The Alters Review (skch)
This is the most unconventional approach to both survival games and base-building games. And my review is more about the initial concept and idea (and also the realisation of this idea) than about the gameplay features and routine.
Looking ahead, I would say that this is a base-building and management simulator with minor survival elements, styled in the vein of Interstellar and Stanislaw Lem’s The Invincible.
The concept of survival with companion assistants isn’t new, but the narrative concept of Alters works exceptionally well - initially, the game invites you to explore your own story, specifically key moments of your life (childhood in a small mining town, an alcoholic father who tormented your mother who later fell ill, and the protagonist who couldn’t bear living in that atmosphere and simply ran away to get an education and make something of himself, and so on).
After this, you’re surprised to discover that the alternative personalities you’ve created aren’t just parts of you, they are completely different people, with different life choices (some of which the main character wanted to make but didn’t dare), problems, and personalities. All of this works wonderfully for the narrative.
To be honest, I would say that this game is more about narrative and story, the duality of personality, making important life decisions and their consequences, and so on.
Gameplay-wise, it’s Fallout Shelter and any game with companions (let’s say Conan Exiles). Here you’ll find all the familiar elements of these games - resource management, their collection and processing, base condition control, maintaining low radiation levels, monitoring the morale of your protégés, and so on.
The interface is polished and stylistically reminiscent of Control (which is a compliment).
The game’s world and soundtrack are slightly less successful. The world is quite monotonous (at least in the prologue and first act) - rocks, mountains, mountains, rocks, and more rocks with mountains. The soundtrack seemed bland to me, as if it couldn’t keep up with the overall level, style, and design of the game.
From a technical standpoint, everything is excellent - stable 150+ frames on a 4090 with FG and DLSS at quality settings, no crashes, no bugs, textures only flickered a few times, but only during character dialogues.
Overall, this is an excellent product that can draw you in for several dozen hours. Considering its price, I can recommend buying the game right away, without waiting for discounts or updates.