The Signifier Is A Significant Step Up From Your Average Murder-Mystery Investigation

Publisher Raw Fury released today a short dev commentary for their upcoming game, The Signifier. Created by developer Playmestudio, the video is a brief rundown of the premise and gameplay. Described as a “first-person tech-noir mystery,” this is certainly not your average indie game. Not only do the graphics look as good as their triple-A contemporaries, but the mechanics are equally impressive and complex.

The Signifier has you playing as renowned psychologist Frederick Russell who has helped construct a machine called the Dreamwalker. In a similar vein as the Animus from Assassin’s Creed, the Dreamwalker lets you enter the far reaches of another person’s memories. When Russell is asked to explore the mind of a recently deceased tech company VP, the experimental science turns to a mysterious investigation.

The gameplay loop in The Signifier involves both the real world and the Dreamwalker. First, you investigate various locations and search for clues, pre-building a structure for your case. Then you enter the Dreamwalker. There are several layers of brain to scan. Ranging from the “objective” version, in which the brain scan is realistic and fills in the blanks, and the “sensory” version, which is more abstract and unfocused, reflecting the raw senses and feelings of the person.

The Signifier will be arriving on Steam on October 15th, and coming to consoles next year. You can wishlist or preorder the game by clicking here.