19:48 "Things are never going to be the way they should be" could be a tagline for the game, honestly. That is very much the feel of the game, especially in the later stages where story bits are falling into place
I'm not gonna lie, as someone who has played all the way through Signalis, your analysis of Die Toteninsel Emptiness had my jaw on the floor. I shouldn't be surprised at this point, you're always super on point, but it still flabbergasts me when you casually describe key plot and narrative points on a whim while listening to music. Especially the bit about there being a sense of... not moving forward in the song. Of not letting go, one might even say. It's even crazier since it seems you recorded this before your streams playing the game.
@@MarcoMeatball I loved how it led to me discovering its based on Rachmaninov's musical composition of the same name. I had known about Bocklin's popular painting and loved seeing it in the game but didnt realize that the music which always played when it appeared was based on a symphony inspired by the painting itself. Both the painting, symphony and the game theme HAUNT me. Someone even painted a version with the 2 main characters present.
@@tenjenk Rachmaninov composed it based on the black/white version. He said he would have done it differently/never have done it if he had seen the original.
I know, right?? Like dude had me straight up questioning if he was maybe blatantly misleading us to believe he hadn’t played the game before making this video, when in fact he had, lol. But yeah no, especially in The Promise, he describes exactly what emotions I was experiencing when I got this ending after beating the game my first time. Then I was stuck staring at the screen with my jaw dropped until the credits slowly stopped, along with the vibration on my controller (if you know, you know). This guy really is amazing. It’s unfortunate he didn’t “vibe” with the game, as he put it. But hey, it’s not a game for everyone. Most people either love it or hate it, but I respect that he can appreciate how accurately this score captures the content, tone, and themes of the game. Somehow even before playing it! I’m the kind of person he describes who sees this Promise ending as a good thing. But my brother in law just beat it last week and said he feels the promise endI know the devs said no one ending is the canon or ‘good’ ending. It’s all about which ending you get and how you interpret it. I know, right?? Like dude had me straight up questioning if he was maybe blatantly misleading us to believe he hadn’t played the game before making this video, when in fact he had, lol. But yeah no, especially in The Promise, he describes exactly what emotions I was experiencing when I got this ending after beating the game my first time. Then I was stuck staring at the screen with my jaw dropped until the credits slowly stopped, along with the vibration on my controller (if you know, you know). This guy really is amazing. It’s unfortunate he didn’t “vibe” with the game, as he put it. But hey, it’s not a game for everyone. Most people either love it or hate it, but I respect that he can appreciate how accurately this score captures the content, tone, and themes of the game. Somehow even before playing it! I’m the kind of person he describes who sees this Promise ending as a good thing. But my brother in law just beat it last week and said he doesn’t consider the Promise ending as a good thing. But idk, the alternative just seems far more cruel. At least after all the effort it took her, Elster was finally able to keep Arianne from dying a slow, agonizing, lonely and totally demoralizing death. You see this NASA?? THIS is why we should always send astronauts to space with cyanide capsules!! Lol
Cigarette Wife is my favourite track. It’s an angry track but, unlike say DOOM tracks where the anger is player empowering it’s a song all about someone being incandescently angry at *you* the player and meeting their gaze.
But at the same time, the song is telling you "this is it. Bring out your weapons. There's nothing left to hide. Do or die." It mirrors ADLR's "I wear no mask" revelation. LSTR has finally remembered everything, there's nothing obscuring what has to be done anymore. It even gives you the machine gun as soon as you enter Rotfront.
Cigarette wife is such a determined track, at such a mentally low place in the story you just get that furious flow of " I'll do *anything* " - nothing can stand in your way, and nothing will.
It's a really good representation of the dichotomy between Elster and Adler. Adler believes his eyes to be open. Elster's actually are, and nothing, not even death, can stop that.
13:59 the reason of why it's positive is it's the music of Elster and her lover's room Elster being the character we play as, it's the room where she and her lover danced to that same music.
Signalis, both musically and thematically, put me in the mood of the tragedy of Orpheus. The entire thing feels like Orpheus turning around and watching Eurydice vanish. . .and hanging his head as he ventures back into the Underworld, knowing what is ahead. A hopeless descent into a sadly familiar horror.
Some of the soundtracks on this OST have this overbearing emptiness, melancholy and tragedy vowed into them so beautifully I don't think I've seen it done better in any other soundtrack.
A lot of the music in this game have a somber theme of love since thats the main motivation for your player character. When you realize the full extend of that love, thats where it gets really depressing
This was the first time my cheast hurt of sadness because of something from the internet.I realized the significance of the story when i listened to your analysis of "Promise".And how many things you got spot on only by listening to the music. Signalis is a gem, and i already know that you are a gem even if this is the first video i saw from you.
This game literally changed my life, and the music played a massive part in that. It's one of the only soundtracks I own on vinyl. Absolutely beautiful.
I personally don’t consider what I’m about to say as a spoiler. It is a really small detail that most people won’t even know exists unless pointed out. But I know it will come off as a spoiler to a bunch of people and I know people will attack me for “spoiling” something before Marco is even done playing the game (Marco did catch what I am about to mention by the way). So just as a disclaimer, here’s a “spoiler warning”. In the room where you receive the radio for the first time, this sort of outpost area you go into after receiving the Plate of Eternity, you can hear Ständchen in the background. It doesn’t play until after you’ve picked up the radio, and you don’t hear it anymore when you step outside, but you can hear it. It is extremely faint and it’s a slower rendition, so for a lot of people the music isn’t even there at all. I figured I’d comment this for anybody who haven’t watched Marco’s Signalis streams or for people who played through the game but didn’t catch this detail.
