The Alters is currently a strong contender for my favorite game of the year. I was enjoying it from the start, but one particular scene triggered that realization of "oh, I think I love this game." A broad grin broke across my face, and I realized why a friend had insisted that I try it with the slightly feral, wide-eyed look that people only get when they're almost too enthusiastic about something. I recognise that look, because now I have it when I talk about The Alters.
Specifically, that magical scene comes in at the culmination of Act One. In a stressful, storm-tossed sci-fi survival game about unethical experimentation, moral compromise and corporate callousness, where radiation burns and cabin fever intertwine, it's all brought together with… a musical number. It shouldn't work. It should be a tonal car crash. And yet it's the most fantastic moment I've seen in a video game this year.
