Embrace the Unknown: How SIGNALIS's Lore Enhances Its Tale of Horrors

When one thinks of horror, chances are they picture folks who find themselves in isolated spots, with slim resources for survival, and in the unseen company of beings going bump in the night. Just as films and books aren't lacking in such genre renditions, so too do games bear many examples.

From the 8-bit jaunt in the haunt that is Sweet Home (1989) to the H.R. Giger-inspired land of biopunk dread that defines Scorn (2022), virtual horror has benefited from technological advancements and stylistic experiments to provide a bevy of takes on the fear of the unknown. Whether the source of said fear stems from bodily frights or psychological trepidation, developers have proven themselves capable of flexing their creative muscles to catch players off-guard and put them on edge—with little to no respite.

While horror games do benefit from trapping one in settings cut off from the wider world, that's not to say that players are stuck in a narrative vacuum—for lore can amplify the contrast between past and current events. Examples of background details that effectively contextualize far-gone places include those in BioShock (2007), Dead Space (2008), and Bloodborne (2015).

And lately, one can say that SIGNALIS (2022) ought to share that spotlight.

Developed by the German outfit rose-engine, SIGNALIS initially looks, sounds, and feels like an homage to pre-2000s survival horror games—one with tangible nods to cosmic horror and Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) that emphasize existential insignificance and psychologically taxing trials.

Yet those two facets don't benefit merely from featuring careful resource management, tension-enhancing audiovisuals, and claustrophobic levels.

SIGNALIS similarly uses its backdrop, characters' past, and the like to highlight just how big of a downfall things have taken upon entering an underground facility—in which the protagonist Elster hopes to find her long-lost companion Ariane—on the planet of Leng. Between ferreting out notes in dilapidated surroundings and paying close attention to the mood and circumstances that the characters find themselves in both in the past and the present, SIGNALIS's lore encourages one to explore the facility slowly.

For a horror game, this is clever not just because it gives one a reason to pace themselves (lest they run into trouble), but also because players are encouraged to piece together bits of evidence and lore scattered around the virtual space to grasp the meaning behind the ambiguously told narrative.

In this piece, I will closely look at seven worldbuilding aspects that highlight the ways in which SIGNALIS suggests a larger world and timeline beyond the in-game space's confines—reinforcing the gravity of the highly baleful situation and the characters' struggle to tighten their grasp of reality.

NOTE: Spoilers will crop up due to the analytical nature of this article.

The Nation's restrictions inform the cast's struggles to conform

One of the first major bits of lore players come across in SIGNALIS is the set of doctrines that the in-game universe's foremost force—the Nation—foists on Gestalts (human officers) and Replikas (robotic laborers).

The decrees serve a narrative purpose in the form of contextualizing the characters' struggles to blend in with the crowd (especially in the case of Ariane, Elster's Gestalt partner), but the Nation's laws also provide diegetic instructions for how Elster (i.e. the player) must play by SIGNALIS's rules.

For instance, the title's justification for limited inventory slots (a survival horror staple) is detailed via an in-game poster that players can easily miss if they rush themselves. The mention of private property being a privilege already hints at the Nation's collectivistic iron grip on its subjects, with its gameplay ramifications making players share Elster's feeling of restriction.

Likewise, the Nation's desire to have every subject's action monitored and recorded—lest loyal endeavors never get acknowledged—takes on the form of a save system that not-so-subtly informs players that they'll regret not saving their progress should they choose to take their chances outside the saferoom. Right from the get-go, the survival horror genre and the Nation's ideology make themselves known in a sinister fashion, reminding Gestalts and Replikas alike that they have little control over menacing circumstances.

As mentioned before, the Nation doesn't just cast its shadow over gameplay. In terms of lore informing the narrative, SIGNALIS details authoritarian acts that hint at a world that's as oppressive as the facility that players explore.

From the banning of books featuring content that can broaden the human mind (i.e. anything encouraging one to think outside the box that the Nation keeps its subjects in) to the forbiddance of platonic/romantic interactions between Gestalts and Replikas, the body of laws in SIGNALIS's universe makes a mockery of personhood—hence Ariane's decision to leave her homeworld behind in search of relative freedom and peace among the stars.

The added pressure to conform in a universe that doesn't love one back is then piled onto the tension that survivors of the facility-wide incident must grapple with. Ergo, no wonder that every non-mutated soul Elster stumbles upon struggles to allay defeatist thoughts and hang onto their maimed sanity.

