The Alters successfully blends base-building, survival, and a compelling narrative about managing cloned versions of yourself. Despite some pacing and saving system issues, it's a stressful yet highly rewarding experience with significant replayability.
In The Alters, a single-player survival game, the central challenge revolves around managing a crew of your own alternate selves. The protagonist, Yan Dulski, is stranded on a hostile alien planet with a massive, mobile base he cannot operate alone. Using alien technology, he creates clones of himself, but each “Alter” is born from a different life path. One might be a seasoned doctor, another an expert technician, each bringing unique skills but also distinct personalities, memories, and emotional baggage to the group. This creates a complex social simulation where managing interpersonal conflicts is as critical as managing resources.
The gameplay loop is a tense balance of exploration and management. During the day, players must venture onto the planet's surface to gather materials under a strict time limit imposed by deadly radiation. This part of the experience is reminiscent of exploration in games like Subnautica. The nights are spent inside the 2D, cross-section base, which evokes the design of Fallout Shelter or XCOM. Here, players must build new rooms, assign tasks to the Alters, and navigate their conflicting needs and desires. Constant pressure and a series of emergencies ensure that the player rarely has a moment to rest, creating a perpetually high-stakes environment.
While the game offers significant replayability through branching narratives and multiple endings, it is not without its frustrations. The save system is a notable drawback, as it only allows saving at the beginning of each in-game day, potentially forcing lengthy replays after a mistake. Furthermore, the game's pacing can feel punishing, as decisions can have severe, delayed consequences that are not always clearly communicated to the player. A desire for a less story-driven sandbox mode is also noted. However, with its polished graphics, excellent sound design, and truly innovative premise, it presents a solid and worthwhile experience.