@@MarcoMeatball Heyy I tried to look for a signalis gameplay video, and then looked for a vod when that failed. I'm scrolling 2+ months back in the catalog.
Signalis is one of the most unique games i've ever played, it was as beautiful as it was horrifying, i loved it SO MUCH, but i doubt i could ever play it again
@MikeKrasnenkov i think they said that as a "its too much for me to play it again" and if i interrupted their comment correctly i agree. The game and its story are demanding emotionally.
there is this haunting and melancholic beauty to this game. i won’t forget the experience of this game for as long as i live. beautiful analysis for a beautiful soundtrack ! signalis is breathtaking, and so is its music.
This game was a hugely pleasant surprise for me last year. I daresay it's now in my top 3 for "traditional" survival horror games. So, SO much more than an homage to RE and Silent Hill.
I noticed this at 19:45 that there is the grim ending tone there. the tone played at funerals. Usually played meaning end, but not meant to be dark, as also rebirth; as heard by the first drop, then 'bounce' back up.
I'm so happy this game is getting more attention! It felt frustrating knowing such a beautiful game wasn't getting the recognition it deserves. Even if it wasn't your type of game I'm glad you still gave it a shot!
it's crazy how without even playing the game you're able to pick up on all of the themes. just goes to show how much thought the devs put into making this game.
There is a solemn tone that made me love Signalis. Even with the horror of the events she was going through, she moved forward. The slow yet certain steps she made as she met her eventual end. What a story this was.
it is like climbing an escalator, except the escalator is reversed , and you are climbing against its tide, and your withered body can't really climb fast enough to make any meaningful progress/ascent, but you still move your body anyways, you just gotta, you cant just stop trying regardless how bleak or fruitless it is.
that was some accurate discription, the (emptiness the going no where the nostalgia and the love) there and the fact you got it all from music, hats off to you.
Really appreciated the insight on the German lyrics, this was extremely illuminating! They really did their homework to select pieces of music that were extremely deeply thematically resonant with the game. Also, man, I cannot recommend SIGNALIS highly enough to anyone who hasn't played it, knows nothing about it, and has even a vague tolerance of (not even necessarily a love for) classic Resident-Evil-style horror games.
That's the game's most central narrative theme. Grief. The futility of straining to put off the inevitable. Before you even fell in love, from the moment you met, it would already be too late to save her. The only closure there is to achieve, the only thing you can do for love of your life, possibly even the returned love of your past life... is putting her to rest with your own hands.
Slight spoilers here, but Cigarette Wife actually plays when you become the one doing the chasing. It's a great reversal. Still sad that you didn't enjoy playing the game enough to make it a whole series but glad you took the time to cover the amazing soundtrack.
Did not expect this because of the use of classical pieces. The music is on a budget and it relies on classic compositions a lot. Loved the game and the music. Especially "The Emptiness" ("Die Toteninsel"). i would describe the approach to authorship as very medieval. The devs are not trying to hide the inspirations and borrow whole sale.
What're the odds. I bought this game on October 26th since I wanted a cool little horror game to play during October. Ended up being drawn into it's beautifully crafted story and the music kept me immersed the whole time. This game is really a special gem that everyone should atleast play once.
As someone who has played through this a few times now, you have absolutely nailed it. That line at the end, 'things are never going to be the way they should be,' strikes so true to some of the core themes of this game. Well done.
Signalis is on my wishlist of steam, i've seen it on few streams it look interesting, but the story is complex from what i could learn, the ost can easily explain that strange story
At 14:00 the song is bitter sweet, your comment about knowing the pain of love is exactly on point with the games theme. It's the song the character you play as and their lover danced too. And they will never dance together again... This game is an absolute masterpiece. In my opinion this is the highest form of art a video game has ever been, every nook and cranny of it was crafted beautifully.
I really loved this game, probably my favorite game from last year, and honestly most people needs to play it, I didn't understand many things of the story but for some reason I enjoyed it a lot and the music added a lot to the atmosphere of the game, honestly I didn't expect you would be checking out this game but very happy you did it
I've been waiting for this video ever since I finished the game. Great insight as always. I think it's interesting the different ways we perceive music. While you're, naturally, focusing on the classical parts of the pieces, I mainly listen to electronic music, so I put a lot of attention on the electronic effects. Distortions, modulations, drones and fuzz. It's those parts that elevate the soundtrack for me, since I'm not as familiar with the original pieces. Unfortunate to hear that you bounced off the game, but it's fine. I think if you get the inclination, you should watch some of the cutscenes for the game, because in addition to the incredible soundtrack (I'm so cut I missed out on a vinyl), the visual aesthetic completely blew me away, and in my opinion it's not something to be missed.
I think something I deeply like about Signalis, maybe its most unsettling aspect, is that there are no monsters or creatures. Everyone you encounter and fight is a victim, just like LSTR. Everyone is suffering and drowning in degrees of malignant madness and there is no escape even in death.
