The Alters is unlike anything I've ever played (2024)

It always feels like a breath of fresh air when you get your hands on a game that tends to avoid the usual development rules and escapes the moulds in which most games are made nowadays.

Almost every new game tends to copy some other games in at least a few aspects, and it is a really rare occasion to be able to experience something fresh, unusual, and original. The Alters can be defined exactly in that manner, like a game whose story, gameplay, and even presentation are something different and unique and not seen usually in the realm of video games.

In essence, The Alters is a base-builder survival game that will put you in the boots of Jan Dolski, a space builder whose ship gets stranded on an unknown planet during the expedition. Jan is the only survivor on a desolate planet that's going to be struck by its star in several days, so your mission will be to gather resources, repair a spaceship, and get the hell out of that place.

During the planet's exploration, Jan discovers a very unusual element that is capable of reproducing and copying DNA samples. To solve the problems on his ship and escape this planet alive, Jan will have to make some hard decisions and make alters of himself to help him on his missions.

Those alters are different versions of Jan that took a different path during some important life periods. The original Jan is a builder with a University degree. The other alter, and the only one you will meet in this demo version, is a mechanic, and during the final release of the game, there will be a lot of other alters.

Your job, apart from maintaining your ship and trying to escape, will be to manage the alters because the game introduces some sort of relationship system in which you will have to maintain good relations between them if you want to get off this planet in one piece. Given that the game features RPG elements and a decision system, you will have to decide what to say when talking with different alters to make them happy and productive; otherwise, it won't end well for you.

This demo version of The Alters gives us just glimpses of gameplay complexity, and I believe that once the full game is released, this system will show its true potential. I can only imagine what dedication and management skills will be required once your ship houses ten or more clones with different personalities when life-and-death situations start to knock on the door. I'm really looking forward to seeing this.

In The Alters, your ship is your base. You can upgrade your base by installing new compartments, research stations, storage rooms, and everything else required for survival. The resources required for survival and base upkeep are located outside, and outside is a harsh place for a man. To keep Jan and all his alters alive, you will have to make them well-rested, and well-fed, and make sure their radiation level is at optimal levels.

During the day, they will work, and during the night, they will rest, eat, and socialise. In this demo version, we get to explore only one area before moving on—the same area where the ship crashed—but it was more than enough to show us what potential this game actually has. In this small area, Jan will gather metal, make a base for gathering organic matter, and connect it with the ship, showing us how those mechanics will actually work.

Regarding graphical presentation, The Alters is a thing of beauty, I must admit. The graphical effects of rain and wind are amazing, the rocky terrain showcased in the game is beautifully portrayed, and special praise goes to the design of the ship. It looks like a 2D display when zoomed out, but when you zoom in, the level of detail inside it is just insane.

The PC version of the game has a plethora of options to adjust inside the graphical options section, from resolution upscaling to super-resolution solutions to advanced lighting and more; everything you can expect from one modern title is there, and it is not just for the showing. The visuals are stunning, and you'll enjoy every moment of this game when it comes to its presentation.

The character models are quite impressive, or should I say model, because, at the end of the day, it is all just one guy with different hairstyles and body weight. However, it was definitely a challenge to make such a huge number of personas out of one person, and if the two first characters are enough to make a judgement, the full version could be even more impressive. This is mostly thanks to the great acting and motion capture of Alex Jordan, the actor who lends his voice and face to all alters.

The sounds are good as well, especially the weather effects representing strong winds and thunderstorms and the effects of radiation exposure. When you mix all that with a great voiceover and very good background music, you get a sound package that serves its purpose well.

Conclusion

I cannot remember which demo picked up as much curiosity in me as The Alters did because the concept and the game's ideas are just brilliant, I must say. How it will hold once the full version is out, I seriously can't say. Maybe it will be genius, maybe it will be boring—who knows? But based on the demo experience, I believe we are up for one of the most original survival experiences, that's for sure.

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