Want to play a high-concept game that is all about “the road not taken”? The Alters Review will explain why you should give the new game from Frostpunk devs a go. Not a lot of games offer a unique mix of multiple sci-fi genres, but The Alters manages to hit the road running. The game is about Jan (pronounced Yan), a regular guy thrown head-first into space exploration.
The Alters might not have combat like Call of Duty or an open-world map, but it still managed to capture my attention and keep me playing till the credits rolled. I usually don’t do multiple playthroughs, especially when reviewing games, but I immediately started another run. All of this praise may paint The Alter as a game-of-the-year contender, which, honestly, it should be, but it isn’t without its flaws. The Alters review will discuss what makes the game click and what gameplay elements might irk some players.
Table of Contents
The Alters Review – Time Management
Jan is thrown straight into the action in The Alters. Jan is sent to a distant planet to search for a rare substance, but something goes wrong, resulting in the death of his whole crew. Now, it’s up to Jan to not only survive the planet but also find a way back home. Thankfully, the wheel-like base is still intact, ready to be built, upgraded, and populated.
Unfortunately, the sun is highly radioactive, so Jan has to move the base or get fried. There is only a finite number of hours in a day to get the job done, too. The Alters is all about managing how you spend your time. Take too long to explore? You die. Take the scenic route? The space suit’s battery depletes, and you die. Get comfortable at one location? Yep, you guessed it, the sun rises, and it’s game over.
The Alters review can’t be complete without addressing the time restriction. The urgency might fuel some players, but some could find it oppressive. A glance at the available mods (only on PC) shows plenty of players want longer days to take their time. That being said, I never had any trouble reaching my daily and overall goals, and I successfully moved the base to the following location.
The Alters Review – Resource Management
The Alters review can’t neglect that it’s a survival game at its core. So, naturally, there are resources to gather, things to build, and progress to be made. Jan needs to collect multiple resources to ensure he has the necessary materials to move to the next location. If he fails to secure critical resources, the sun will rise, and it will be game over.
There are multiple resources to gather, from organic to minerals. There is also a unique resource, Rapidium, which is used in numerous sci-fi creations. Rapidium is the reason why the entire space mission was launched, so Jan must collect a significant amount of it. Metals are used for base upgrading and making tools. Organic material is crucial for moving the huge base to the next location, as well as for making meals.
Then there are Death Stranding-like mechanics, especially in connecting everything. Find a mineral vein and place an extractor on it to mine it. You’ll also need to connect the extractor to a power source (your base) to make it work. Thankfully, you can fast-travel to any extractor placed on the map, saving you precious time. I also loved how the game fast-forwards time when you are manually mining; it doesn’t feel repetitive or mundane.
The Alters Review – Self Management
Running the whole space base isn’t something Yan could do alone. Thankfully, Rapidium allows Jan to clone himself. The Alters shine here; the quantum computer generates memories for the clones and presents “what if” scenarios. What if Jan became a scientist, a miner, or a psychologist? How would his life be? The cloning mechanic answers those questions.
The original Jan needs not only to get his clones settled but also to keep their moods in check for optimal results. You can make someone mad, but there will be consequences. Some Jans are easy to manage, while others are moody and sometimes irrational. It’s a unique mechanic that sets The Alters apart from the crowd. The game doesn’t shy away from borderline unethical scenarios and seamlessly integrates them into the story and gameplay.
You won’t be able to explore all Jans The Alter offers in one playthrough. Oftentimes, you’ll need to choose how to proceed. These are the moments that make the game special and worth a second playthrough. Juggling relationships with yourself is a new mechanic, one that I enjoyed. It also helps that the game shows your snippets of branched clone lives, when they deviated from the main Jan and how the choices shaped them. Alex Jordan, the voice actor for the English version, is having fun playing multiple versions of the same character.
Conclusion
The Alters offers a fascinating mix of sci-fi, survival, and relationship sim. Juggling all these subsystems might become too hectic for some gamers. Thankfully, there are multiple difficulty levels to adjust your experience to suit your needs. On PC, there are plenty of mods that tweak aspects to make the game more forgiving. Developers at 11 Bit Studios have done a remarkable job of delivering compelling gameplay propelled by a solid gameplay loop.
The Alters review examined the unique features of the game, but I strongly encourage you to try it for yourself. It’s an experience that can’t truly be understood just by reading or watching gameplay videos. The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass, so if you’re a subscriber, it’s an excellent opportunity to try it out.