Retro anime horror Signalis emerges from the cold this October

Like an unknown predator, Signalis has blipped up on my radar several times over the last few years, only to retreat back into the arctic snow. But it looks like the frosty thriller is just about ready to strike, announcing an October 27 release date at the Guerrilla Collective showcase today.

Signalis comes on the wake of a whole wave of retro horror games, sure. But it sets itself apart both in taking very direct cues from Resident Evil and Silent Hill's top down tank controls, but also in how it's absolutely dripping in vibes.

It's the cold, isolated horror of The Thing, the clunking retrofuturist machinery of Alien, the clacking analogue interfaces of Evangelion, told in a story of androids and monsters deep under a lonely icy world. It's bloody stunning to watch, is what I'm saying, and hopefully just as thrilling to actually play.

You don't even need to wait until October to try it, either. Signalis, like most games in today's Guerrilla Collective show, currently has a demo available to go and try on Steam.

20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time, and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and a part-time game developer herself, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She also unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon.