The Signal From Tölva - First Impressions

A couple days ago, I mentioned that this game was on sale. Now I have had a chance to actually play for a bit, and I have to say I am pleased with my purchase.

Overall, it feels polished and smooth. The sound effects are good, and the music is atmospheric. The weapons seem a bit odd at first if you're used to standard FPS fare, because you actually need to lead your target, but this isn't a downside in my opinion. The only complaint I have seen in other reviews that bears out in the least is the slowness of travel, but again, the game is such an interesting experience with all its sights and sounds that it doesn't bother me, and really, you move at a good clip for someone on foot. Since this game is about exploration more than it is about combat in the first place, it's been fun to just explore the game at its natural pace in my first hour or so of playing.

The day/night cycle adds some nice atmosphere, and the derelict vehicles and spacecraft hint at a long struggle over this planet in the past. Some of the items to be scanned include hints of backstory. Others just add to the mystery. I don't know how much will tie together and how much will be red herrings or filler yet.

The backstory is simple. There is something sending a signal from the planet Tölva, and several organizations have sent robotic survey teams to explore and fend off their respective adversaries. You, the player, are in orbit and given remote control over the drones from one of the factions to more efficiently find out what is going on. Your tasks include gathering resources, exploring anomalous readings, and capturing territory from the other factions by taking over waypoint beacons and fortified bunkers.

There is a toggle for a scanner mode that highlights resources to be collected and anomalies to be scanned. It's not ideal for exploration, but when you're in the right area to find something, it really does help. Above, you can see two resources highlighted in white for me to collect. Below, you can see an anomaly I am scanning.

Note the "Rank 0" above my stat bars in the bottom left. Completing missions increases rank, and increased rank unlocks new weapons. There is also a device that allows me to recruit other drones to provide fire support in combat situations, and the higher my rank, the better drones I can recruit. Below, I am in command of two drones. They will now follow me and fire at any hostiles that approach, or I can command them to attack a target of my choice.

Note that the graphics in these screenshots do not necessarily represent what the game CAN look like. My GPU is old. The settings can be cranked up with all the lush graphical goodness you would expect from any other game.

All in all, I think I have only scratched the surface, and it promises to be a good one so far. If you like games that break away from the usual fare and experiment with simple yet compelling mechanics, The Signal From Tölva is highly recommended.

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The Signal From Tölva website
The Signal From Tölva on Steam

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