Rooms spotlight Replikas' and Gestalts' needs and desires

While most of the areas that Elster explores have seen brighter days, players can still glean fetching tidbits about past occupants from the grimy interiors.

When coupled with the documents scattered about the virtual space, close looks at Elster's surroundings can paint a revealing picture of what Replikas and Gestalts treasured before having their sanity robbed from them—their abodes and property being the sole vestiges of more wholesome times.

For example, EULR units are quite fond of dancing and sizing themselves up in a mirror due to their neural patterns being derived from a ballet dancer. This can be observed in one of the saferooms, which turns out to be the piano room EULR units frequented to indulge in their love of music and frolicking. The relatively large space in the piano (safe)room also hints at the fact that EULR units enjoyed forming large groups, i.e. a strong sense of belonging.

Likewise, STCR units are predisposed to bearing short tempers that can lead to volatile acts of violence should they not be immediately kept in check.

The solution? Have showering and bathing facilities readily available to STCR units who need to literally cool off before they blow their top. Their additional need to read in order to ease their storm can also be felt via spatial storytelling (i.e. the presence of books on shelves and lying on the floor).

It's not just Replikas, however, who depict signs of hobbies and human curiosity in their material possessions. Gestalts also showcase their formerly untainted selves via their hobbies and the rooms in which they pursue said hobbies. To use Ariane again as an example, Elster's companion doesn't hide the fact that she is the artistic and creative sort—with paintings and vivid reads hinting at former days she wished she could hold onto in perpetuity.

In a way, the signs of past joys in SIGNALIS's world make the setting itself crueler than if everything were damning from the get-go—a bit like how one capable of empathy but more disposed to brutality is more monstrous than a beast who lacks empathy-enabling mirror neurons altogether. As a result, in-game rooms bear that aura of lost innocence prevalent in horrifying settings.

Replika posters/files clarify their combat style and delicate mien

On top of the living and recreational quarters that Replikas deem their humble abodes, Elster may unearth posters and files that give her an understanding of the NPCs they're likely to encounter on their journey.

Such viewable objects demonstrate not only the respective roles that Replikas embody on Leng and as part of the Nation, but also the kinds of combat approach and non-mutated temperament that Elster may be apprised of prior to shooting or talking to the many Replikas spread about the facility.

As an example, ARAR units are used to looking unassuming on the outside—a stark contrast to their being judgemental of uncouth folks and willing to share their vitriolic findings with fellow ARAR units. This kind of furtive behavior extends to their coping mechanism, i.e. digging and holing up in tunnels that run across the underground complex, which helps explain why players tend to run into mutated Replikas who emerge from under the floor.

This sort of foreshadowing can be felt not just in the collectible notes that Elster reads (e.g. the Replikas' full model names detailing their roles), but also in how the posters hung on walls depict the Replika model in question.

The STAR unit pointing a gun at an unseen threat, the FALKE unit flaunting her might through her tallness and psychic powers that pulse around her head... The way in which Replikas are portrayed makes players understand that before all hell broke loose, the Replikas already constituted a force to be reckoned with—making their mutated variants all the more intimidating.

The Replikas don't bear distinctive traits in the realm of combat, however. How they interact with the world and people around them in social situations similarly illustrates the multifaceted nature of the Replika mindset. The psychic KLBR unit, for instance, is prone to congregating with fellow KLBR units and amplifying their powers via the "hive mind" cadre. The same can be said of EULR units, albeit for leisurely reasons rather than psychic ones.

In fact, this level of sociability among Replikas can be closely observed when Elster finds a sole KLBR or EULR unit in non-combat rooms.

Between their fear of isolation and the fact that they feel cast out from the clique they formed with fellow Replikas, it's not hard for one to see that the loss of physical companionship deepens the fear of the unknown—making the Replikas more human and delicate than their robotic designs may imply.

It thus says a lot about the horrors of the facility—and the Nation's questionable design choices regarding the Replika mind's solidity—that even automatons are prone to succumbing to despair in tough situations.

Eerie vibes lend melancholy and dread to the uncovering of lore

While the lore itself is intriguing to uncover for narrative and gameplay purposes, the feeling of stumbling upon revealing and sometimes damning knowledge is made all the more poignant by SIGNALIS's presentation.

To be more specific, the gloomy visuals and chilling sound design work together to make the process of discovery intriguing enough for players to keep combing their surroundings for insightful details and items that'll enable them to make sense of their situation and properly navigate it.

