Life is full of ‘what if’ moments—tangible branching paths that together make up our collective stories. These branching paths raise huge questions, like what would have happened if I had stayed in college and stuck it out, right down to more microscopic decisions, like what if I didn’t eat that shredded cheese straight from the bag at 3 a.m.?
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This is what The Alters is all about. Not gluttonously eating cheese, just to be clear, but rather these defining moments. Moments, in the case of Jan Dolski, that make him who he is, and indeed, who he could have been.
Usually, we don’t get to see these outcomes play out, but luckily, or unluckily for Jan, he gets very well acquainted with himself, which sounds like a gross innuendo, but I assure you, it’s all above board.
The Alters is an ambitious, experimental, and surreal survival experience that takes big swings. But based on what we saw at the recent preview in Warsaw, Poland, these decisions seem to be set to pay off big time, as I can say with no hesitation that The Alters is unlike anything on the market today.
Hey, Nice To Meet Me
The spine of this survival experience will surprise a few. The Alters decides to offer a thoughtful and engaging narrative as the core driving force, which goes against the norm regarding survival games, as the typical narrative often boils down to ‘escape the island’ or ‘Find your son’.
Sure, you’re still trying to get off a hostile planet before the sunrise vaporizes you, but that’s only a small part of the bigger picture.
Thanks to the subtle nuances in their body language, accent, morality, and core values, each of the Dolskis feels like their own person, and yet, they are distinctly and clearly tied to their original Jan Dolski in a way that is wholeheartedly believable.
You see, while there is a strange planet full of anomalies out to kill you, and a smorgasbord of survival mechanics to get your head around. The fact remains that the star of the show is Jan, and Jan, and maybe even Jan, too.
Thanks to a resource called Rapidium found on the planet, you have the ability to create Alters. Biological recreations of yourself, albeit ones that made a polar opposite life choice to you and take a very different life path as a result.
You would think that this would lead to shallow rehashes of the same character, but in practice, it works exceptionally well, and that’s largely down to the writing and the superb voice acting of Alex Jordan, who plays each and every Jan.
Getting to know each one is a blast, and thanks to the game limiting the amount of Jans you can create per run, it allows players to hop between saves or replay entirely to access new options, choose new paths and research their own ‘what if’ scenarios.
A Little Bit 11 Bit
One thing many may be wondering, especially considering this narrative-driven approach, is just how oppressive and inaccessible this game is.
After all, 11 Bit Studios has a habit of making survival games that bully you, punch you in the gut emotionally and physically, and then do it over again until you get a merciful game-over screen. So, it would be a little annoying if the game were so unforgiving that it locked away key story beats from invested players.
In my eyes, The Alters is a middle ground that will appeal to veterans and newcomers. This title does a great job of onboarding the player, showcasing the depth of systems in a manageable way, and slowly giving you the reins over time.
Then, before you know it, you’re commanding a fleet of doppelgängers, automating your tasks as if it’s second nature, and still finding some time to play some beer pong.
From a gameplay perspective, there are still a lot of impossible choices, and too many of these will compound into an irreparable situation in true 11 Bit fashion. However, as long as you pay attention and use your time wisely, you never end up feeling like the writing is on the wall, as there is almost always a way to turn things around.
11 Bit Studios has always focused on the human condition, and The Alters is perhaps the best, most balanced representation of this yet.
But what’s most impressive is that the game manages to walk this line narratively as well, providing a story that seamlessly blends surreal, silly, and somber moments.
You’ll have moments where you’ll need to talk various Jans off a ledge, or rule with an iron fist to stand a chance of survival; Morale be damned. However, there are also plenty of light moments, too.
You’ll be able to watch hilarious, weirdly fitting clips from YouTube stars Chris and Jack. You’ll be able to do optional tasks to form bonds with your doppelgängers, and naturally, you’ll have little Molly the sheep to pet if you ever need to carve out some light in the darkness.
11 Bit Studios has always focused on the human condition, and The Alters is perhaps the best, most balanced representation of this yet. I believe that if we were placed in the same impossible scenario, we would, too, find a way to procrastinate, fight over trivial things, and pander to the paranoia of an Alter with a screw loose.
