The Alters review

Space travel is our future. However, I’m not sure I’d place my life in the hands of some scientists and a supercomputer. Sadly, Jan Dolski did just this, and his life and chances of survival took a dramatic turn for the worse. The Alters takes a fresh look at the survival space genre. Moreover, it blends humour, fear, loneliness, success, and plenty of other emotions and experiences. The result is a roller coaster story with plenty of twists and turns.

11 bit studios has taken on a mammoth task in this plate-spinning, time-consuming, and resource-balancing survival game. Furthermore, it twists your moral compass as illegal cloning, arguments, and deadly exploration are the new norm. The combination of weird and wonderful moments is captivating, challenging, and enjoyable in equal measure.

The Alters, alters your perspective.

Putting your faith in a business that treats you as a number is never wise! Unfortunately, Jan does this and regrets every second. His future-proof vessel crash-lands while searching for the life-changing element, Rapidium. Unbeknownst to the hero, this crazy element changes his life forever.

Getting off the planet alone is an impossible task. Yet, if you had a new crew, you might stand a chance. Thankfully, the discovery of Rapidium and a newly constructed module in your base ensures your chances of survival are increased. New clones must show off their skills while highlighting how their path branched away from the OG Jan.

This simple idea forms the backbone of an emotional and intelligent plot. Dialogue choices, friendships, and life choices steer the course of the game. Thankfully, like its peers, you can return to take new paths and explore every possibility. Additionally, there are plenty of side quests and life-changing moments that keep you interested throughout.

Exploration.

The Alters balances survival mechanics, base building, and exploration perfectly. There is a slight element of repetition, but every major and minor task mitigates the sense of déjà vu. As you explore the planet, you must be aware of deadly radiation and the day/night cycle. Moreover, you must care for your Alters as they execute every order you bark.

Base maintenance, cooking, research, manufacturing, socialising, and more are essential to stay alive and keep everyone happy. However, this isn’t easy, as 5, 6, or 7 practically identical people are bound to fall out. Luckily, a trip outside or a simple mission keeps everyone apart and relatively content.

The exploration is a key gameplay mechanic. Finding resources, your gear, and overcoming anomalies isn’t an easy task. As new elements are found, you must unlock gear, base modules, and other tech to progress. Accordingly, balancing everyday needs and game progression tech can be a challenging juggling act.

The Alters looks great, but it is flawed.

The Alters world is defined by 2 separate areas. First, you have the planet that shifts and changes depending on the story progression. This beautiful alien location looks and feels impressive. Moreover, as the deadly sun moves closer to your base, things become more dangerous, strange, and scary. The 2^nd element is your haven, the base. This modular world can be changed to suit your needs. New rooms can be added or destroyed as required. It is a maze of corridors, elevators, and rooms. Consequently, it can be tough to navigate.

The audio is fantastic! Exceptional acting and a weird blend of sounds were captivating. Each character has a unique personality and twang to make them stand out. What’s more, the strange sci-fi noises epitomise the theme and the alien madness.

Though there are plenty of positives, The Alters is flawed. Bugs, glitches, and corrupted saves undermine much of the action. Though many of the problems are likely to be ironed out. It was unforgivable to lose hours of playtime as your crew and modules randomly disappear.

Despite its issues, The Alters is fantastic.

The Alters delivers a phenomenal space survival game with an impressive UI. This helps newbie gamers to gather their thoughts and master the core mechanics. Alongside this, every previous dialogue choice is highlighted. This will impress completionists and those looking for increased longevity, replay value and a straightforward path to each branching storyline.

This is a love it or hate it genre. The survival elements can be stressful. Additionally, managing your weird cloned twins is pretty odd. However, combine these mechanics with interesting exploration and base building, and you have yourself a winner. The Alters is unusual but fun. It offers an original take on the genre, and I recommend getting it from the Xbox store.