I loved The Alters. I fell for the madness, the relationships, and the ever-changing story. Additionally, I adored the character development and the harsh decisions you had to make. Therefore, when I saw The Alters: Last Variable, I knew I had to get my hands on it.
This DLC was developed and published by 11 bit studios. It is a single-player game that focuses on one expansion of multiple game endings. If you have not played the base game, you may wish to play that first and then come back to this review. Alternatively, enjoy this spoiler: Jan stays on the deadly planet and decides to terraform it for scientific purposes.
This twist in gameplay mechanics is a key difference between The Alters: Last Variable and the base game. In the original, you run away from deadly events. The DLC asks you to wait them out and survive in a permanent underground basement. This changes the dynamics of your approach and the relationships you form.
The Alters: Last Variable focuses on discoveries.
Jan the scientist has decided to stay on the deadly planet and investigate the “Oasis” theory. He believes that he can find information that will improve humanity and change people’s lives. For this, he must raise a team of Alters who have scientific backgrounds. This refined group must work together and evolve if they are to formulate a plan and complete their research.
The group of scientists each have different beliefs and understandings of what should work and what success looks like. However, this plays as a social experiment into how the same person can form alternative opinions based on the education they have.
Alongside this, the introduction of cryosleep and ageing of your Alters adds a nice dynamic. Their relationships grow, fracture, and change as the years pass. However, the main Jan doesn’t age. Instead, he is almost on the outside looking in. It is a bizarre approach to a game that captured my attention when first released.
Terraforming.
Terraforming a planet is an exciting and interesting concept. However, the planet doesn’t like you meddling in its affairs. Whenever you make part of the planet habitable, it fights back. Therefore, you must plan correctly and use your team of science boffs to the best of your abilities.
However, it is the terraforming that guides you nicely to the game’s inevitable conclusion. New resources, permanent liveable biomes, and new exploration pathways help to push the hero and the game forward. However, there are stronger earthquakes, deadlier radiation, and an array of other environmental obstacles to overcome.
When you combine this with the deadly planetary cycles, you have a lot to compete with. This is where the cryosleep mechanic comes to the fore. As the world is cracking, you are sleeping. Your team continue working, and you sleep like a baby. Your projects continue, and your team thrive or fail without your guidance. This keeps you on your toes as you are never sure exactly what you’ll see when you wake from your sleep.
The Alters: Last Variable looks as good as always.
I loved the base game’s style, and this was more of the same. The planet is as oppressive as always, and the risk of radiation and the horrific events are well displayed. Additionally, each unique character is easy to identify, and this makes it easier to play. I love the exploration elements and the planetary design. Everything is nicely considered, and the use of different pathways makes it exciting to see what is around the next corner.
The audio is dramatic but subtle. The music acts as a support act to the incredible ambient sounds and the amazing cutscenes. The dialogue is exceptional, and each character has a distinct one and way of talking. Moreover, the dialogue isn’t as abrasive as the original, as the scientific minds have a more intellectual approach.
Simple controls.
A clean UI and well-explained tutorial allow gamers to focus on the exploration, relationships, and crew management. Plenty is going on, and it is more complex than the original, but I liked the additional layers and the fun gameplay.
You’ll invest around 20 hours to complete The Alters: Last Variable. This is a hefty amount of time for this standalone expansion. Although you could argue that replay value is a little limited, I enjoyed every second of this sci-fi experience.
The Alters: Last Variable is fantastic!
I couldn’t be happier with this DLC. The idea of one storyline expansion was a little disappointing at first, but it works exceptionally well. I hope the developers take a similar course when they look at other DLC options. I adore the change of pace, the new mechanics, and the impressive story. Accordingly, I think it is great, and I recommend buying it here! Can you complete your research? Build your team, work towards a common goal, and hope that time doesn’t break your bonds.