This focus on melancholy and dreary audiovisuals achieves two things.

Firstly, SIGNALIS's presentation accentuates the nebulous nature of the unknown—causing one to seek closure and empowerment in knowledge and certainty. In gaming terms, this can translate to players wanting to brave their alien surroundings to find anything that helps them better understand their obstacles such as the Replika files that hint at combat tactics to watch out for.

Secondly, the audiovisuals set the mood that players absorb while perusing lore bits—the daunting vibes solidifying the feeling of horror one embodies while fathoming the disturbing meaning of some of the notes they collect.

For instance, a diary that becomes increasingly more distressing with each new entry can leave a deeper impression on players when read in an environment that looks and sounds as if the horrors have fully infected the atmosphere—paralleling the way in which everyone succumbed to illnesses.

It also helps that SIGNALIS's nods to survival horror staples like Resident Evil (1996) extend to the presentation of its environments and documents.

The gruesome and distant imagery that leaves plenty to the disturbed imagination, the white-text-against-a-dim-background approach to depicting collectible notes... Such simple but foreboding audiovisual touches help make the process of looking for and understanding lore details a suitably dark descent into the maw of forbidden knowledge. A fitting way of describing SIGNALIS given its unvarnished cosmic horror influences.

Therefore, the world of SIGNALIS isn't just harrowing because of its lore, but also because the ambiance adds tension to negotiating one's surroundings and the series of texts expounding the way in which things went truly south.

The suicidal scouting mission mirrors Elster's hellish journey

As if the laws that the Nation unloads onto its subjects weren't enough, there's also the fact that the world of SIGNALIS is defined by an ongoing conflict between the Nation and another powerful entity called the Empire.

In light of this, the former is eager to remind its citizens of measures taken to instill and expand order: Canceling civil festivals, sending investigators to catch Imperial spies and chastise divisions who failed to notice espionage, and—in the case of Elster and Ariane—deploying scouting ships tasked with finding planets harboring resources and real estate for colonial settlements.

Yet as with all things authoritarian, there's a catch with scouting missions: Should the Gestalt and Replika onboard fail to find planets of interest, they are not expected to return home—or even live for long. Chalk it up to the ship's functions waning as the number of spaceborne cycles keeps growing.

Prior to the game's beginning, radiation starts filling the ship's atmosphere—causing Ariane's health to deteriorate. While Elster was tasked with mercy killing Ariane should the inevitable come to pass, the Replika instead chose to seal Ariane inside a cryogenic pond—likely out of love for the only person she spent considerable amounts of time with in the coldest reaches of space.

Long story short, what initially looked fishy soon turned into a harrowing scenario that makes one want to leg it out of danger and toward safety.

If this escalation of events sounds familiar to those who played the game, that's because Elster's journey into the depths of Leng mirrors the scouting mission: Things looked initially normal before the facade got peeled off.

The backstory that Ariane and Elster shared, then, serves to highlight the simultaneous contrast and similarities between their scouting endeavor and the fact that they got caught up in a psychologically terrifying chain of events. It shows how hopeful the two were with regards to fleeing past woes and beginning anew far beyond the purview of the Nation's authority, making the horrors Elster and Ariane respectively face all the more heart-rending.

That the environment around Elster becomes fleshier and more corrupted as Ariane's condition in the cryogenic pod worsens only serves to drive home the cruel parallels between the scouting mission's and the game's outcomes.

Memories underline harsh events and surroundings in the past

As unwelcoming as Elster's present-day surroundings are, that's not to say that the past doesn't bear its fair share of horrors (albeit less visceral ones).

Due to the game's unreliable shifts in perspective, players sometimes partake in first-person scenes depicting days gone by. Eagle-eyed players may notice that Ariane has a major role in the game's rendition of the past. As mentioned before, SIGNALIS's world doesn't take kindly to misfits—particularly where the totalitarian Nation is concerned. This fact underlines the torment Ariane endured before getting entangled in the twisted reality that Elster explores.

One of the first memories that players experience, for example, sees Ariane hanging her head in pensive sadness while riding the train on her homeworld of Rotfront. The musical track and spatial emptiness defining that sequence make it clear that she was the recipient of humiliation and abuse—further isolating her from the rest of a society that already looked down on her ilk.

This initial impression is corroborated by another memory sequence that has players wake up in an empty classroom on a snowy night and look for a fellow schoolgirl. Light spills out of a slightly ajar doorway further down the hallway that players step out onto, naturally luring them towards the door.