As the game is split into three acts, and we only got hands-on the first two on this occasion, we don’t know if the finale ramps things up in terms of stress and difficulty to unsustainable levels.
But from what we have seen, I am happy to report that this is a survival game that is more than just watching the numbers and making tough decisions. It’s also a survival game with heart, and one that will appeal to more than just those obsessed with the niche.
Stay In, Avoid The Sunrise
The Alters has a pretty addictive and accessible gameplay loop that is split neatly in two. There is all the stuff that happens indoors at your roaming base, and then there is planetary exploration, where you’ll need to pop on your spacesuit and see the local sights. All you sightseers out there, I hope you like rocks.
On a positive note, everything that happens inside your little wheelbase is fantastic. You have base layout management that feels reminiscent of building your ship in Spiritfarer, and time management that keeps the stakes high without ever feeling like an albatross around your neck until very late in each act.
Then, of course, you have the narrative events that punctuate the experience and often throw a spanner in the works as your best-laid plans go awry.
These aspects work incredibly well and serve as the reason why you’ll stick with this one from start to end. But, at least in my humble opinion, everything that happens outside the base threatens to derail that overall enjoyment.
You see, everything outside the base feels a lot like mindless busy work, as no traditional combat exists, and every excursion outside effectively boils down to looking for mining deposits, accessing them and then mining the living crap out of them.
This grind is par for the course. I’m not naive to that. However, the systems that make up this outdoor experience are a little shallow. There will be days when you’ll literally head outside, go to a mining spot, and hold a button to simulate mining for an entire day just because you need that resource, and that to me isn’t exactly gripping stuff.
But to fixate on it even more, the smaller mini-game-adjacent actions just felt a little off. Such as the scanner pylons that effectively have you play minesweeper until you happen upon the exact spot to mine within a deposit. Or the Luminator, which feels like a second-rate version of Alan Wake’s flashlight combat. Don’t get me wrong, it’s serviceable, but it’s far from satisfying.
Although I immediately concede that I am a harsh critic, as I never took to Death Stranding, and even if not all the developers were on the same page regarding whether Kojima’s game was a core inspiration. The fact remains that I walked away from the experience with a lot of the same pain points as I did with Death Stranding.
But, I would wager that this will be a classic Marmite situation. You’ll either love it or hate it, but I was not a fan.
The Inevitable Clash
While I did take the time to celebrate The Alters' narrative approach, I feel that there is an important caveat to add. You see, there’s a reason you don’t see many survival games trying to tell a story where decisions matter, as the genre doesn’t lend itself to free thinking.
Survival games are all about smart decisions, careful management, and making the objectively correct decision. But if you want the player to feel in control of the narrative, then you need to produce a framework where there are no wrong decisions, just differing paths.
The Alters doesn’t really allow for this, unless you are willing to suffer. You see, your Alters all have core traits and beliefs, and each conversation will inevitably increase or decrease stats pertaining to how they are feeling. Which means that, if you want to survive, it would be a good idea to appease them.
However, this need to keep everyone sweet and avoid conflict leads to a format that actively deters players from role-playing or embracing the chaos just to see what happens. This is a shame because, having seen a lot of other runs from colleagues, the branching paths and events you’re able to trigger are well worth seeing.
It’s a shame that those who Min-max and attempt to effectively ‘play the game right’, whatever that means, could miss out on these wilder occurrences. But, I suppose if you’re up for a challenge, then it’s a pretty good reward for being bold enough to take that burden on.
Closing Comments:
The Alters is an experimental game that feels just as wild as Jan’s decision to clone himself over and over. However, much like for Jan, it’s a bold move that looks like it will pay off. The gameplay loop is tight, addictive, and surprisingly accessible for newcomers, offering a steady, rewarding progression without ever feeling overwhelming. Plus, the narrative, while at odds with the survival staples at times, is so well written and interesting that you probably won’t mind. The planetary exploration, while serviceable, leaves a lot to be desired and, because that equates to half the time you’ll spend in the game, it’s easily the biggest red flag for those on the fence. But, as a holistic experience, it’s a positive, memorable, and unique one, making it a potential sleeper hit and one you need to keep on your radar.
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