Signal Simulator Review

Developer : Blagovest Plenev

Publisher : Blagovest Plenev

Release Date : 29^th April 2018

Review Date : December 2019

Platform : PC

Price at time of Review : 16 Euros at Spanish Steam Store

Reviewed by : DJ Anarkros

Hello all, DJ Anarkros here.. Thought I’d spend a few moments to go over a game I often play after a long day at work, it involves no online play, no guns, no griefers and definitely no loot boxes or quickly paced do or die action.. it is simply called Signal Simulator and revolves around your super Top Secret Government second job searching for extra terrestrial signals. The game for me is relaxing yet has a quality that many games lack.. a feeling of involvement and accomplishment. It is in a nutshell the perfect game for me to unwind to with my favorite beverage in hand, turn on the in-game radio and tune it into my go to radio station “New Eden Radio” and sit back and take myself off to other worlds.

Gameplay:

7/10

So far I have amassed somewhere around 80 hours.. in a game that basically involves you twiddling various knobs and dials trying to home in on differing radio signals to achieve a higher signal strength. Occasionally a resupply helicopter will pass over head and deliver much needed supplies but for the most part you are locked in alone in a radar compound with nothing for company expect a small golf buggy that you can drive around in and 18 or so satellite dishes that require constant maintenance, oh, and an Alien or two.. that like to sneak up behind you when you least expect it and who may or may not have plans to use your orifices for some probing… oh and an old NASA rover.. that you can control and hunt for radiation patches and such like within the compound.

The game is not fast paced, but it does require the use of brain matter.. so as a score out of ten I am going to give it a 7, it is not the most complicated game and for some could be considered boring but if you stick with it and see it for what it really is, a way to relax and unwind then I think you will appreciate the work that has gone into this, it has all been written by just one programmer on his own but don’t let that fool you, there are constant updates and… Lots and lots of knobs and switches to pull and push..

Each screen has its own use and controls individual aspects that you as the operator must decide how you will use.. to begin with after firing up the main terminal you need to open the laptop to access the small options, such as

which in turn will then show access to more laptop sided controls such as :-

Which in turn will allow you to access the small radio scanner to let you search for a “Signal”

That Smudge to the right and up is the signal we are hunting for, once locked it, we can then start a wave form analysis

Which in turn allows us to use the satellite dishes to seek the signal frequency

and when we have correctly ascertained the right frequency then starts up the co-ordinate locator

which then allows us to rotate the large satellite dishes in the direction of the signal, using this control panel :-

which rotates the dishes over on this panel …

except, well you need to keep an eye on this panel that tells you how strong the signal is..

That, if you get right will then pass the signal to these panels

and

That “IF” everything is good, will finally reveal a signal.. and pay you credits that you can upgrade with

Now. I did tell you that there were 18 separate satellite dishes you have to maintain because.. well.. they break down.. meaning you have to go outside to fix.. oh.. and the solar panels.. they need to be reset and cleaned also.. oh.. and the outside generator.. oh.. and the server room panel, that will need looking at.. as will all 18 satellite dishes alignment.. oh and it overheats, so that is another panel and you also need to take care of the power management and the servers need rebooting sometimes.. oh and finally.. I did mention the Aliens that were outside (most of the time) trying to find ways to probe your signal generator..

Did I mention this was a relaxing game? sure I did.. just like the fact I mentioned you have to do “all” the above under a time limit, the signals come and go.. they are like that.. so don’t delay resetting the fuses and the servers and the calibration and the heat sinks as well as ordering parts and so on.. but hey,you get coffee in game.. so there is that.

There are 3 difficulties.. the game remains the same,

Easy is Easy, it allows you to move the dishes and get real time advice if you are warm or cold on the signal.
Medium means you have to stop the dish to get signal strength feedback each time
Hard? you have to rescan the signal strength after every dish move.

Easy pays out low credits, Medium a higher rate and Hard pays the most. I have done all 80 hours on Medium but its your call, only you will know.. and of course, the Aliens.

Finally.

Multiplayer 0/10 or 10/10 depending on your opinion, there is no multiplayer, its single player only.

Graphics 8 out of 10.

It has ok graphics for what it is but won’t set the world alight.

Sound.

8 out of 10. Again, does what it needs to do without being overly special about it.

Overview, a simple game in its conception but expertly carried out and will at points have you running around like a headless chicken whilst trying to scan extra terrestrial signals.. just watch out for the Aliens..