Like many of my fellow critics and creators, I went into my preview forThe Alterswith little knowledge of the game. I’d seen the trailers, and they posed some interesting questions, but would my lack of love for the survival genre hamper my enjoyment of the game?
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I got to play the game for a couple of hours at the 11 Bit Studios hands-on event in Warsaw, Poland, and, unurprisingly, I have some conflicting opinions.
A Compelling Narrative In A Hostile World
The Alters’ narrative is built around one key question: What would happen if you madeonedifferent choice in your life? How differently would things have worked out? It takes the butterfly effect and hyper-focuses it on one individual’s life - Jan Dolski.
Jan has crash-landed on an alien planet, rich in the resource Rapidium. Limited in his capabilities due to his previous life choices, Jan must create clones, or “Alters”, of himself to help him perform the tasks he struggles with. These Alters are versions of Jan that, on a different timeline, made a singular different decision that changed the trajectory of their lives. Some Jans became scientists, other mechanics, all of which will prove useful as our main Jan tries to survive.
Of course, these decisions didn’t only alter their careers and relationships but also their personalities, meaning that the circular ship/residence/transport device you live on becomes a melting pot full of potential fireworks, something I was immediately forced to navigate.
During an early scene, I was confronted by my first Jan Alter, whose decision earlier in life led him to become a mechanic. Jan B, as we’ll call him, was completely distrustful of the main Jan, and through a set of dialogue choices, I had to try and earn his respect and cooperation with my mission. I imagine that these conversations get more and more difficult as different Jans arrive on the ship and begin to influence one another.
The narrative is only furthered by how beautiful and desolate the planet Jan lands on really is.
The narrative is only furthered by how beautiful and desolate the planet Jan lands on really is. While it doesn’t exactly teem with life, harsh, jagged rocks and an ominous sky build a sense of isolation and dread.
If that sounds gripping, it’s because it is. Jan Dolski, expertly voiced by Alex Jordan, who has credits inCyberpunk 2077,Dragon’s Dogma IIandFinal Fantasy XVI, is a complex character, or rather, a set of characters. His struggles and journey and the intertwined narratives really intrigued me. It’s just the moment-to-moment stuff.
Plodding Gamplay Loop
The planet Jan lands on is hostile—not with alien life, but with its environment. Within a few days, catastrophe is set to strike, and due to radiation levels, Jan only has the daylight hours to complete the tasks he needs to give himself the best chance of survival. It’s another layer to an already exciting premise; I just found the tasks I had to perform a little… mundane. While Jan’s duties make sense in the context of the wider story, they weren’t anywhere near as interesting.
I spent roughly half of my two hours with the game searching and foraging for materials, constructing mining equipment, and performing a variety of upgrades to my ship. It all felt like fairly common stuff for a survival game, but as I previously mentioned, it’s never been a genre that I’ve particularly vibed with. I imagine if you’re a survival game fan, this will be right up your alley.
It should also be noted that my time with the game was short, and there were certainly signs things were about to open up. I was able to create new rooms on my ship, which would have brought new challenges, and I got to visit multiple locations on the game’s rocky planet. Plus, I only had one Jan. I’m sure the variety of tasks widen as the game progresses.
My time with the game was short, and there were certainly signs things were about to open up.
Based on conversations with my fellow media cohorts, I know I’m in the minority. For survival fans, there’s seemingly a great game in The Alters. For those who aren’t partial to the genre, despite layers upon layers of mystery, I’m not sure if there will be enough to turn the dial, and I’m not sure if the game can do enough to support the narrative’s grand intentions. Only time will tell.
The Alters wasn’t the only game I got to check out in Poland, though. Stay tuned for my thoughts onFrostpunk 2- coming soon.
