Category: IGN

The list of impressive looking soulslike games on the horizon is long, with games like Phantom Blade Zero, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, and Wuchong: Fallen Feathers all having solid showings this summer event season. But there’s always been something extra special about Black Myth: Wukong. It’s stunningly gorgeous, the animations are incredibly fluid, it’s steeped in rich Chinese culture, and there’s just something immensely satisfying about playing as a Monkey King and beating up all sorts of mythical creatures with a giant extendable staff. While this isn’t the first time IGN has gone hands-on with the game, it is my own personal first time with it – and after two hours of playtime with the opening chapter, I somehow walked away even more excited for its August 20th release.

IGN China has already done an extensive preview on what Wukong plays like on a late game build with many techniques, stances, and transformations already unlocked, which is great because my two hours covered pretty much the very start of the game. The first thing that I noticed as I started playing was how fluid and fast Wukong feels to control. Many soulslikes are built on a foundation of slower and more methodical combat, but Wukong feels exceptionally quick and agile. From the beginning, there’s actually no block button. Wukong can twirl his staff to block projectiles, but as far as melee attacks go, everything must be dodged. To that end, there’s a Bayonetta-style dodge system where you can dodge up to three times very quickly, but after the third one, you’re punished with a lengthy recovery time to try and curb people from just mindlessly mashing the dodge button.

Perfectly timed dodges will reward you with extra focus, and once your focus bar has been filled, you get a focus point that allows you to chain a strong attack into your light combo string for a big chunk of damage. Later on, those focus points can also be spent on different types of special moves that you unlock in the skill tree, which we’ll get to later.

Wukong also has access to a number of spells that consume his mana. I only really got to play around with the immobilize spell, which as you can imagine, stops an enemy in their tracks and allows you to sneak in a few free hits before the spell’s effect wears off. Stronger enemies and especially bosses are affected by the spell much less, and sometimes they were able to shrug it off entirely.

Even at just an early stage, combat was a fun dance of actively looking for opportunities to avoid enemy attacks and find openings to attack, keeping an eye on my focus meter so I could use a damaging heavy attack whenever I had a chance, while also managing my mana and cooldown for my immobilize spell. Eventually I got my first transformation, which turns Wukong into an absolute beast, with much stronger attacks, and a hugely damaging super attack that he can use out of a dodge if he manages to build up a focus point. One of his moves in this transformation is a lightning fast dash attack that made me feel like I had basically turned into the boss that I got the transformation from.

Later on I added another tool to my repertoire: the tower stance, which swapped out my chargeable overhead strong attack for the ability to stand on my staff and avoid damage on the ground as long as my stamina held out. If I managed to stay on the staff long enough for a focus point to charge, I could spend it to leap off the staff, flip it around, and come crashing down with a powerful strike that felt incredibly cool to pull off.

These stances, along with my general combat abilities, could all be upgraded through a level-up system that works a lot like Sekiro’s. As you defeat enemies, you’ll gain Will, which builds up a bar in the top right of the screen. When the bar is full, you gain a Spark, which can be used to purchase upgrades from one of your various skill trees. Once you fill the bar and bank a point, you can’t lose it. You can even add that skill point whenever you want, not just at a shrine, which serves as Wukong’s version of a bonfire-like checkpoint. However, if you die before you manage to fill the bar, a portion of that experience will be lost in typical soulslike fashion.

Don’t let that trick you into thinking that Wukong is an easy game though, because it certainly is not. Enemies are aggressive, bosses are relentless and even more so in their second phases, and you only have a scant few restorative potions to keep yourself alive. I also managed to find a secret boss room behind a waterfall that took me to a dragon boss that just absolutely wrecked me. Fortunately, you can teleport from shrine to shrine, so you can come back to him much later down the road once you’ve upgraded your gear and added some more points into your skill trees. And speaking of gear, I didn’t manage to find all that much, but I did find enough to at least know that there are sets of armor that grant extra bonuses for wearing multiple pieces of gear from that set.