I don't feel "emptiness" so much that I feel a sense of "loss" maybe? a feeling of absence... like I'm searching for something that may have never been there, but I thought it was.
Thanks for giving the game a shot! It's not often that we see a game in the spotlight that pulls so directly from the classical world. One thing that really stands out about Signalis to me (Asides from its clear story influences and endings), is that the game's successful reuse of classical (the colloquial usage) tracks only serves to reinforce your oft-repeated point about game music and art in general: that it can still be separated from its original body of work to analyze and interpret without context. Signalis perhaps wouldn't exist without that underlying principle
I love watching your analysis videos when I'm preparing to write music, I was thinking along with the video and was NOT expecting you to completely destroy me with that "Things are never going to be the way they should be" at the end. This game's story and emotions messed me up
The story of signalis is the story of the pain, the pain caused by a broken and forgotten promise, but also of all that is done to remember and uphold this promise
When I first played the game I felt like Cigarette Wife was out of place almost because I agree with your blind react to it that it feels like a song that would play during an intense moment of fleeing or combat on first listen, and in game it's when Adler finally succumbs to the cancer and appreciates the hell that he is trapped in as much as it is Elster's realization of the promise and what she needs to do, and finally having the strength (hopefully) to do it. The heavy breathing to me shows both of them undergoing an anxiety attack as they come to terms with the situations they are in and what must be done and by the end of it they both have committed to their roles. The crackling and distortion further highlights how all of this is a hellish looping pseudo-reality that is breaking and unstable. Adler and Elster both suffer the same arc, for so many cycles they have been in denial, unable to save their significant other from a crippling fate and doing whatever they can to make the best of the situation and stay with them just a little longer. Only by the time you play as Elster 512 you have, perhaps, developed the conviction to accept that holding on has become suffering, its cruel, and it needs to stop; it is time to accept and end things. Adler represents denial and bargaining. He cannot move on and will do anything to stop Elster because if she succeeds Falke is gone for good.
18:00 this was also very spot on it is actually one of the most moving scenes in a game I have played in recent memory. This was when Elster returns to ariane who wants Elster to end her suffering by choking her to death. Basically it’s a Romeo and Juliet scenario minus the euthanasia and more depressing
You mention there's pain and emptiness in this music. One of my favourite tracks that seems to get overlooked in this game is "Crepuscular". It's just overflowing with loneliness, pain and heartbreak, and is a perfect fit for its place in the game.
SIGNALIS is such an amazing game, a cosmic horror story that is also, ultimately, a love story about how far we'll go to help those we care about. And even if we cannot save them, cannot be with them any longer, perhaps we can give them the peace they deserve.
10:11 "They understand the heart's yearning" Jesus, had no idea this was what it meant. **Big spoilers below** So the video you're seeing is the "secret" ending, incredibly difficult to get to and lore-wise it requires the player to "break" the game so that Arianne and Elster can be together at last. A large part of the story around this explains how the universe as a whole is suffering due to the reality-bending properties Arianne is emitting during her slow descent into death. To me, this ending is the story allowing the player (who would be the nightingale) to provide them their happy ending at the cost of everything else in that universe. At least that's my rationalization, lots of weird reasons I won't bore with. Such good writing.
This game is one of the most beautiful and interesting survival horrors I have ever played. From the storyline to the soundtrack, just the lore in general and how they incorporate some of the music into it. I especially love the use of Franz Schubert's Schwanengesang D.975 in the game and I wonder if the piece's title is also a nod to the game's use of bird names, since it translates to Swansong or if it is only a coincidence. Thank you for making an analysis video of the soundtracks!
9:16 bit of context for this moment, essentially the games story at its core is about a robot Elster and her lover ariean they fall in love but Elster dies due to cancer and ariane is left alone witch causes her to dream and distort reality out of desperation to see her love again. This dancing moment is essentially the “reuniting” of the two lovers as they reenact a previous moment in the game where they dance to the same song. You were very spot on given the lack of context though good job! Also the specific scene you used in the video is kinda a weird ending and is debated over in the community due to its ambiguity
Love, loop, never going forward, sadness, emptiness... Yeah you summed up absolutely the main thematics of the game plot without playing it... and i now remember my whole signalis experience... now excuse me i need some time alone to cry again
your understanding of art is next level! When you deconstructed the Chopin piece from Promise it really spoke to the deeper meaning behind the game itself, and the same message it is bringing. This is not the first video I've watched from you, but time and time again it surprises me how much intent has been placed behind the music that you could show me. And of course how _on target_ you were.
I had to write an analysis paper on that Chopin prelude. It begins and ends in D-flat Major but Signalis only uses the somber middle section. My thesis was about how the came note carries throughout the piece and serves to emphasize the disparity between the major and minor sections. The major section is very light and uses some rubato while the minor section is heavy, plodding, and all in the lower register. Taking this idea of two opposing musical ideas with a shared note for a pulse, you can start to think of how it applies to the dichotomies in Signalis: the two protagonists, gestalts and replikants, different realities, etc.
a detail about cigarette wife, how the human breath sound starts sounding very natural and then goes into some kind of digitalization, and by the middle-end of the song, it sounds completely artificial, that can be connected with the replika and transhumanism themes in the game. i didn't know about the serenade lyrics, its amazing how well they fit into the game, it just makes my heart sad
14:05 😭 Another on-point analysis. It's unfortunate you didn't get to finish the game; the point where you stopped is really a drag, and it's the only gripe I have with the game.
