‘The Alters’ Had Me Fighting With Myself Both Literally and Figuratively Throughout This Sci-Fi Survival Journey (Review)

If you had the opportunity to create another version of yourself, would you? Without thinking about the morality of the situation, could you fathom the idea of seeing another you? The Alters asks us that question, before giving us no choice but to do it. Stranded, alone on an uncharted planet, Jan doesn’t have much of a choice. His crew is dead. His family, or what is left of it, is back on Earth. To survive, he must do the unthinkable. He can only do so much on his own, and who better to help you out than yourself, right? Well, as I was quick to find out, that isn’t always the case.

De la Soul Said It Best. ”It’s Just Me, Myself, and I”. in ‘The Alters’, Nothing Is Further From The Truth

I found myself in control of Jan Dolski. Trapped on a deserted planet, Jan is the only survivor from his crew. Scared, alone, and unsure of what to do, I have to make a mad dash to a distant piece of machinery. A mobile base, dropped off by the Corporation for Project Dolly. In search of a rare and elusive material called Rapidum, I’m the only one left who can find it. Or so I thought. As days go on and I quickly begin running out of both time and resources, a call rings through the Command Center. I learn what Rapidium is capable of, and I’m tasked to create a building on my Mobile Base. The Womb. We need to find out what I can do with Rapidium, and fast.

Once the Womb has been created, I create life. A sheep, affectionately referred to as Molly, is born. Rather than starting at the beginning of life, rather, Molly is already fully grown. Is this a side effect of what the Rapidium does, or what’s the deal here? The Alters asks a lot of questions through its runtime, and it’s a game that requires multiple playthroughs to get all of the answers. But it’s a journey I would be happy to embark on again. Getting an opportunity to meet all of the different Alters sounds like a treat and a half.

Multiple graphics modes, aiming for 30FPS and 60FPS, highlight a beautiful game. Running on Unreal Engine 5, The Alters is a visually fantastic game. Oppressive lands, great character models, and fantastic lighting make each area pop. Playing on Quality mode, the 30FPS cap was fairly solid, only dipping on rare occasions. Plus, playing on PlayStation Portal was a treat in itself.

When a Man and a Machine Love Each Other Very Much, an Alter Is Born

You may be asking yourself; Where do the Alters come from? Well, they come from Jan. Using machinery found within the Mobile Base, I can use my Core Memories to branch off and create a new version of myself. The first Alter I create, as there are no other options, is a technician. A foul-mouthed one, at that. One who is upset about his existence, confused, and scared. As technician Jan emerges from The Womb, he’s visibly upset at his creation. Emotions are a core part of The Alters, and we always need to keep an eye on how our Alters are doing.

Their emotional well-being is just as important as gathering up resources, especially as they’re also a major part of how the game will progress. Each zone only gives us a set amount of time to gather up what we need before “The Sun” begins to rise once again. Moving quickly, working efficiently, and keeping our Alters happy are all important here. I was surprised to see how much their emotions can completely botch a day’s work, especially if my Alters began fighting with one another. But there are plenty of ways you can keep them happy. Like playing Beer Pong or watching a movie together.

We Have Beer, We Have Fun, We Are Outrunning the Sun. ‘The Alters’ Demands We Work Hard Before Playing Hard

Yes, that’s right. Jan and the Jan-lings can partake in the most brotastic game ever made: Beer Pong. Sure, you may need to prioritize some of your storage space so you can build a Social Room to make this happen. But trust me, if you start up The Alters and need one piece of advice, make sure it’s that. Exploration is encouraged, especially if you want to find new films and other activities you can do with your Alters, as it’s a perfect way to keep them all feeling fine and to stop them from going stir-crazy. If you want to survive, you’ll need to do it together.

Seeing as The Alters is a survival crafting game at its heart, let’s take a moment to dive into how that plays out. Finding different types of materials? Check. Creating large mining rigs and hooking them up to the base via pillars? Check. Light combat, in a much more literal way than may be interpreted by reading it here? Also check. The Alters is your typical survival crafting experience, set in a non-traditional format. The Alters that you create provide some additional automation to ensure that you’re not the only one doing everything. As long as they’re healthy and happy, they’ll do their best to help you out. But sometimes, things can go south incredibly quickly.

Emotions and Memories Play a Major Part in ‘The Alters’, in Ways You May Not Expect

Seeing as Jan’s Alters are created from his memories, some parts of the story may have been changed when they were brought to life in The Womb. Some of them may have missing body parts restored. Others may just be incredibly upset about their general existence. Sometimes, they’ll react in the most unexpected of ways. It can be incredibly shocking, and it plays into the questionable morality of doing something like this in the first place. It’s uncomfortable, and it’s supposed to be. The Alters excels when it comes to moments like this.

Some Genuinely Heartbreaking Moments Happen in ‘The Alters’

Since all of the different forms of Jan have their own unique personalities, it’s always interesting to carry on a conversation with any version of yourself. Finding out how things played out differently in their life compared to yours, finding out if Dad was always a jerk in every timeline. Jan has a very detailed and interesting backstory, and The Alters plays into this extremely well. Seeing as each of these Alters are a figment of your memory, I suggest taking time out of your day to speak with them. You may be shocked to discover what they have to say, and how it can shake you to your core.

The subject of Morality is important within the world of The Alters. Are you man enough to talk to your ex-wife, or do you have one of your doppelgängers do it for you? Do you continue to create more of them? What would Molly be truly classified as? It’s a surprisingly thought-provoking game, even if sometimes, it does whiff the landing a little bit. But more often than not, I was pleasantly surprised to see what kind of things happened in the life of my Alters. Enough to consistently find time to speak with them to see how their lives turned out compared to my own.

But at the End of the Day, Don’t Forget That You’re Here for a Mission

One quarter visual novel with relationship building, another part resource management, and plenty of survival gameplay. Finding different materials, upgrading gear, and doing whatever I could to survive on this planet got increasingly more difficult. As it should, in any good survival crafting game. Using my Alters to help me get ahead of the curve and get my hands on plenty of resources was vital, as some days were much more difficult than I could have imagined.

The Alters has been one of the most interesting and thought-provoking games I’ve played this year. Its sublime survival aspects are only surpassed by its interactions with Jan and his Alters. It’s a beautiful game on the visual front, but even more so in the fact that it makes you come to grips with yourself. When the time comes, do you think you could depend on yourself?

Verdict: Highly Recommended

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The Alters will be available on June 13, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. A code was provided by the publisher for the sake of review. Reviewed on PlayStation 5 (Base Model).