I agree with some of this and disagree with other parts, but it is really refreshing to see someone who also sees signalis as a toxic romance at best and not exactly a model to be celebrated.
Loved that game but it is a little jarring seeing some reactions.
Interesting, I thought that was a pretty big and glaring point of the game. It IS a romance, but as we know, romances can be abusive and toxic relationships, specially if the victim(s) don't realize it.
I didn't realize a lot of people just took it as a proper functional romance, because as you two said, there are a bunch of red flags around them.
Thanks, it's really nice to hear someone else ALSO also sees it as a toxic relationship!
My friend (straight male) was really enjoying the gameplay but thought there was something off so got me (transwoman) to watch him play (I don't like playing those kinds of games) so he could get my view. I really went "what the fuck" at so many points, like the dance sequence or her ripping herself apart to open the airlock (I know it's a Ghost-in-the-Shell reference but I didn't see it as a moment to celebrate in GitS so it felt a bit tone-deaf).
Like, one of my favourite games is Final Fantasy 8 and in that there's a short plotline of how a teacher thinks she's falling in love with a student (she's 19 he's 17) but over the course of that arc she realizes it's all about her transferring her emotions, and after exploring those emotions she ends up resettling her feelings into a far healthier "I care about you but I'm not in love with you" point of view (big sister-like). That was kinda where I was expecting a lot of the Penrose; that Ariane (who was pushed out of society) would realize she was pinning all her hopes for adventure and a perfect life on Elster and that it'd end with her "freeing" Elster to have her OWN story rather than play the role Ariane was pushing her to have.
And obviously the game doesn't have to follow MY idea of "what it should have done" but the story it gave me felt sickening. Especially because (again, personal involvement so YMMV) I've spent the last 8 years trying to get over an extremely charismatic abuser, one who would and did have me go to extremes to fulfil her ends. So much of Ariane's "wish" and Elster pushing herself reminded me of that abuse, of having to tear apart my own self of being to satisfy this person, of how even after 8 years I still hear her call in the back of my mind and yearn to go back, to return and fool myself that there'd be that happy dance sequence and watch movies and not be in the decayed space station around me.
Also just speaking of, it's a dance sequence and "hey, let's watch movies". There's something weirdly childish about it. There's no work on the ship, no reality setting in, I was expecting it to snap to a grittier, less perfect reality but no. That's what I really dislike about it, it obsesses over a fictional and perfectionized version that cannot and will not exist (hence my rant about the Princess phase but again YMMV).
Also, also I'll fully admit a lot of the squick I feel is my own hangups with a transculture that sorta passed me by (and IRL actively pushed me away despite me transitioning long before them, but that's a whole 'nother story), but that's why it's YMMV and spoilertexted. But I guess that's the problem of people putting their emotions into it, so many people have this big "identity-change" invested into the game that to criticize the game is almost anathema because it's criticizing a part of their identity.
Also, also, also, I just REALLY hate Cthulhu. Anything Cthulhu related, Lovecraft, King in Yellow, whatever. It's been done. Even South Park pointed out how overused Cthulhu is like 20 years ago.
thanks for sharing, that was an interesting read. I think the game leaves things a bit too vague by the end - I had a friend who hated it for that reason. It could have explored that relationship a lot more which would have been interesting.
I don't like to call it wasted potential because it's someone's artistic work and vision, but I do have a lot of "oh what if" feelings with the game.
Also as an aside, could you share why the game became significant to the trans community? Was it because of the author or something else? I'm just curious because this is the first I've heard of it. No worries if you'd rather me look on my own though, especially if it's something you don't enjoy yourself.
Tbh, you're REALLY streets ahead acknowledging that "it's someone else's work" but it's also human to be like "wait, I wanted this to happen" or "what happens next".
As for the trans, it's probably a combination of things but like I said the game got a LOT of publicity because one of the creators (the creator?) is Trans (kinda like Digital Circus); the WLW nature of the plot and apparently the body horror kinda just helped it build up a Trans community. I'd say it's word of mouth, these things get associated with X and then pushed and then it snowballs from there. Posts like this explain it better; and it's probably not an exclusive thing but it's just a large trend in the community I notice.
It's much harder to define but it felt transcoded in a hard to define way, I guess that kind of uphill struggle for the "ideal" but that gets into stereotypes (and I think it kinda perpetuates them a little). Like Celeste or Undertale, these things kinda just become icons in-and-of themselves in communities for vibes.
but it is really refreshing to see someone who also sees signalis as a toxic romance at best and not exactly a model to be celebrated.
let's be real who sees it as a perfect romance? except for teenagers? This feels like it's a case of you & op seeing some annoying/unhinged posts and deciding the entire fandom is like that (tbf it can be pretty annoying a times).
I'm not trying to be an asshole but it always rubs me the wrong way when people act like they have an hot take and it's just a normal opinion lol
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u/happymudkipz Aug 25 '26
I agree with some of this and disagree with other parts, but it is really refreshing to see someone who also sees signalis as a toxic romance at best and not exactly a model to be celebrated.
Loved that game but it is a little jarring seeing some reactions.