I love this game as much as my body hates it, I love the story and all, gameplay as well and it being far more than an homage is really interesting, but whenever I hear about the game, hear it's OST, see it on my list of unfinished game, I feel my heart beat rise, once, while playing it almost gave me a panic attack, and weirdly... I feel like the game almost intends to do that...? It feels fitting in a way It feels even more fitting now that I started reading The King In Yellow and that those same feelings (although not in the same way) have re-emerged in me
I love the Emptiness track. There's moments in the song that hint at movement and progression but we always end up back at the same tonal center. It strikes me that the emptiness the title refers to was comes from despair and false hope, the kind of emptiness that comes from deep loss and sorrow
unrelated to this video, but i think it'd be so interesting to see him analyze the ost from puella magi madoka magica! it's so dynamic and each ost holds a lot of emotion in them
Not sure if you have any interest in or intention of playing Signalis, but if you do I have to give it a glowing recommendation. It's nothing short of a piece of art and quickly became one of my favorite games when I played it. Very powerful and gripping in its way and I always find myself getting emotional just hearing this music now.
Damn thanks for your insights. Also, your Germany is pretty good. It is a bit uncanny how you get a lot of things right, especially for "The Promise". I guess it just shows how well the music is composed and or derivated to tell what it means.
The first song gives me feeling of… your off to go take on something your not fully sure your able to do and are heavily reflecting as you are off to go do it.
Alright, seeing this video in my recommended was the tipping point for me to finally give the game a try, I'll be back once I finish it since I want to experience the game fresh
I thought no one would check out this games music since the game itself is so under the radar. Personally I loved it as my first horror game. You definitely hit some of the themes. I gotta say my favorite quality of the music is the reverberations and other background elements
Die toteninsel emptiness makes my eyes watery every time. If, for some reason, I ever feel like making myself sad, this game's OST is a good way to do it.
I'm terrible with survival horror games, but I played through Signalis because I saw someone streaming it for Halloween. I had to buy it for myself then and there and I only just finished it. What a wild, depressing ride. What am I to do when all the endings are sad? The "good" ending is the one that hurts the most.
i love this video so much and your analysis on the songs you covered but how could you not go over the beautiful piece that was 3000 Cycles (i missed you)!!!!!
Бро, красава, спасибо за видос. Считаю музыку одной из самый важных элементов искусства в играх фильмах сериалах и т. д. Приятно когда кто-то может структурировать эмоции передаваемые музыкой и рассказать об этом.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Cigarette wife
Expectations: intense chase scene
Reality: elevator music
Damn this thing really only do go down.
@@reitanegashima893 both the elevator and sanity do go down
Marco: you are probably being chased by a monster
Reality: YOU ARE THE MONSTER
It doesn't play in the Elevator though, it plays when Adler stops resisting the corruption and you move into Rotfront.
but but it aint
19:48 "Things are never going to be the way they should be" could be a tagline for the game, honestly. That is very much the feel of the game, especially in the later stages where story bits are falling into place
I'm going to add: "And you already knew deep down inside it was always going to be like this".
Perhaps, this is hell.
@@MikeKrasnenkov If it is, then there is love in hell
@@MikeKrasnenkov {THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK}
I'm not gonna lie, as someone who has played all the way through Signalis, your analysis of Die Toteninsel Emptiness had my jaw on the floor. I shouldn't be surprised at this point, you're always super on point, but it still flabbergasts me when you casually describe key plot and narrative points on a whim while listening to music. Especially the bit about there being a sense of... not moving forward in the song. Of not letting go, one might even say. It's even crazier since it seems you recorded this before your streams playing the game.
I did record it before :)
@@MarcoMeatball I loved how it led to me discovering its based on Rachmaninov's musical composition of the same name. I had known about Bocklin's popular painting and loved seeing it in the game but didnt realize that the music which always played when it appeared was based on a symphony inspired by the painting itself. Both the painting, symphony and the game theme HAUNT me. Someone even painted a version with the 2 main characters present.
@@tenjenk Rachmaninov composed it based on the black/white version. He said he would have done it differently/never have done it if he had seen the original.
@@mdd4296 I remember that! That version flashes past in the game too. So close to losing a moment in history and fantastic piece of art
I know, right?? Like dude had me straight up questioning if he was maybe blatantly misleading us to believe he hadn’t played the game before making this video, when in fact he had, lol.
But yeah no, especially in The Promise, he describes exactly what emotions I was experiencing when I got this ending after beating the game my first time. Then I was stuck staring at the screen with my jaw dropped until the credits slowly stopped, along with the vibration on my controller (if you know, you know).
This guy really is amazing. It’s unfortunate he didn’t “vibe” with the game, as he put it. But hey, it’s not a game for everyone. Most people either love it or hate it, but I respect that he can appreciate how accurately this score captures the content, tone, and themes of the game. Somehow even before playing it!
