The Signal From Tölva

On the Mac, when opening the map or accessing a terminal, I see nothing but a black screen. The game is not playable like that. (Game version from 2018-04-03)

Calling the game great can only be understood when you accept that this is all about reading story fragments in text form. I strongly suggest sf fans who have not and intend to play this to read Ian M Banks (may he rest in dream time) culture novels - that helps a lot to grasp this particular game universe while being introduced to the background story at the very beginning of the game. Balancing needs a bit of work. I saw absolutely no sense in hijacking, tried it, wasn't worth the effort. The blocked weapon slot was more importantly used for holding an actual weapon. I would have wished for a more "visualized" datastream in another vision mode, a bit more like raw sensor data stuff coming from energy sources etc. but it is a low budget project and I guess we should keep a keen eye on their next project because I know there are some potent story writers in the background and in the end that's an advantage in the current MO of other developers who seem to think all their customers are console jockeys with missing brain cells.

Just like Sar wrote before The Signal From Tölva reminds you strongly of the good old Terra Nova Strike Force Centaurii. And that is a great compliment to the developers of TSFT. Commanding a small squad of robots into honest fights is extremly enjoyable. The AI of those NPCs is more than acceptable. The graphics are good and coherent, occasionally even stunning. The sound design is one of the best I recently enjoyed - by far better than you would expect from a low budget game anyway. Especially the gunfire knocks your socks off. It surely matches that of AAA titles. The game is never unfair, the selection of weapons is not extremely large but it gets all the basics covered. A wide range of tactics can be used since not just two factions are competing with each other, sometimes it's wise to wait and let others do your job. The story? Well, there is one, yes. But it's not really the best element of TSFT and surely not the main feature of the game. I really recommend this game. It's worth every Cent. And it's DRM-free on GoG. A winner!

Great atmosphere, very good gameplay, awesome graphics and sound design and story that doesn't get in the way. It only lacks multiplayer, preferably LAN or four players split screen to go around and explore in coop mode. Maybe even a DM FFA might be possible. Recommended if you like to game without being distracted by stories or whatnot. Great fun!

Right from the start, you have no idea: - who you are - what your goal is - what to do or where to go. I feel that I’ve been scammed. :(