‘The Alters’ Is a Slick, Sci-Fi Survival Sim With Style, Substance, and Some Jank (Demo Impressions)

The survival game genre has grown on me this year. With games like Palworld and Enshrouded easily dominating plenty of my free time, it was a great year for new releases. It seems like 2025 already has a contender for the survival game of the year with The Alters. A game that isn’t afraid to ask morally gray questions and puts you in control of the lives of one, but also many. It’s ambitious and interesting, but also needs a little extra time in the oven before it’s perfect.

Who Knew That Gray Could Be so Gorgeous?

After starting the demo for The Alters, I took notice of how pretty a game it is. Even with the stark color palette, it immediately jumped off the screen. It’s striking, with a variety of effects making everything pop. The textures look great, and even though there’s a small amount of TAA smudging? It’s not enough to detract from how gorgeous The Alters is.

Small details, like the red smoke that emerges from Mineral collection sites, stand out here. It makes navigating the depressing, drab, and dark environment much easier overall. It’s supposed to feel oppressive, especially since Jan is the last remaining member of his expedition squad. There is no other life beyond my own, and it’s up to me to scavenge enough materials to survive.

Weather and environmental effects also make The Alters stand out. It feels a little like Death Stranding, but instead of peeing after chugging 14 Monster Energy drinks in a row, you need to collect rocks.

‘The Alters’ Story Seems to Be Rather Impactful, at Least so Far

The Alters isn’t afraid to push boundaries quickly. If you were stranded alone, would you use materials to alter your past to create new versions of yourself? If not, then this may not be a game for you. After I discovered a new material, I was able to bring a Sheep to life within my base. After this, of course, the only other thing I could create was myself. Again, and again, and again.

By looking into my Brain Map, I could alter the past. Using this altered memory, I could create an Alter of myself to work on the main hub building. It’s an interesting premise and one that raises a lot of moral and ethical questions. It also seems that these Alters have their personality, and speaking to them in specific ways can alter how they view you. Social links in my survival game? Who would have thought? They always say talking to yourself is the best way to ensure that someone is listening, but this takes it to a whole new level.

I’ll be intrigued to see how this is expanded upon in the full release, as it’s already an incredibly novel concept. I know I can make more of myself. But can I start to clone creatures? Or can I find ways to bring other people from my memories? The possibilities feel endless.

Building Your Base Is Reminiscent of ‘Fallout Shelter’ Without the Microtransactions

Making my way through the base was a little cumbersome at first in The Alters. I didn’t realize that it was multileveled, with sprawling corridors leading me to many alternate rooms. I could build upon these rooms with the addition of an elevator, as long as I had the required number of materials.

Stepping onto an elevator, I was able to go between rooms quickly. Bringing up the map would show everywhere I could go. With eight rooms to start and plenty more built during the demo, I had to constantly keep checking. As I immerse myself further, I can guarantee that I’ll figure it all out and have it down like the back of my hand.

One of the most janky parts of the demo was navigating through these areas. Seeing as The Alters went from a full 3D experience to a 2.5D side-scroller essentially, some of the controls feel a little cumbersome. It’s something I would love to see fixed before the final release. But, it’s a while before this one hits the marketplace.

If you want to try The Alters for yourself, something that I strongly suggest, there is a free demo available on Steam, Xbox Marketplace, and PlayStation Network. It’s a surprisingly competent game with gorgeous graphics and a unique plot. I’m interested to see how the mystery of The Alters will continue to unfold when it releases in Q1 2025.