I’m the kind of person he describes who sees this Promise ending as a good thing. But my brother in law just beat it last week and said he feels the promise endI know the devs said no one ending is the canon or ‘good’ ending. It’s all about which ending you get and how you interpret it.
I know, right?? Like dude had me straight up questioning if he was maybe blatantly misleading us to believe he hadn’t played the game before making this video, when in fact he had, lol.
But yeah no, especially in The Promise, he describes exactly what emotions I was experiencing when I got this ending after beating the game my first time. Then I was stuck staring at the screen with my jaw dropped until the credits slowly stopped, along with the vibration on my controller (if you know, you know).
This guy really is amazing. It’s unfortunate he didn’t “vibe” with the game, as he put it. But hey, it’s not a game for everyone. Most people either love it or hate it, but I respect that he can appreciate how accurately this score captures the content, tone, and themes of the game. Somehow even before playing it!
I’m the kind of person he describes who sees this Promise ending as a good thing. But my brother in law just beat it last week and said he doesn’t consider the Promise ending as a good thing. But idk, the alternative just seems far more cruel. At least after all the effort it took her, Elster was finally able to keep Arianne from dying a slow, agonizing, lonely and totally demoralizing death.
You see this NASA?? THIS is why we should always send astronauts to space with cyanide capsules!! Lol
Cigarette Wife is my favourite track. It’s an angry track but, unlike say DOOM tracks where the anger is player empowering it’s a song all about someone being incandescently angry at *you* the player and meeting their gaze.
Contender for my favorite song from the game. Ritual is also my jam. Check out Descend by Donbor or Oxbow B by Lorn for a similar feel.
But at the same time, the song is telling you "this is it. Bring out your weapons. There's nothing left to hide. Do or die." It mirrors ADLR's "I wear no mask" revelation. LSTR has finally remembered everything, there's nothing obscuring what has to be done anymore.
It even gives you the machine gun as soon as you enter Rotfront.
Cigarette wife is such a determined track, at such a mentally low place in the story you just get that furious flow of " I'll do *anything* " - nothing can stand in your way, and nothing will.
It's a really good representation of the dichotomy between Elster and Adler.
Adler believes his eyes to be open.
Elster's actually are, and nothing, not even death, can stop that.
@@guilegale8942 Warning: The violence has escalated.
Incredible how he’s able to nail like 90% of the games themes and story from the soundtrack alone
music is way more powerful than most people give it credit
13:59 the reason of why it's positive is it's the music of Elster and her lover's room Elster being the character we play as, it's the room where she and her lover danced to that same music.
yeah her and her girlfriend
Signalis, both musically and thematically, put me in the mood of the tragedy of Orpheus. The entire thing feels like Orpheus turning around and watching Eurydice vanish. . .and hanging his head as he ventures back into the Underworld, knowing what is ahead. A hopeless descent into a sadly familiar horror.
I never thought of it that way!
Great thinking
Tragically beautiful insight
Some of the soundtracks on this OST have this overbearing emptiness, melancholy and tragedy vowed into them so beautifully I don't think I've seen it done better in any other soundtrack.
A lot of the music in this game have a somber theme of love since thats the main motivation for your player character. When you realize the full extend of that love, thats where it gets really depressing
Signalis was an emotional rollercoaster to play. I never cried that bad since when I first played The Last of Us way back.
This was the first time my cheast hurt of sadness because of something from the internet.I realized the significance of the story when i listened to your analysis of "Promise".And how many things you got spot on only by listening to the music.
Signalis is a gem, and i already know that you are a gem even if this is the first video i saw from you.
Hi!
7:31 yes, it’s a chase but we’re the pursuers.
This game literally changed my life, and the music played a massive part in that. It's one of the only soundtracks I own on vinyl. Absolutely beautiful.
The music already made me sad, but I just hit a whole other level of depression after listening to your incredibly well done analysis.
Thank you!
I personally don’t consider what I’m about to say as a spoiler. It is a really small detail that most people won’t even know exists unless pointed out. But I know it will come off as a spoiler to a bunch of people and I know people will attack me for “spoiling” something before Marco is even done playing the game (Marco did catch what I am about to mention by the way). So just as a disclaimer, here’s a “spoiler warning”.
In the room where you receive the radio for the first time, this sort of outpost area you go into after receiving the Plate of Eternity, you can hear Ständchen in the background. It doesn’t play until after you’ve picked up the radio, and you don’t hear it anymore when you step outside, but you can hear it. It is extremely faint and it’s a slower rendition, so for a lot of people the music isn’t even there at all. I figured I’d comment this for anybody who haven’t watched Marco’s Signalis streams or for people who played through the game but didn’t catch this detail.
I actually sang along to this part 🤣
@@MarcoMeatballI realized my mistake just now and edited the comment to accommodate, my apologies, I feel embarrassed now haha
@@MarcoMeatball Heyy I tried to look for a signalis gameplay video, and then looked for a vod when that failed. I'm scrolling 2+ months back in the catalog.
Where could one find vods of those streams?
Signalis is one of the most unique games i've ever played, it was as beautiful as it was horrifying, i loved it SO MUCH, but i doubt i could ever play it again
Some of the things in life can only be experienced once.
@@MikeKrasnenkovIf that isn't true I'll cry
@MikeKrasnenkov i think they said that as a "its too much for me to play it again" and if i interrupted their comment correctly i agree. The game and its story are demanding emotionally.
