesn't require Lovecraft to succeed, and developers Barbara Wittman and Yuri Stern prove that through the unique story, world, and gameplay that define Signalis and make it a must-play 2022 release.

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