💀 SIGNALIS – A Love Letter to Survival Horror (Steam Review)

🕹️ Chapter I – A Return to Survival Horror Roots

As someone who grew up playing Resident Evil (the classics, with tank controls and all), SIGNALIS instantly felt like home. Tight corridors, limited inventory, deliberate aiming, puzzles that demand attention—it all feels carefully crafted to evoke that old-school survival horror feeling without ever becoming a parody of it.

The game respects your intelligence and attention. It never holds your hand, which I adore. Every room, every item placement, every weird radio frequency puzzle serves a purpose. It's intimate and tense in the best way.

🎮 Chapter II – Gameplay That Rewards the Observant

The controls are tight, inventory management matters, and even the limited saves via radio terminals feel meaningful. There's a rhythm to how you progress—explore, survive, read, piece together. It’s challenging, yes, but fair. The low-poly art mixed with 2.5D perspectives creates a haunting and oppressive atmosphere, enhanced by excellent sound design.

One of my favorite things? How much you feel the isolation, even when enemies are around. You're always unsure. That ambiguity is a feature, not a bug.

🧠 Chapter III – Narrative: Subtle, Deep... Maybe Too Subtle

The story is... layered. Emotionally heavy. Dreamlike. Sometimes disjointed. And that’s intentional.

SIGNALIS does not tell—it shows. Through notes, visuals, surreal sequences, and the repetition of symbols and themes. If you’re someone who loves piecing together lore, it’s a treasure chest. But if you're more of a casual player just wanting a linear, surface-level narrative? You will miss most of it.

That’s arguably the weakest point: the depth of the story is gated behind a kind of mental commitment. But for me, that’s exactly what made it unforgettable.

⚠️ Chapter IV – REPLAY

There are multiple endings. Most are cryptic, and none are exactly “happy.” But there’s one secret ending that broke me emotionally.

🔗 SPOILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxGV0xKq85I

Getting to this ending is frustratingly complex. You basically need to play the game with an almost obsessive mindset, make specific choices, and even then... it’s easy to miss. I won’t lie: it’s a bit annoying that something so powerful and meaningful is locked behind such esoteric requirements.

That said—when I did see it? I cried.

💌 Chapter V – A Passionate Experience

SIGNALIS isn’t for everyone. It’s not loud or flashy. It doesn’t scream its themes—it whispers them. But for players who miss the golden era of survival horror and who are willing to dive deep into the psychological depths of its world, it is a masterpiece.

It’s a game about memory, identity, and love. And for me? It’s unforgettable.

🟩 Recommended?
YES – Especially if you loved Silent Hill 2, classic Resident Evil, or enjoy storytelling that demands something from you.

If you played and are confuse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAR6I2ul1Ls

🕰️ Playtime: ~10 hours for a first run / ~15+ for full endings
💔 Favorite moment: realizing what the radio was really for...
🎧 Tip: Play with headphones. Let the sound wrap around you. Let it haunt you.