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- Raw Fury
- Raw Fury
- Raw Fury
- Raw Fury
The Signifier
Released On: Oct 15, 2020
68
6.9
All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
68
32% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
63% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
68
32% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
63% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
The Signifier is visually creative and quite a remarkable experience that ropes you into its mystery and keeps you guessing long past its rushed ending. It uses visual creativity that comes with the very concept of memory and dream exploration and creates some unique puzzles. While at times it came off as disorienting, those moments were in the minority and still kept me wanting more, flaws and all. Consider checking out this game the next time you’re looking for a mystery.
The Signifier is an intriguing adventure game/ walking simulator with a compelling story and unique design aspects. The presentation can be a bit janky, but the game has definitely stuck in my mind since finishing it.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 21 User Ratings
6.9
48% Positive
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
38% Mixed
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
14% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 21 User Ratings
6.9
48% Positive
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
38% Mixed
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
14% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
The Signifier is perhaps one of the first truly innovative games in the adventure / crime / thriller / cultism / sci-fi / (mild) horror genre with a completely unique experience and story. What it does exceptionally well is using AI in a way that makes it believable both in terms of AI-generated content and narrative. Want to dig through someone's thoughts and dreams? As a contracted private investigator? Yes, this is exactly how I would imagine an AI to interpret complex brain signals in order to make visuals and the absurdities that would follow. Horrors, fear and voyeurism combined with a narrative that spurs empathic feelings makes a great base for understanding other people in general. The game lets you explore this through different dimensions - each voicing different perspectives - you the player, targets objective and finally the targets subjective. All in all it is a solid 8hour adventure and right now a complete steal at Steam.
The negatives:
* Sometimes it was difficult to progress and know what to do with the keys aka "raw data"
* A few immersion killing invisible walls
This game is a small-studio produced marvel and deserves way more appreciation than what it has received so far. All I want now is a sequel.
Report
PC
If you are looking for a Walking Simulator with a great story and lots of innovations, The Signifier might be a good option for you. A game that will be one of your most unique experiences ever even though it's suffering from some fundamental issues.
The Signifier has all the conceptual elements required to deliver a great experience. The world intrigues and engages, the personal relationships have potential, the brain scanning idea opens up a lot of gameplay possibilities. The game never quite reaches that potential but it’s still great to see such solid foundations for an indie title. Gamers who love immersion and emotional experiences should dive deep into the memories and dreams The Signifier offers, even if the gameplay is a little limited and the ending fails to live up to the initial excitement. And I truly hope that a sequel or a spin-off is in development to take advantage of all the solid groundwork that the developers created.
Those looking for an intriguing sci-fi tech thriller could do worse than The Signifier – it’s competent and intriguing until the second half. That said, with a more fleshed–out plot, more interesting puzzles and a stronger finish, Playmestudio could have had something special on their hands.
If its atmosphere as its concept are successful, The Signifier struggles to develop its very good ideas and comes up against a certain repetitiveness even though the ground of the game would have been fertile enough to diversify both the puzzles and the phases of the game.
From the onset, The Signifier presents itself as something wholly different. Both the game and its central character have the lofty goal of interpreting dreams and memories in a visually interesting way. There are puzzles that utilize this concept well, and encounters that showcase just how daunting the creation of an AI dream-machine would be, but they are few and far between. The overall pacing and the moment-to-moment gameplay require far too much commitment for the average player. There's a great version of The Signifier out there, imagined deep in someone's dreams - but we'll just have to settle for the real thing.
Difficult to rate since it starts off great, solid 10, but then it becomes less and less beautiful and interesting. The central mystery is not really resolved and the memories it chooses to showcase have little bearing on the SF story. The ending is also quite abrupt and unsatisfying, framing the whole experience like an unnecessary prequel to SOMA.
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PC
In my extremely important opinion I think that this game would be better if I would've written a better review for it.
Report
PC
Summary This psychological thriller journeys from the real world into the surreal realms of objective memories and subjective experiences. Experimental parapsychology, artificial intelligence, and technology intersect as players solve puzzles, unravel dialog, and seek the truth.
Platforms:
- PC
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- Meta Quest
Initial Release Date: Oct 15, 2020
Developer:
- Playmestudio
Publisher: Raw Fury
Genres:
