The Alters is an Intriguing Sci-fi Adventure with Wholesome Moments and Unexpected Twists
Imagine being lost in the farthest reaches of space. No matter how much you prepared or studied or trained, I imagine nothing quite prepares you for that kind of isolation. In The Alters, from developer and publisher 11 bit studios, you play as Jan Dolski, the sole-survivor of an ill-fated space expedition who must try to survive a hostile planet with the help of alternative versions of himself.
I’ve played just the first few hours of The Alters, but I was pretty hooked from the get-go. Things start quite quickly with Jan landing on a planet and realizing that the captain and the rest of the crew have all died in their space pods. He quickly makes his way to the base and is contacted by the company in charge of the space expedition. No one knows what went wrong with the pods, but what they do know is that Jan will be in serious danger if he doesn’t move the base away from its current spot in a heavily irradiated area. This is the first big problem players will encounter in the game.
The Alters has two main game mechanics, interacting with things and crafting items inside the base and exploring the planet outside of the base. In the beginning you won’t have much to work with so you’ll have to explore areas of the planet to collect materials so that you can craft helpful items. But you have to be mindful of the levels of radiation as you explore. Eventually, players will come across a material called Rapidium which can be used to create clones of Jan to help him with maintenance of the base and assist with getting off of the planet.
It’s obvious from the beginning that there’s something very strange going on with the company as they encourage Jan to continue making alternate versions of himself. Players can choose different points on Jan’s life timeline, sending Jan down different paths in order to create a new version of himself with the skills that he needs. For example, the first clone you create is a technician, capable of helping you move the base away from the irradiated area.
The more you progress, the more things will get a bit complicated. You’ll expand your base, putting each room in a particular configuration to make sure they all have access to power. I got tripped up by this a few times and had to completely change around the set up of my base to make sure that everything was right. You’ll also have to set up machines to gather organic materials, using pylons to connect the mining area with the base.
When you’re not working on upgrading your tools and the base or gathering materials, you’ll be able to talk to your alters. It’s important that you’re all able to work together, but it’s no surprise that they’re not exactly excited to have been created just to help Jan escape his current predicament. Thankfully, you’re able to see the memories and moments in each alter’s life that will give you opportunities to connect with them and, hopefully, become friends. Making it easier to get their help with the base.
The Alters is a truly intriguing title and one that I hope to go back to when I can. It gets a little overwhelming as you begin to learn about all the things you need to manage, but there are some lovely wholesome moments to be had with your alters as well as unexpected twists the more you progress. Grab this one if you’re looking for a title with a unique concept, fantastic voice acting, great game mechanics and a really cute sheep.
The Alters is available now on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.