This can't be happening. 
Wary hands tousle through unkempt hair as Jans body slunk against the cold metal wall, only slightly slowing his decent as he thudded to the floor with exhaustion. Absolutely nothing about this mission had gone to plan. NOTHING. And now...
And now...
He peered up, eyes straining against the translucent membrane of The Womb- it's walls thrumming as though it were alive. Maybe it was.... who knows.
Certainly not you. You... you are just a builder, Jan. That's how we ended up in this fucked up situation, to begin with. 
JUST a builder, but perhaps in another life... in another timeline... fuck. In another timeline, I could have been a great deal many things... 
This is how we got stuck in this situation to begin with, Jan. Is this... is this the right thing to do? What... what happens to them when we get HOME? If. If we get home.
A ding accompanied the letters flowing across the screen atop The Womb.
ALTER READY.
Here we go, again.

The Alters is a game developed and published by the fairly well-known 11 bit studios, the team behind the wildly popular and highly memorable Frostpunk titles.  Knowing that, I did absolutely go into this game expecting what I normally would from an 11 bit title: Gorgeous graphics, a stellar OST, and a thought provoking story. Needless to say, I found all of them. While not perfect, and not shy on some controversy that is definitely become a bit of a stain on the title, I do think there is still a fantastic game under all this.

Yeah, you can say that again.

Firstly, to address some of this controversy:
With the widespread popularity and use of AI in many forms of media, Steam has made it mandatory to be transparent, and report the use of AI in game titles. However, it appears that 11 bit studios failed to uphold that disclosure agreement and, for at least some time, got away with it. Looking deeper into this, it appears that they used generative AI in filling some of the background assets, as well as some filler text that still had prompt responses in it (This also did include localization for some languages). That said, as they were caught, they did issue an apology, admitting that they should have disclosed the use of AI.  Though, not only should it have been done because it was "the right thing to do", but specifically because Steam has Generative AI Disclosure Rules that covers ANY kind of content (art/code/sound/etc) created with the help of AI tools during development. This has left a bit of a rift in the community, for various reasons, as one might expect. That being said for transparency sake on this title, this has very little impact at all whatsoever on my time in The Alters. So without further ado, lets dive in.

Needless to say, things don't quite start off quite how Jan expected. 

Taking on the role of Jan Dolski, you find yourself stranded and alone at your mobile base after your landing- and everyone else's- has gone horribly wrong. That being said, you're just a builder. And your base, well, it's massive, with many moving parts. You need food, water, repair parts... you've got a ton to do. And you're only one man. At least, for the moment. That all changes, of course, after you try and get in touch with someone at The Ally Corp. Given no other option but to create alters to help you find a way to extraction, or inevitably die, Jan makes what will be one of many morally loaded decisions - and opts to live.

The Alters is a whole mixed bag when it comes to genre. Part Action-Adventure, part Survival, part Base Management, there can be a whole lot going on. In addition, there is a LOT of dialogue. Am I talking Kojima level of dialogue and cutscenes? No, absolutely not. But I feel like there was a reason that I felt a fairly large draw between The Alters and Death Stranding. Players familiar with the latter will definitely understand when it comes to some of the dialogue and camera angles used, as well as some of the overhanging tone. I don't think that it's a bad thing, by any means. When you're not in calls or speaking with "yourself", you'll be on the planets surface, exploring and finding lost luggage, and mineral deposits. Locate the deepest point of the deposit, and set yourself up to mine for resources- you'll need them. Not only to build, but to protect yourself and your base from radioactive storms that can be devastating should you find yourself unprepared. On your travels, you may also find a few lost trinkets of use to your alters... keep an eye out.

Your Alters will respond real-time to your choices. Tread carefully!

Not only will you need to manage your resources, but you will absolutely have to learn how to manage... yourselves. Each alter you create had different hopes, dreams, needs and aspirations. Some like each other, some don't. And some may not even like YOU. Find a way to micromanage the heaps of personality, or a few of them may very well die trying. That said, you may be rescued by your alters when things get rough- but they are far from invincible. Neglect them, and you'll find yourself short a miner. Be sure to take care of yourselves by keeping radiation filters stocked, and meals prepped. You can't forget the basics.

 One of the other portions of management, is your mobile base. Using research, you can expand your capacity, as well as learn about new technologies that can aid you. Some may be new modules to install, while others may not be immediately visible, but have profound lasting impacts that can be the difference between life and death. Set up the base as you see fit, but don't forget storage, as well as  other compartments that you (as well as your alters) can't go on without.

Base management meets Tetris.

Functionally, the controls for The Alters are fantastic, and are absolutely industry standard. Movement without the base is creatively done, moving floor to floor with ease, and solving the issue of "How do the alters move about without obscuring my own play?" so flawlessly, you won't even notice until you see it being used. Pair the functionality with gorgeous graphics and a phenomenal soundtrack, and you have a thought-provoking sci-fi delight that will absolutely please players in search of a morally divisive adventure. Be warned, however: Players that are not fans of deep story driven narrative should likely look elsewhere, as this game is quite dialogue intensive.

Don't forget to drop by and give Molly her daily pets.

Overall, The Alters is a well constructed game that is ultimately well worth it's asking price. A breath of fresh air amidst a sea of live services and microtransactions, players seeking a deeper gaming experience will absolutely find enjoyment here. To note, while this game relies heavily on resource management, it is not endless. There is always a reason for gathering, and it is not a game of endless base building and fortification: Everything eventually circles back around to the plot. It's been some time since I had a game really make me contemplate my own morals and beliefs, but you will absolutely find something new to twist your mind around here. Despite any hanging controversy, The Alters is definitely a title worth taking a dive into, and exploring all it has to offer.

The Alters is cuttently available on the Steam Marketplace for $34.99 USD.