Sometimes when you're stranded on a hostile planet and trying to keep breathing amid countless obstacles, it's nice to have a helping hand… from yourself… or "yourselves" for that matter.
The new trailer for Polish developer 11 Bit Studios' ("The Invincible") forthcoming sci-fi survival video game, "The Alters," reveals a settlement on an alien world populated entirely by clones. This sneak peek offers up an introduction to the game's primary protagonist named Jan, and the wayward astronaut's many cloned "alters" summoned to aid him on his path to productive missions on the exoplanet on which they find themselves. Within the gameplay structure, gamers can mine for resources, construct and repair their base, cook meals, enjoy a practical hobby and strive to keep themselves happy.
Jan is a common worker struggling with insurmountable odds while marooned on a remote world coping with numerous duplicates of himself, each with their own life paths and that players must integrate into a harmonious environment to stay alive.
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Here's the official description:
"Forged in the spirit of meaningful entertainment, 'The Alters' is a base-building survival game driven by life-defining choices and exploring the diverse paths one could take. The inhospitable planet where Jan crash-landed is turning toward a massive sun, causing radiation levels to soar; in this desperate race against time, Jan must harness local Rapidium crystals to create his many versions: the 'Alters.'
"Set within an ever-moving mobile base, both teamwork and building a wide range of expertise are indispensable for survival. By selecting diverging paths for the other Jans during the alteration process, they acquire distinct skill sets. They become invaluable, not only for maintaining the base, but also for tasks like cooking, crafting tools for surface exploration, and gathering essential resources.
"However, the Alters are more than mere resources. They are sentient beings with their own emotions, problems, goals, and sometimes, existential doubts about their purpose. Despite their differences, their collective goal is to escape, echoing Jan's determination to survive: I'll just do it all by myselves."
Something that immediately comes to mind after watching this enigmatic teaser is director Duncan Jones' absorbing 2009 sci-fi flick starring Sam Rockwell, "Moon."
Here in this digital diversion, "The Alters'" premise seems to evolve much further, and in a landscape crowded with new and upcoming sci-fi titles like "Starfield," "Everspace 2," "Kerbal Space Program 2," and "The Invincible," it's promising to see developers pushing the boundaries towards more immersive experiences.
"The Alters" releases for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5 sometime in 2024.
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