@@evilness3404 it’s not a contradiction. It is true from both perspectives
The closest one could be silent hill 2
there is this haunting and melancholic beauty to this game. i won’t forget the experience of this game for as long as i live.
beautiful analysis for a beautiful soundtrack ! signalis is breathtaking, and so is its music.
This game was a hugely pleasant surprise for me last year. I daresay it's now in my top 3 for "traditional" survival horror games. So, SO much more than an homage to RE and Silent Hill.
6:01
"You did it! You broke Signalis down to its bare essentials!"
Your face at 2:06 tells everything about the game.
I noticed this at 19:45 that there is the grim ending tone there. the tone played at funerals. Usually played meaning end, but not meant to be dark, as also rebirth; as heard by the first drop, then 'bounce' back up.
I'm so happy this game is getting more attention! It felt frustrating knowing such a beautiful game wasn't getting the recognition it deserves. Even if it wasn't your type of game I'm glad you still gave it a shot!
it's crazy how without even playing the game you're able to pick up on all of the themes. just goes to show how much thought the devs put into making this game.
There is a solemn tone that made me love Signalis. Even with the horror of the events she was going through, she moved forward. The slow yet certain steps she made as she met her eventual end. What a story this was.
it is like climbing an escalator,
except the escalator is reversed ,
and you are climbing against its tide, and your withered body can't really climb fast enough to make any meaningful progress/ascent,
but you still move your body anyways, you just gotta,
you cant just stop trying regardless how bleak or fruitless it is.
that was some accurate discription, the (emptiness the going no where the nostalgia and the love) there and the fact you got it all from music, hats off to you.
512 episodes to his podcast at the time of watching this... Everywhere I look...
ain't no way
Really appreciated the insight on the German lyrics, this was extremely illuminating! They really did their homework to select pieces of music that were extremely deeply thematically resonant with the game.
Also, man, I cannot recommend SIGNALIS highly enough to anyone who hasn't played it, knows nothing about it, and has even a vague tolerance of (not even necessarily a love for) classic Resident-Evil-style horror games.
That's the game's most central narrative theme. Grief. The futility of straining to put off the inevitable. Before you even fell in love, from the moment you met, it would already be too late to save her. The only closure there is to achieve, the only thing you can do for love of your life, possibly even the returned love of your past life... is putting her to rest with your own hands.
Another channel's essayist compares the pov character to Prince Siegfried and your lover to Odette, with the final boss being compared to Odile.
Slight spoilers here, but Cigarette Wife actually plays when you become the one doing the chasing. It's a great reversal.
Still sad that you didn't enjoy playing the game enough to make it a whole series but glad you took the time to cover the amazing soundtrack.
I'm not stuck down here with you.
*You're stuck down here with me!*
Did not expect this because of the use of classical pieces. The music is on a budget and it relies on classic compositions a lot. Loved the game and the music. Especially "The Emptiness" ("Die Toteninsel").
i would describe the approach to authorship as very medieval. The devs are not trying to hide the inspirations and borrow whole sale.
What're the odds. I bought this game on October 26th since I wanted a cool little horror game to play during October. Ended up being drawn into it's beautifully crafted story and the music kept me immersed the whole time. This game is really a special gem that everyone should atleast play once.
i just finished the game yesterday and its been rent free in my head since. what a nice coincidence this video is
As someone who has played through this a few times now, you have absolutely nailed it. That line at the end, 'things are never going to be the way they should be,' strikes so true to some of the core themes of this game. Well done.
The first song reminds of Promise, especially the Reprise version, from Silent HIll 2.
Signalis is on my wishlist of steam, i've seen it on few streams it look interesting, but the story is complex from what i could learn, the ost can easily explain that strange story
At 14:00 the song is bitter sweet, your comment about knowing the pain of love is exactly on point with the games theme. It's the song the character you play as and their lover danced too. And they will never dance together again... This game is an absolute masterpiece. In my opinion this is the highest form of art a video game has ever been, every nook and cranny of it was crafted beautifully.
I really loved this game, probably my favorite game from last year, and honestly most people needs to play it, I didn't understand many things of the story but for some reason I enjoyed it a lot and the music added a lot to the atmosphere of the game, honestly I didn't expect you would be checking out this game but very happy you did it
I've been waiting for this video ever since I finished the game. Great insight as always. I think it's interesting the different ways we perceive music. While you're, naturally, focusing on the classical parts of the pieces, I mainly listen to electronic music, so I put a lot of attention on the electronic effects. Distortions, modulations, drones and fuzz. It's those parts that elevate the soundtrack for me, since I'm not as familiar with the original pieces.
Unfortunate to hear that you bounced off the game, but it's fine. I think if you get the inclination, you should watch some of the cutscenes for the game, because in addition to the incredible soundtrack (I'm so cut I missed out on a vinyl), the visual aesthetic completely blew me away, and in my opinion it's not something to be missed.
I plan on either finishing it now that they added some QOL to item management or I’ll watch the end playthrough
Great holes are secretly digged where Earth's pores ought to suffice... and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl.