The game uses that opportunity to take control away from players and have the camera zoom onto the gap in the doorway. What unfolds is a traumatizing scene that involves a seated Ariane being surrounded by three masked schoolgirls before getting pushed off her chair. She collapses onto the floor and gets kicked in the back by one of the bullies to the distorted crying of children in the ambient track that plays in the background.

When taking into account the details about Ariane's non-conformist interests, it's easy to deduce that her individuality—one of the things that make one truly human—has led to her being treated as something less than human.

The past, then, offers a glimpse into the reality that people like Ariane sought to escape in order to have some degree of control over their surroundings and circumstances—making the horrible situation that unfolds on Leng that much more dreadful for the already beleaguered Ariane to find herself in.

Notes and items highlight the characters' interests and fears

As the previous point suggested, SIGNALIS's characters already bore their share of past experiences before the game's events were set into motion. This detail helps provide contrasts between the kind of people they were and the individuals they have now become following their exposure to Leng's woes.

Most of those experiences were challenging, with an occasionally pleasant one being suggested in notes and items Elster finds. Ariane's love of painting and books, for example, isn't just mentioned, but also revealed and collected in-game. One such book—which deals with a supernatural topic the Nation's unlikely to approve of—is Robert W. Chambers's The King in Yellow.

On top of its genre being something that resonates with the eccentric Ariane, The King in Yellow's contents may also have likely shaped the warped reality and cycle of madness that Elster finds herself in—chiefly due to the fact that Ariane bears psychic powers that involve projecting her own emotions and memories onto other folks' minds. Emotions and memories that are worsened by the cosmic horrors dwelling beneath the surface of Leng.

The same thing applies to Ariane's paintings, most notably her rendition of Arnold Böcklin's Die Toteninsel (The Isle of the Dead)—which could symbolically represent Leng: An isolated patch of macabre mysteries.

Other characters similarly harbor interests and woes of their own that can be revealed via in-game collectibles. The Replika administrator ADLR, for instance, is depicted via documents as someone who holds his commander FALKE in high esteem—making her worsening sickness that much harder for him to bear when there's already a mysterious infection spreading like wildfire around the underground facility. It also doesn't help that ADLR's faulty memory makes him fear getting decommissioned should anyone find out about it, especially given that all defective Replikas may be disposed of.

If there's anything to be derived from reading about what characters treasured prior to ending up in a nightmare, it's that they help players get an idea of the (rare) emotional highs the characters may have enjoyed before having such pleasures robbed from them by things beyond their control.

SIGNALIS doesn't hesitate to remind players that Elster and NPCs don't just want to escape their circumstances because their lives are endangered, but also because they wish to reclaim the things that make them feel whole.

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Horror may be about fearing the unknown, yet uncomfortable truths and the context in which they exist also form a considerable part of the genre's appeal—especially when that context involves space, that uncharted frontier bearing wonders and terrors. With The Callisto Protocol (2022), Routine (2023), and Aliens: Dark Descent (2023) on the horizon, unfathomable fears and outer space will keep going hand-in-hand for quite some time.

The great thing about setting stories in the final frontier is that such tales can be conducive to providing background details that clue one in on how far spacefarers will literally and figuratively go to achieve whichever goal(s) they've set their minds on. And when (cosmic) horror casts its shadow on said goal(s), it underlines the stark contrast between what spacefarers expect and what they actually end up getting—thus laying the foundation for the uphill battle they must wage if they're to emerge a (relatively) sound mind.

SIGNALIS stands as a crowning achievement for rose-engine, and not just because it's their first game—one with many qualities to boot. Via its use of spatial narratives in claustrophobic areas and of worldbuilding hinted at in notes and memories, SIGNALIS manages to convey the fact that horror—no matter where one roams—can follow and haunt many a soul at every turn.

But if there's one key lesson to be derived from playing and studying the title, it's that horror can benefit a great deal from presenting a universe that bears its fair share of extremes—whether they're sociopolitical, environmental, or both—and having said extremes gruesomely manifest themselves within a contained region of the universe. Such is the effect Leng gives off via its unpredictable layout and chilling remnants of past events.

At its core, SIGNALIS is a love story in which powerful feelings—desire, dread, happiness, forlornness—clash to create an emotionally charged experience. And thanks to the lore, one can see why and how the characters wield the energies defining their hopes and fears—making the struggle to realize and quell them in the furthest reaches of space genuinely palpable.

The result? A descent into darkness that feels both intimate and epic in scope.

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