The levels themselves were fairly linear with a couple of branching points that led to some sort of treasure or item pickup. The real star of the show, though, were the boss battles. Even in just two hours I fought against a wide variety of bosses, from a speedy wolf boss that I snagged my first transformation from, to a mule-kicking frog in human clothes, to an extremely difficult two-phased battle against a snake man.

All in all, I greatly enjoyed my time with Black Myth: Wukong. Even in just two hours of playtime, I felt like I got to experience a lot of combat progression and am excited to see how things continue to evolve as the game goes on. We won’t have to wait much longer to see how the full game shakes out, as Black Myth: Wukong releases on PC and PlayStation 5 on August 20.

Sunday is officially here, and new deals are available as we head toward the end of the weekend. Whether you’re interested in purchasing a new tablet, monitor, or video game, we’ve got you covered with a wide selection of picks that you don’t want to miss. The best deals for Sunday, June 16, include the HP OMEN 31.5-inch monitor, the Ryzen 9 5900X Processor, Persona 3 Reload Collector’s Edition, RoboCop Rogue City, and more.

HP OMEN 31.5 Inch Monitor

Arguably, the best deal available today is this HP OMEN monitor, which normally retails for $379.99. This 31.5-inch monitor features a 165Hz refresh rate, a curved display, a 400 nit peak brightness, and more. You’ll also be able to take advantage of extremely smooth, tear-free images with FreeSync and G-SYNC support.

Ryzen 9 5900X for $249

The Ryzen 9 5900X is one of the most powerful processors that you can buy on the market right now. With 12 cores and 24 threads, you can expect top of the line performance in any game, regardless of the demand. Its top speed of 4.8 GHz is excellent for any device. The 5900X features AM4 support, so almost all modern AMD motherboards will support this chip.

Save $28 Off This 100 QT Igloo Cooler

Everyone can use a new cooler, especially in the summertime. Right now at Amazon, you can score this 100-quart Igloo Ultra Marine Cooler for $71.99. The cooler itself is rated for five days of ice retention performance, so your drinks won’t be getting warm inside this item. Whether you spend your summer at the lake, at the beach, or in the backyard, this Igloo cooler is the perfect companion to ensure your beverages stay cold throughout the heat.

Resident Evil 4 for $29.99

2023’s Resident Evil 4 is one of the best titles Capcom has ever released. With its revamped action and gorgeous environments, each minute of Resident Evil 4 (2023) is captivating like never before. For $29.99, this is a must-play title if you’re a fan of action, survival, or horror titles. Additionally, it’s perfectly acceptable to start with Resident Evil 4, even if you’ve never played a Resident Evil title before.

RoboCop Rogue City for $35

Woot has RoboCop Rogue City available for just $34.99 right now. Released in November 2023, Rogue City brings an all-new story to the world of RoboCop that is intertwined with the narrative of the films. Peter Weller even returned for this game, providing an authentic RoboCop experience. In our review, we stated, “RoboCop: Rogue City is the video game equivalent of a B movie in the best way, with the look and over-the-top action to capture the essence of the series.”

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- Sweep the Board! for $39.99

Sweep the Board! is the latest game from Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba-, focusing on a fun, party-like title that is extremely similar to Mario Party. You play as Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and the rest of the Demon Slayer cast as they traverse through multiple party boards and complete minigames against each other.

ASUS ROG 65W Charger Dock for $29.99

Best Buy currently has the ROG 65W Charger Dock available for $29.99. This device is the perfect accessory if you’re looking to play with your handheld PC on the big screen. With its minimal size, you can easily pack it in a bag with no issues. This device works with both the ROG Ally and the Steam Deck, as it just requires a USB-C port to pass through both power and display.

Persona 3 Reload Collector’s Edition for $99.99

Persona 3 Reload launched earlier this year as an expanded and enhanced version of Persona 3 for modern platforms. The game features remade character assets and sprites, unique combat animations, updates to gameplay, and more. The Collector’s Edition features an art book, soundtrack, and an exclusive Aigis figure.