I think something I deeply like about Signalis, maybe its most unsettling aspect, is that there are no monsters or creatures. Everyone you encounter and fight is a victim, just like LSTR. Everyone is suffering and drowning in degrees of malignant madness and there is no escape even in death.
I love Signalis and I'm so happy you've covered some of it
I'm not surprised you found this OST. The sound design within the entire game is absolutely fantastic. I love it.
I don't feel "emptiness" so much that I feel a sense of "loss" maybe? a feeling of absence... like I'm searching for something that may have never been there, but I thought it was.
Thanks for giving the game a shot! It's not often that we see a game in the spotlight that pulls so directly from the classical world.
One thing that really stands out about Signalis to me (Asides from its clear story influences and endings), is that the game's successful reuse of classical (the colloquial usage) tracks only serves to reinforce your oft-repeated point about game music and art in general: that it can still be separated from its original body of work to analyze and interpret without context.
Signalis perhaps wouldn't exist without that underlying principle
guys i dont have much time the signal is
I was absolutely hoping you’d review music from this game! I only recently started playing it and the music is phenomenal
I love watching your analysis videos when I'm preparing to write music, I was thinking along with the video and was NOT expecting you to completely destroy me with that "Things are never going to be the way they should be" at the end. This game's story and emotions messed me up
:) but also :(
The story of signalis is the story of the pain, the pain caused by a broken and forgotten promise, but also of all that is done to remember and uphold this promise
When I first played the game I felt like Cigarette Wife was out of place almost because I agree with your blind react to it that it feels like a song that would play during an intense moment of fleeing or combat on first listen, and in game it's when Adler finally succumbs to the cancer and appreciates the hell that he is trapped in as much as it is Elster's realization of the promise and what she needs to do, and finally having the strength (hopefully) to do it. The heavy breathing to me shows both of them undergoing an anxiety attack as they come to terms with the situations they are in and what must be done and by the end of it they both have committed to their roles. The crackling and distortion further highlights how all of this is a hellish looping pseudo-reality that is breaking and unstable.
Adler and Elster both suffer the same arc, for so many cycles they have been in denial, unable to save their significant other from a crippling fate and doing whatever they can to make the best of the situation and stay with them just a little longer. Only by the time you play as Elster 512 you have, perhaps, developed the conviction to accept that holding on has become suffering, its cruel, and it needs to stop; it is time to accept and end things. Adler represents denial and bargaining. He cannot move on and will do anything to stop Elster because if she succeeds Falke is gone for good.
18:00 this was also very spot on it is actually one of the most moving scenes in a game I have played in recent memory. This was when Elster returns to ariane who wants Elster to end her suffering by choking her to death. Basically it’s a Romeo and Juliet scenario minus the euthanasia and more depressing
You mention there's pain and emptiness in this music. One of my favourite tracks that seems to get overlooked in this game is "Crepuscular". It's just overflowing with loneliness, pain and heartbreak, and is a perfect fit for its place in the game.
SIGNALIS is such an amazing game, a cosmic horror story that is also, ultimately, a love story about how far we'll go to help those we care about. And even if we cannot save them, cannot be with them any longer, perhaps we can give them the peace they deserve.
10:11 "They understand the heart's yearning" Jesus, had no idea this was what it meant. **Big spoilers below**
So the video you're seeing is the "secret" ending, incredibly difficult to get to and lore-wise it requires the player to "break" the game so that Arianne and Elster can be together at last. A large part of the story around this explains how the universe as a whole is suffering due to the reality-bending properties Arianne is emitting during her slow descent into death. To me, this ending is the story allowing the player (who would be the nightingale) to provide them their happy ending at the cost of everything else in that universe. At least that's my rationalization, lots of weird reasons I won't bore with. Such good writing.
This game is one of the most beautiful and interesting survival horrors I have ever played. From the storyline to the soundtrack, just the lore in general and how they incorporate some of the music into it. I especially love the use of Franz Schubert's Schwanengesang D.975 in the game and I wonder if the piece's title is also a nod to the game's use of bird names, since it translates to Swansong or if it is only a coincidence.
Thank you for making an analysis video of the soundtracks!
19:25 - [VIOLENT SCENE MISSING]
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9:16 bit of context for this moment, essentially the games story at its core is about a robot Elster and her lover ariean they fall in love but Elster dies due to cancer and ariane is left alone witch causes her to dream and distort reality out of desperation to see her love again. This dancing moment is essentially the “reuniting” of the two lovers as they reenact a previous moment in the game where they dance to the same song. You were very spot on given the lack of context though good job! Also the specific scene you used in the video is kinda a weird ending and is debated over in the community due to its ambiguity
Why is it debated over the ending where they dance right?
Your voice is so beautiful that I sung along with you hahaha subscribed! Thank you for looking at this, it's such a great game.
Thanks for subbing!
Love, loop, never going forward, sadness, emptiness...
Yeah you summed up absolutely the main thematics of the game plot without playing it...
and i now remember my whole signalis experience...
now excuse me i need some time alone to cry again
19:33 you dont even know how true that is man
The heavy breathing on the second piece could also be indicative that whatever is chasing you is right behind you and you just can’t seem to loose it
this was hard to watch without crying but also very insightful so i approve
your understanding of art is next level! When you deconstructed the Chopin piece from Promise it really spoke to the deeper meaning behind the game itself, and the same message it is bringing. This is not the first video I've watched from you, but time and time again it surprises me how much intent has been placed behind the music that you could show me. And of course how _on target_ you were.
