Xbox Game Pass is home to a must-play horror with strong Silent Hill vibes

Lately we’re seeing games set in outer space come back stronger than ever, but what about the survival horror genre? A horror subgenre that undoubtedly thrived in the late 1990s and early 1990s with shows like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Clock Tower paving the way.

This particular subgenre has suffered a bit since then. We saw Silent Hill become something that doesn’t even feel like Silent Hill anymore, and Resident Evil descended into action rather than horror. That being said, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard reset the Resident Evil series back in 2017, and we’ll even get a Resident Evil 4 remake early next year. Maybe, just maybe, even Silent Hill will follow suit with the upcoming Silent Hill 2 Remake.

With all that in mind, survival horror fans certainly aren’t going hungry right now, and while we wait for a revival of these classics, Xbox Game Pass is throwing a party. A key game, possibly the main course of said party (or perhaps a start if you like The Evil Within 2 or Dead Space), is Signalis. This debut indie game from Rose-Engine arrived on Xbox Game Pass on October 27 and was a tempting treat, just in time for Halloween.

Taking heavy inspiration from the aforementioned series, Signalis is a top-down 2D pixel art title that puts you in the shoes of Elster. She wakes up aboard a dystopian facility and must navigate harrowing corners and solve obtuse (but fascinating) puzzles in an attempt to get some answers and find her mate.

While a myriad of locked doors and hostile robots keep you busy, you’ll find yourself completing many actions you’ll have done before in survival horror titles from a decade ago. It pays homage to these games in a massive way, while still being its own distinctive take on the genre. It’s atmospheric in essence, and it really sinks its teeth into you. Between managing your limited inventory and running away from hostile enemies to conserve your ammo, you find yourself desperate for more answers.

Signalis is accompanied by an industrial lofi score throughout, taking you back to the Otherworld of Silent Hill in places. Not only this, but you often find yourself learning more about Signalis through notes and flashbacks, something most horror fans will once again be familiar with; more clues about dystopian capitalism and the hidden uprising that this strange environment seems to be facing.

I admit that Signalis is not the perfect game. The controls can often feel a bit out of place at times, and it’s quite easy to get stuck. That said, it breathes nostalgia while it’s fresh, and it filled the Silent Hill-shaped hole in my heart. On Xbox Game Pass, Signalis is an exciting use of 5-6 hours of your time. Also, if you get stuck, we’ve got some pretty helpful Signalis guides, if I do say so myself.

If you don’t subscribe to Game Pass, Signalis is also available to purchase on all major platforms.