WarioWare: Move It! for $30

WarioWare: Move It! is discounted to just $30 at Walmart this weekend. If you’ve yet to pick up the latest title in the series, you can expect to find dozens of fun microgames and shenanigans. This entry utilizes features of the Joy-Con like motion tracking and HD Rumble, which adds new twists and moments to returning and new microgames.

Spider-Verse Box Set for $65.97

This Spider-Verse Box Set includes 4K UHD blu-rays of both Across the Spider-Verse & Into the Spider-Verse. There’s also a 7-inch vinyl record that includes two songs by Metro Boomin from Across the Spider-Verse. Plus, you even get a replica of the sketchbook that Miles uses in the two movies, which makes this a must-own set for any Spider-Verse fan.

48” UltraGear UHD OLED Monitor for $699.99

This massive 48″ LG 4K OLED gaming monitor is the ultimate display for any gaming setup. Equipped with a 4K OLED anti-glare display, your games will look sharper and more vibrant than ever. There’s no compromise on features either, with a 120Hz panel, HDMI 2.1 support, and G-Sync/FreeSync compatibility. While this monitor is certainly expensive, you’ll be challenged to find a better deal on a gaming OLED monitor. This one normally sits at $1,499.99, which makes this an $800 discount.

Saturday is officially here, which means it’s time to round up some of the best deals available this weekend! Whether you’re interested in purchasing a new tablet, monitor, or video game, we’ve got you covered with a wide selection of picks that you don’t want to miss. The best deals for Saturday, June 15, include the M2 iPad Pro, Ryzen 9 5900X Processor, GIGABYTE AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Xtreme, and more.

M2 iPad Pro for $799

Best Buy currently has the M2 11-inch iPad Pro for only $799. With $300 worth of savings, you can take advantage of one of the most powerful tablets on the market. This iPad is perfect for drawing, rendering, and any task you need to accomplish. Both gray and silver models are available for this deal.

Ryzen 9 5900X for $249

The Ryzen 9 5900X is one of the most powerful processors that you can buy on the market right now. With 12 cores and 24 threads, you can expect top of the line performance in any game, regardless of the demand. Its top speed of 4.8 GHz is excellent for any device. The 5900X features AM4 support, so almost all modern AMD motherboards will support this chip.

Save 44% Off the GIGABYTE AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Xtreme WATERFORCE WB 16G Graphics Card

If you have a water-cooled system or are looking to build one, Amazon has an excellent deal on this GIGABYTE AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Xtreme that is already prepped for water-cooled systems. The RX 6900 XT Xtreme has comparable performance to the 3080Ti in most instances, with some games even matching the performance of an NVIDIA RTX 3090. With 16GB of GDDR6 memory, you can expect plenty of room for any games or applications you choose to run.

RoboCop Rogue City for $35

Woot has RoboCop Rogue City available for just $34.99 right now. Released in November 2023, Rogue City brings an all-new story to the world of RoboCop that is intertwined with the narrative of the films. Peter Weller even returned for this game, providing an authentic RoboCop experience. In our review, we stated, “RoboCop: Rogue City is the video game equivalent of a B movie in the best way, with the look and over-the-top action to capture the essence of the series.”

Save $28 Off This 100 QT Igloo Cooler

Everyone can use a new cooler, especially in the summertime. Right now at Amazon, you can score this 100-quart Igloo Ultra Marine Cooler for $71.99. The cooler itself is rated for five days of ice retention performance, so your drinks won’t be getting warm inside this item. Whether you spend you summer at the lake, at the beach, or in the backyard, this Igloo cooler is the perfect companion to ensure your beverages stay cold throughout the heat.

WarioWare: Move It! for $30

WarioWare: Move It! is discounted to just $30 at Walmart this weekend. If you’ve yet to pick up the latest title in the series, you can expect to find dozens of fun microgames and shenanigans. This entry utilizes features of the Joy-Con like motion tracking and HD Rumble, which adds new twists and moments to returning and new microgames.

