There’s a lot to like about The Signifier, and a handful of ways to get lost. Entering the universe crafted in Playmestudio’s debut project as AI and psychology expert Frederick Russell, you soon find yourself and Russell’s brain scanner “Dreamwalker” at the heart of what at first seems like a fairly standard murder mystery.

That (of course) doesn’t last long. As the stakes heighten between conflicting factions and interests, Russell contends with multiple adversaries. He deals with fraught memories, shadowy corporate actors, and his own family dynamics. Throughout the game, these interactions are mediated by lofty ethical questions about the use of technology, the right to privacy, and more. These questions are often framed through the lens of carefully woven psychological and philosophical thought.

I’ll admit, at times the jargon lost me. Other times, it hit a slightly hackneyed note — “Ceci n’est pas un pipe,” really? — that earned an eyeroll. Still, it’s largely effective in terms of building atmosphere and giving you a sense of who the protagonist is as you explore and mull over a variety of set piece locations. However, it does sometimes mean some of the conversational dialogue comes over a little stilted or artificial-sounding.

It’s clear that the developers behind this game were keen to demonstrate their grasp on these concepts, and it’s certainly impressive. Yet while it mostly works for the story The Signifier is trying to tell, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the significance of these ideas was lost on some players.

Equally, I’m deeply intrigued by the game’s approach to environmental puzzle solving, as it brings something truly novel to an otherwise familiar click-and-drag mystery-puzzler genre. Having something genuinely new to sink my teeth into here was and remains (for me) one of the biggest draws that this title has to offer. It’s deeply unfortunate, that the instructions provided for using the game’s puzzle-solving tools don’t seem to recognize that they’re new. Because of this, players might need a bit of a leg up figuring out how to wield them effectively.

By the game’s second chapter, I found myself confused not by the puzzles themselves, but by how I was supposed to use the controls and mechanics. While I eventually figured it out through trial and error, by then I was frustrated enough that I had to walk off for a break. Obviously, this isn’t the sentiment The Signifier aimed to inspire. While priding itself on ambiguity and grey areas mostly works for The Signifier‘s story — more on that shortly — it’s to the game’s detriment that its gameplay can at times be equally foggy.

As far as the narrative is concerned, The Signifier is a game mostly well-served by its contemplative pace. This leaves the player plenty of room to make sense of all that the game prompts you to think about, on top of the at-times convoluted sifting through warping memories and emotional landscapes.

It’s a shame though that the game seems to lose its careful grasps on pacing once it reaches its climax. The solution to the mystery at the heart of the game ultimately feels hollow and rushed. It left me at The Signifier‘s exit gate with mixed feelings.

Visually, The Signifier has a lot going for it, at least when it comes to set and puzzle design. Its landscapes and rooms have an appropriately dreamlike quality that moves fluidly between the comforting and the unsettling. This is aided by some intriguing sound design choices.

The face models and character animations for NPCs don’t quite seem to have received the same love, though. They are prone to stiff motions and dialogue falling out of sync with a character’s mouth movements. These missteps create some unsettling elements that I’m fairly confident weren’t intentional. Those elements interfere a little with the clear expectation to invest in a story that, for all its lofty set-dressing, is ultimately a very human one.

In summary The Signifier has a lot to offer, and is at its best when it slows down to let the player make sense of everything on the proverbial table. However, it would benefit from some more clearly-written gameplay instructions and some extra attention to human character design to really achieve its ambitious goals.

A PC Review Copy of The SIgnifier was Provided by Raw Fury for this Review.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

The Signifier

$22.79

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• A new and intriguing approach to environmental puzzles
• Competent set-piece design

Cons

• Ending is a little unsatisfying
• Gameplay mechanics get confusing at times
• Character face models and animations need some work