Bioresonance and art (my first take after finishing)

So I think overall the why of Signalis is Ariane’s creativity. I think the story is about Ariane trying to be a creative person in an oppressive society and just on that metaphorical level the game is completely satisfying.

Even that the idea of bioresonance is inspired by art, painting, music, and emotions shared with other people. I know it has an ingame lore, but that this game has so much more of an author’s touch than most video games. What you make resonates with someone. Ariane is so sad that she can’t make something that people love. This is a real ambition of creative people written into the story. The letter from her mom resonates with her. The photo of Alina Seo resonates with her. The paintings and the real world references in the game are aspirational artifacts of trying to create this amazing game. The “Sun” note about sensing the bioresonance of Ariane, almost like picking up her perceptive personality and frightening to a society that would want to stop this.

So, the story events happen. It’s not just a dream. The story happens in this fictional world, but it’s through this lens of being a creative person trying to create something meaningful. Most of her life was difficult, but the things that made it meaningful were the simple times dancing to music with Elster and sending the photo of Alina Seo to her mom and dreaming of being on the Penrose away from everything.

Ariane loved the photo of Alina, because she saw this image of Alina looking important and wanted and loved. And how her paintings made people feel like they were experiencing the feeling of the painter, seeing photographs made her imagine being them.

I think Falke was wired to be a commander for an oppressive society. She is connected with the red eye, which is said to be a lot of things, but also a metaphor for an oppressive regime always watching. Falke is on the side of the teacher scolding Ariane for being creative. This society does not want outspoken free thought. Falke’s notes are about blurring her lines and not being able to tell who she is anymore. Like what if she’s writing about seeing a painting or reading a book and losing herself in the artist’s work. And she is programed to want to stop this. Falke is said to be bioresonant, but could also refer to propaganda. She is said to appear godlike and portrayed as godlike in propaganda posters.

When Falke experiences Elster’s feelings for Ariane, Falke knows they are important and everything that gives Elster meaning, but Falke is designed to want to suppress this. Falke is a metaphor for a society that wants to suppress this. Falke is a character that can’t deal with this.

I wonder if Falke’s gestalt is Alina, because Ariane’s mom comments on how similiar they look. And if Falke merging with Elster feels that Elster wants to be with Ariane, then she doesn’t want to be with Falke’s gestalt (Alina) anymore. That Elster searching for Alina in Sierpinski is leading her to Falke like how the game plays out. 

I interpret Adler’s notes at the end, about reality being corrupted to be about the take over of an oppressive regime. That they are censoring art and stories and history and changing and erasing them to replace them with propaganda.

Kind of like the spirits haunting the Shining. Thoughts are things. Are the ghosts real? Well it’s a story, but they effect the writer, the characters, and the audience. The author had these thoughts and manifested them into creative expression. And what you think can manifest in your life. They’re just thoughts, but they impact your real world.