48” UltraGear UHD OLED Monitor for $699.99

This massive 48″ LG 4K OLED gaming monitor is the ultimate display for any gaming setup. Equipped with a 4K OLED anti-glare display, your games will look sharper and more vibrant than ever. There’s no compromise on features either, with a 120Hz panel, HDMI 2.1 support, and G-Sync/FreeSync compatibility. While this monitor is certainly expensive, you’ll be challenged to find a better deal on a gaming OLED monitor. This one normally sits at $1,499.99, which makes this an $800 discount.

Demons and angels locked in a post-apocalyptic, generation-spanning blood feud to the backing of a hard synth-metal soundtrack… but make it a tough-as-nails RPG – that’s the Shin Megami Tensei experience. I sang the praises of Shin Megami Tensei V back in 2021 because of the way it embodied the series’ ethos in modern form, and as per usual with developer Atlus, we now have a more definitive version a few years later in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. Although it doesn’t fundamentally change what already made the original great, its new separate storyline and quality of life improvements are reason enough to play (or revisit) this masterclass in turn-based combat and demonic atmosphere.

The very first thing you do is choose whether to play the original route or go down the Path of Vengeance, which is an alternate path that remixes events with new plot threads, new characters, and some wild new battles. There are no tricky decisions to make or specific choices required to see this content this time. Hell, you don’t even have to consider siding with competing ideologies at any point, as had been SMT tradition – you just pick the Vengeance route and follow it to the end. Since I already spent 80 hours getting 100% completion in the original game, I solely focused on the Vengeance-specific campaign. It took me about 60 hours to finish since I was already familiar with a majority of its challenges and mostly sought out the new sidequests, of which there are a lot. While I do like it more overall, it’s not exactly a significant leap over what was already there.

The story starts off the same in that you’re a high school kid in Tokyo who stumbles into being the chosen one, or a Nahobino – a human who can possess supernatural powers and transform into a demigod. Tokyo as you know it begins to fall apart as you travel to and from a post-apocalyptic future in a battle to determine the world’s fate. For roughly one-third of the runtime, events play out fairly similarly in Vengeance, except for two major points: the presence of both a new villainous group of demons known as the Qadistu and a new ally named Yoko Hiromine. All of these additional characters sport wonderful designs that bring out the best in SMT’s art style and they provide better context for this particular story’s events.

The thing I appreciate most is that the Vengeance path puts more emphasis on its human characters and gets them more directly involved. Yoko is available as a playable party member for a large chunk of the story and often feels like an integral part of it rather than tacked on since she is very much a focus of this route. Existing characters like Tao have a more prominent role as well, joining the party early on and having a bigger focus throughout. While the four members of the Qadistu are more of a mechanism to deliver new plot points rather than fully formed characters, they at least provide an adversarial dynamic that wasn’t previously there.

Where Vengeance takes a hard turn is in the third region, which is completely replaced by a new one that’s built to encompass the shift in certain story beats. This also leads to a change in the mid-game dungeon that has its own unique aesthetic and set of gimmicks, although you can tell it borrows a lot of design principles from what it replaced. Things eventually merge back onto the original path, so the new mainline Vengeance content isn’t necessarily “in-addition-to,” but rather a detour to better fit the story events. And by the time you reach the finale, it will have treated you to some of SMTV’s best moments, Vengeance or otherwise.

Its larger theme of revenge doesn’t exactly take center stage, though, and the trope of destroying the world to start anew doesn’t get some kind of meaningful examination since it’s missing the connective tissue necessary to make it all work. So as it tries harder to deliver more story, it opens itself up to a few pitfalls along the way. In its grand moments, the philosophical platitudes are what drive its events and that’s kind of the SMT way. Regardless, I can at least appreciate the effort that Vengeance puts into better contextualizing your exploration of Tokyo’s demonic wasteland and the hard-fought battles you’ll overcome there.

SMT has always staked its claim on unforgiving turn-based combat, and there are moments in which Vengeance doubles down on that principle. You’re still honing in on the elemental affinities of your enemies and building a roster of demons who can exploit those weaknesses. But in this version, I got “SMT’d” more often – meaning I’d get absolutely wiped by an enemy in one turn and there wasn’t anything I could really do about it. Of course, in the most tense battles where I needed to carefully think steps ahead to plan buffing spells, hit weaknesses to earn extra turns, or strategically substitute different demons in my party based on elemental affinities, I was reminded that SMT’s combat system has some of the best turn-based mechanics around, even if it can be as punishing as it is rewarding.