I had to write an analysis paper on that Chopin prelude. It begins and ends in D-flat Major but Signalis only uses the somber middle section. My thesis was about how the came note carries throughout the piece and serves to emphasize the disparity between the major and minor sections. The major section is very light and uses some rubato while the minor section is heavy, plodding, and all in the lower register. Taking this idea of two opposing musical ideas with a shared note for a pulse, you can start to think of how it applies to the dichotomies in Signalis: the two protagonists, gestalts and replikants, different realities, etc.
The scene that Die Toteninsel Emptiness is used in has refused to leave my head in the year plus that its been since I've played this game
a detail about cigarette wife, how the human breath sound starts sounding very natural and then goes into some kind of digitalization, and by the middle-end of the song, it sounds completely artificial, that can be connected with the replika and transhumanism themes in the game.
i didn't know about the serenade lyrics, its amazing how well they fit into the game, it just makes my heart sad
14:05 😭
Another on-point analysis. It's unfortunate you didn't get to finish the game; the point where you stopped is really a drag, and it's the only gripe I have with the game.
Yep, those words hit harder than they should've.
He didn't finish the game?
I love this game as much as my body hates it, I love the story and all, gameplay as well and it being far more than an homage is really interesting, but whenever I hear about the game, hear it's OST, see it on my list of unfinished game, I feel my heart beat rise, once, while playing it almost gave me a panic attack, and weirdly... I feel like the game almost intends to do that...? It feels fitting in a way
It feels even more fitting now that I started reading The King In Yellow and that those same feelings (although not in the same way) have re-emerged in me
I love the Emptiness track. There's moments in the song that hint at movement and progression but we always end up back at the same tonal center. It strikes me that the emptiness the title refers to was comes from despair and false hope, the kind of emptiness that comes from deep loss and sorrow
Another video that marco meat casually guesses a games lore or feelings on high accuracy by just by listening. Love your vids man :3
Sad you couldn’t get into the game but glad you’re doing a video on it anyway
It goes to show how well they did the music that you were able to nail the themes and feelings at certain points of the game by the music that plays.
when u really start to understand the stories behind and hidden meanings
this game hits right in the feels man.
Those analyses were so spot on!
unrelated to this video, but i think it'd be so interesting to see him analyze the ost from puella magi madoka magica! it's so dynamic and each ost holds a lot of emotion in them
Not sure if you have any interest in or intention of playing Signalis, but if you do I have to give it a glowing recommendation. It's nothing short of a piece of art and quickly became one of my favorite games when I played it. Very powerful and gripping in its way and I always find myself getting emotional just hearing this music now.
"They know the pain of love" - oh boi
Damn thanks for your insights. Also, your Germany is pretty good.
It is a bit uncanny how you get a lot of things right, especially for "The Promise". I guess it just shows how well the music is composed and or derivated to tell what it means.
the soundtrack really holds the soul of this game, i was sobbing through the music during the end credits
you're an outstanding singer!
this game made me cry more than any other game could and that says a LOT cause im not the type of person to cry over games
The dog left when you started singing at 11:25. Everyone is a critic.
The first song gives me feeling of… your off to go take on something your not fully sure your able to do and are heavily reflecting as you are off to go do it.
Incredibly well put and your pronunciation made me question if you're either an english or german native speaker; thank you for this video! ~
I can't listen to Schubert anymore after playing Signalis.
Aww, no version with the radio stuff in it, I love that stuff.
And the last piece in this video with the gameplay cutscene is fantastic.
The elgato screen popping up for a split second made me jump a bit because the screen will do something similar during dramatic cutscenes.
Alright, seeing this video in my recommended was the tipping point for me to finally give the game a try, I'll be back once I finish it since I want to experience the game fresh
"its feels like we are moving but not going anywere"
Oh boy you have no idea
I thought no one would check out this games music since the game itself is so under the radar. Personally I loved it as my first horror game. You definitely hit some of the themes. I gotta say my favorite quality of the music is the reverberations and other background elements
You hearing Ewige Weiderkunft would be great
Ah yes, death and despair. My favorite.
Die toteninsel emptiness makes my eyes watery every time. If, for some reason, I ever feel like making myself sad, this game's OST is a good way to do it.
signalis is a game that says so much. with its references to literature music video games art
My favorite game of all time. I love the music so much
What an amazing video! He nailed everything.
I'm terrible with survival horror games, but I played through Signalis because I saw someone streaming it for Halloween. I had to buy it for myself then and there and I only just finished it. What a wild, depressing ride. What am I to do when all the endings are sad? The "good" ending is the one that hurts the most.
Aw man, I really hoped you looked into the lore of this game a bit, would definitely help make connections when each song is played.
i love this video so much and your analysis on the songs you covered but how could you not go over the beautiful piece that was 3000 Cycles (i missed you)!!!!!
This game is such pure perfection.
Бро, красава, спасибо за видос. Считаю музыку одной из самый важных элементов искусства в играх фильмах сериалах и т. д. Приятно когда кто-то может структурировать эмоции передаваемые музыкой и рассказать об этом.
That first track reminds me of Silent Hill.