It was a couple of years ago when The Alters were first revealed to the world, but it flew completely under my radar. The work of 11 bit studios It didn't stay engraved on my retina and it wasn't until a few months ago when I was captivated by a preview for The Game Awards 2023. The parents of This War of Mine have something big on their hands and I needed to be able to taste it firsthand.
Thanks to the classic Steam Next Fest, the work has made a demo available to the public that allows you to savor its first hour of challenges. A set of challenges that draw on the most visually powerful science fiction, but also that which induces absolute panic when we think about the possibilities that futuristic technology would allow.
It's not time travel, but almost
The release of The Martian in 2015, adapting Andy Weir's novel of the same name, was a huge success thanks to a very interesting perspective on survival beyond the stars. ¿What would you do on a completely desert planet? and with few resources at your disposal? A great problem to solve and to which we must add the key factor that you must solve all the issues yourself.
That is precisely the context in which Jan Dolski, protagonist of The Alters, and he has no idea how he ended up crashing on a distant planet. Millions of miles away from his home, Dolski discovers that all of his expedition companions have died in the rescue capsules, so he has to seek refuge in the enormous mobile base that he rolls freely.
Of course, our friend is nothing more than an ordinary man in absolutely extraordinary circumstances, so the moment the radiation filtering machine breaks down, there is no salvation. The celestial body rotates without pause towards a giant sun and a race against time for survival begins, but Dolski needs more hands.
This is when a mysterious quantum machine comes into play that stores his memories and, thanks to the use of a substance known as rapidium, is capable of generating alternative versions of himself. What would have happened if Dolski had confronted his abusive father and defended his mother, in exchange for giving up his studies? The possibilities are enormous and the possible Jans are closely related, but they have enough differences to set the course of the mission.
Basically, it is a small time travel game, but in the purest style of The butterfly Effect by Ashton Kutcher. During the demo you can only generate a single alter – the term used for your different versions -, although it has been enough to prove that I must maintain a good relationship with him; Otherwise, the radiation would have passed through the ship and the adventure would have been over in a flash.
Learn to overcome adversity
And yes, many needs must be met in an entire futuristic construction, because above all The Alters is a management video game. Not from the classic isometric perspective to handle large structures, but everything is reduced to Jan Dolski's vision from a third-person camera. Walking on the surface is dangerous: there is no oxygen, the radiation increases every day and the landscapes are as beautiful as they are aggressive.
The setting is absolutely fabulous, setting up a brutalist planet, with pointed rocks, dark shapes, a sky in constant storm, and a frightening incessant tide. The game keeps sending signals that you can't stay here much longer, but you also can't do without the materials it has. The rapidium is the most special of themsince it allows the creation of alters, although it is essential to obtain organic and mineral resources.
For example, the first expedition I carried out to find abundant ores and sources took me to explore the vicinity of the base. The blue and red smoke exuded by the deposits are unmistakable signs of where to look, but everything became a little more complicated with water extraction. It is necessary to perimeter a specific area to locate the point with the greatest abundance and from there, a machine for extraction. As if that were not enough, you can connect through a pillar system that mine with the baseso resources flow to it.
However, the most precious asset in The Alters It is none other than time. The hours pass inexorably and with the change of each day the game remembers how long it is until everything is over. Jan is able to perform efficiently for many hours, but she ultimately needs to rest if she is to attend to everything that can be done in her big little house. The camera becomes a lateral perspective so that we can move through the different modules, be it the kitchen, the bedroom, the communications room, the work room or the always appreciated warehouse.
All this through a very useful elevator system, but the best thing is that we can place each of the cabins wherever we want. The title allows them to be moved without problems to gain space, which looks like it will be a lot of play for the future. It is true that I have not been able to exploit too much the capabilities of a wheel-shaped basewhich makes it possible to move it with some freedom across the surface.
The work of 11 bit studios points out ways with its mechanical component, of which I have barely been able to glimpse a glimpse, but there is a brutal and tremendously interesting narrative weight for the future. In a single stroke you can discover the entire chain of events that have led Dolski to be who he is, which has had to make very complicated decisions in just over 30 years of life. Therefore, the meeting with each of their alternative selves is potentially promising.
They do not act under the designs of the protagonist for the pure fact of being one, but rather have their own idiosyncrasy. I had to convince the one I created to help me, that we had much more in common than it might seem. The surprising thing is that this connection came through a typical dish that their mother prepared, which is why a good meal always helps relax tensions. The Possible ramifications loom and their consequences are intriguingas much as what they are up to in the company that financed the expedition.
There is a disturbing undercurrent behind the company's intentions, but I am far from discovering them. From time to time I receive choppy communications with them, although it is difficult to get anything clear. Of course, that The Alters It goes on my list of essentials, you can rest assured.
The Alters Release Date
The science fiction of The Alters It will land sometime in 2024, so we have to wait for more news from its creators. We will be able to take advantage of it on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series, including its launch from day one on Xbox Game Pass.
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