You’re still negotiating with demons to capture them, having them fight in your party, and fusing them to create more powerful demons, and the typical flow of building your roster remains one of SMTV’s strengths. There are a handful of new unlockable perks to help you in battle and some of the new demons I earned through fusion are ones that came in clutch in the late-game. It’s that satisfying Pokemon-like nature of cycling through increasingly powerful monsters and staying on top of covering your bases as you level up your main character, and making good use of them in critical moments.

Having played on normal difficulty, being at the same level as the bosses alone is not enough to get through them, and you will be tested on your mastery of the system as a whole. Even when you come prepared and think tactically about all the support skills, items, and elements available, your party is going to be fragile. There comes a point where mainlining the story isn’t enough to keep pace, either, essentially encouraging you to seek out sidequests and level up that way. And boy howdy, does Vengeance lay on a thick serving of sidequests.

As far as I can tell, all of the original ones remain in the Vengeance route, and the aforementioned new region is jam packed with its own set of sidequests. Some of them rope you into tough minibosses, require you to find items out in the world, or spin off into short minigames. Big and small, sidequests all feed into painting a more detailed world as you develop a better understanding of the relationship dynamics of the demons in SMT’s mythological multiverse. There’s a humanizing aspect to some of these little stories, so to skip out on sidequests would also be to miss a bit of SMTV’s charm – particularly in Vengeance, where it can get as silly as it is challenging.

There’s something special about the attitude of an SMT game that I can simply describe as badass – much of which comes through in its atmosphere and art direction. From the deranged demon designs that have evolved over the years to the sinister vibe of a Tokyo destroyed by the hand of godly powers, SMTV manages to evoke a unique sense of dread that lingers over its world. It knows it’s cool and doesn’t care too much about being pleasant or palatable; even when Vengeance appeals to our humanity more so than the original, it still maintains a certain darkness the series is known for.

It’s also a credit to its soundtrack, which effortlessly pumps you up for specific battles or sets an unmistakable mood in its overworld, bouncing between synth-infused metal and eerily catchy ambient tunes. The new battle theme is an improvement over what was already a great track, and sometimes I’d sit there mid-battle not doing anything just to listen to it loop multiple times. SMT soundtracks get into thrash-style rock as often as it gets experimental with its instrumentation to create some haunting melodies and harmonies, and Vengeance still carries that tradition.

New music was one of the things I looked forward to most with Vengeance, but on the more technical side it was lovely to replay SMTV as a much better visual experience. If you play on PC, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X|S, you’re treated to significantly higher resolutions and frame rates along with better draw distances to let SMTV’s world pop in a way it simply couldn’t when it was a Nintendo Switch exclusive. Vengeance is still available on Switch with all the essential features, of course, but I do think you’d be missing out on one of the best parts of this rerelease playing it there, especially considering how the original struggled in terms of technical performance.

Quality of life improvements don’t end on the technical side either. New mechanics also make the experience smoother without sacrificing the challenging nature of SMTV. For example, the Demon Haunt is a hub area you can visit at save points and talk to demons in your roster, who will then sometimes offer items or get a boost in stats. As you progress in the story, you’ll be able to get free bonus stat points to boost the main character’s attributes in the Demon Haunt as well. Exploration in the overworlds was quite tedious in SMTV (and still kind of is) but now you can pull up a bird’s eye view at any point to get both a lay of the land and a better idea of how to get to hard-to-reach areas. This coincides with the addition of Magatsu Rails which are shortcuts sprinkled throughout the open regions that you skate on to get across the map faster or reach secret areas. And being able to save anywhere now is so much more convenient, because no one wants to lose chunks of progress because they got unfairly “SMT’d” in between save points.

If you’re gearing up for the launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, IGN Store has the ultimate collector’s item for you from manufacturer PureArts. Starting today, you can pre-order the Assassin’s Creed Yasuke 1/1 Scale Helmet Replica at IGN Store. While designed for display, this helmet can be worn and acts as a true replica of the legendary Yasuke’s Samurai helmet.

