This game is rated PEGI 16
Our review includes potentially triggering words:
Death, Gore and Horror.
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Posted: 11 weeks ago, last updated 8 weeks ago.
Author: Ben Kendall, @GeekDadGamer and Jo Robertson.
Overview
In the distant future, the whole galaxy kneels to one authoritarian government which uses android Replikas as a labour workforce overseen by humans. You play Elster, a Replika technician who awakens on an unknown, seemingly deserted planet, and sets out to find her human handler, Ariane. You explore empty, lifeless facilities and buildings, gather resources that allow you to survive, unlock doors, and solve puzzles, using the weapons you find to destroy the malfunctioning Replikas who seek to kill you.
The gameplay consists of top-down shooting segments and puzzles. During combat, you must move quickly and aim precisely to ensure you don't get overwhelmed or cornered by the attacking hordes; experimenting with different weapons and strategies is paramount to success. The resources you find strewn about are essential to your survival, as they allow you to restore health, unlock new areas, and solve the many puzzles you encounter.
The puzzles range from cracking a passcode, decrypting radio messages, or balancing water levels within pipes. They can be just as challenging as the fights and often require deep thinking and perseverance to overcome. As you play, the story reveals itself through a series of notes you find, animated anime-style cutscenes, and challenging boss enemy encounters.
The result is a unique game that demands precision and accuracy in combat but also necessitates a slower and more thoughtful approach to the puzzles you face. It balances this unique gameplay blend with a thought-provoking reflection on the bonds that tie technology and humanity together in deep and inescapable ways.
Game Details
Release Date: 27/10/2022
Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
Content Rating: PEGI 16
Skill Rating: 12+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fighting, Narrative, Puzzle and Shooting
Accessibility: 17 features
Developer: Last Starfarer (@LastStarfarer)
Lists
View our choice of games like Signalis. This game is good if you want to:
Duration
Play Style
You can play this game in the following styles:
Age Ratings
In the US, ESRB state: From a 3/4-overhead perspective, players explore a cold planet, search for resources, and battle malfunctioning androids. Players use pistols and shotguns to shoot and destroy androids, resulting in blood effects that stain the ground. Battles are highlighted by realistic gunfire and cries of pain. Cutscenes depict additional acts of violence and blood: a woman choked to death; a character impaled in the head. Large blood stains and bloodied corpses are depicted in several environments.
The developer provides the following Mature Content description on Steam: "This Game may contain content not appropriate for all ages, or may not be appropriate for viewing at work: Frequent Violence or Gore, General Mature Content."
Skill Rating
12+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Still, it's important for parents and guardians to consider the maturity required to process the game content. You need to accurately aim at and shoot enemies, and some of the puzzles can be very difficult and often require a good deal of thought. But mainly, you need the maturity to appreciate the driving story behind the game which ties things together.
Costs
Signalis
![]() | Xbox Series X|S | £16.74 | – | Free Xbox Game Pass |
![]() | Xbox One | £16.74 | – | Free Xbox Game Pass |
![]() | PS4 | £15.99 | – | – |
![]() | PC | £15.99 | – | – |
![]() | Switch | £15.99 | – | – |
Accessibility
The controls require precise timings and rapid button presses. You can toggle whether you want sprinting to be a hold or a toggle function. In the settings, you can change the difficulty (three levels to pick from) of the combat under the setting labelled Combat Accessibility, but only at the start of the game. The puzzle difficulty cannot be altered, and some require significant thought for a prolonged period of time, sometimes up to and in excess of half an hour. You can make it so that your weapon automatically reloads. Some of the puzzles require you to do an action within a certain time.
You can only save at certain points, so it is possible to lose a significant amount of progress when you die if you haven't saved for a while.
Much of the text throughout the game is quite small and can be low contrast, and although the subtitles are high contrast, they are not very large.
Some of the puzzles can be hard to understand at first, and often the objective isn't immediately clear.
Much of the game is very dark, and because of this and the small size of some items, it can be difficult to distinguish some things from others. There are lots of screen effects present, many of which can be disabled, but there will always be flashes and occasional screen-shake effects.
Some of the puzzles rely on sound.
Diversity and Inclusion
Gender and Sexuality:
Gender Representation: The gender representation of the pre-defined characters you can play in the game.
- Play as Stereotype-Free Woman: The game's protagonist is a woman who doesn't conform to common gender stereotypes. Leading the narrative and not conforming to common objectification.
Sexual Orientation Representation: The sexual and romantic orientation of characters you can play in the game.
- Play as Lesbian Character: The game’s protagonist is a woman, feminine presenting person, or non-binary person who is a lesbian (attracted to women, feminine presenting people, or non-binary people).

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