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The concept of alternate realities is not something new today. We have seen how other types of products exploit it, and although in some, it doesn’t work, 11 Bit Studios’ latest game shows how it should be implemented. Until now, I hadn’t seen a game that handled this concept and approach as well as The Alters. Although initially, I was doubtful about the idea that The Alters would bring, my hands-off impressions made me feel confident, intrigued, and excited about this title, which made me ask myself: “What if?” at every turn.
The Alters First Impressions: Welcome To the Dolski-verse
At a recent event where I had the opportunity to see a hands-off preview of The Alters, I could observe the work that 11 Bit Studios has been doing and their approach to the theme of alternate selves, something I want to discuss in my first impressions. The Alters puts you in the shoes of Jan Dolski, the game’s protagonist, an explorer who gets stranded on a planet. He must use his Alters to survive.
The core experience is a survival exploration that involves scouring a planet to get resources and craft things to help you escape that rock. But, to be able to do all this, you need to create Alters, alternate versions of Jan that exist due to different decisions he made in his life. Your version is the explorer, but you will need technicians, cooks, and many others to establish your base on this planet and plan your escape. This system creates a fascinating gameplay loop with many variants and unknowns for the character and the player.
One Man’s Trouble is the Same Man’s Trouble
Although I initially thought it would be another survival game with a little something different to stand out in this saturated genre, the survival elements are relatively solid. With access to various gadgets at your disposal, you can scan the planet’s floor and find materials to build structures. You do this by installing pylons on the ground that take you to where the material is. After you take this to the base, create what you need. Beyond that, you must manage your Alters and make sure everyone is okay.
The Alters are more than just a fun mechanic where you see the other versions of Jan. Each has needs and missions you must fulfill. In some quests, you can ask for the help of some Alters who experienced different things. The studio showed us an example of how to solve a problem: we had to talk to an Alter who did not divorce Jan’s wife. For this, there is a tree of life mechanic where you can see the little decisions Jan has made and how each one creates a new version of him. From here, you can create a new Alter to help you with specific objectives.
Me, Myself, and Jan
Of course, as useful as the other Jan’s are, they also have their needs and personalities. Maybe Jan the Cook has a nice personality, but the Tech Jan does not. This can lead to them not getting along. Obviously, it is up to the original Jan to fix this situation. This is what I liked the most because you have to maintain a good environment, relationship-wise. On many occasions, I wondered, “Would my alternate versions get along?” It’s a fantastic thing and a concept that I can’t wait to dig more into.
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So far, the upcoming The Alters game looks quite promising, and I say that after watching only a small segment for my hands-off impressions. Fortunately, you can see that the developers have all the bases well cemented and know where they are going. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a survival game with a good narrative and an original concept. If this title ends up being what it promises to be, I can already see myself sinking many hours looking for all the versions of Jan to help him survive.