Pre-Order the Assassin’s Creed Yasuke 1/1 Scale Helmet Replica Today!

This life-size replica is made with polyresin and fabric to create a premium look and feel. The helmet itself features a removable face plate and Kabuto-style cords and sits approximately 20 inches tall. Of course, this helmet is completely accurate to the model used in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, from the removable face plate to the finish and accents. It’s officially licensed by Ubisoft and limited to 2,000 units worldwide. Right now, the Early Bird Special will save you 10% off this highly valuable item. This deal will last through June 27.

A limited edition box featured key art of Yasuke from Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which is perfect for displaying alongside the helmet. This product is set to ship out in Q4 2024 currently, so be sure to get your pre-order in before the Assassin’s Creed Yasuke Helmet Replica leaves IGN Store!

About IGN Store

IGN Store sells high-quality merch, collectibles and shirts for everything you’re into. It’s a shop built with fans in mind; for all the geek culture and fandom you love most. So, whether you’re into comics, movies, anime, games, retro gaming or just want some cute plushies (who doesn’t?); this store is for you!

Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) has announced that it has suspended more than 600 in-game accounts following widespread complaints of cheating.

The developer revealed the move in a post on its Robert Space Industries website, saying that it has suspended accounts that participated in exploitative behavior following an investigation. Affected players are said to have manipulated Star Citizen’s systems to duplicate items and gain more of its in-game currency, Alpha United Earth Credits (aUEC). All aUEC gained using these methods have been removed from the ecosystem.

CIG thanks Star Citizen players for raising awareness about these issues, explaining that in-game exploits like the ones being squashed now “undermine the integrity of our game and the efforts of our dedicated backers who help us build Star Citizen.” The developer promises to continue addressing cheating players as issues arise.

Madden NFL 25’s cover athlete was revealed earlier this week, and today, EA has provided new details on what fans can expect from this year’s Madden, including Boom Tech, this year’s one big feature.

In a press release, EA revealed that Boom Tech is a new “dynamic physics-based” tackling system and the newest iteration of Maddens FieldSense technology that “unlocks the re-engineered Hit Stick” and should provide better ball carrier control. With Christian McCaffrey as this year’s cover athlete, the description of Boom Tech aligns with EA’s theme of trying to pick cover athletes that best fit the new editions coming to Madden in a given year.

Additional upgrades to FieldSense, thanks to Boom Tech, are needed to “deliver increased authenticity” in offense, defense, and special teams. This includes a reloaded hit stick that will now be a skill-based mechanic, with playing ratings influencing the impact of the hit stick.

To increase offensive immersion, EA notes that Ball Carrier will introduce new jukes, spins, and hesi releases. The new NFL kickoff rules will be added when the game is released this August. In addition to new branching catches, there will be new pass block strategy mechanics.

“It’s been incredibly rewarding to grow with the Maden NFL experience alongside our players the past two years, and we’re excited to deliver even more of the control, depth, and immersion they’re looking for in Madden NFL 25,” Madden NFL Senior Production Director Mike Mahar wrote in a press release. “Boom Tech has been multiple years in the making and represents the most impactful FieldSense improvement yet, and combined with a new audio and visual experience across the game, plus deepened modes and increased customization, Madden NFL 25 will look, feel, and sound different.”

Madden NFL 25 is out on August 16th and is now available for pre-order. Those who buy the $100 Deluxe Edition get access to Madden NFL 25 three days early. Those planning to buy Madden NFL 25 and College Football 25 could also buy the MVP Bundle, which retails for $150 and includes the Deluxe Editions for both games.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

We are our choices. It may be a cliche, but it’s true. Our choices define us: where we go, what we do, who we meet, how we handle problems, and why we are, ultimately, who we are. Imagine all the key decisions of your life laid out before you. How many would have to change to turn you into a different person? Two? Three? Or just one, in the right place, at the right time? What choice would that be for you? And who would you have become if you’d chosen differently?

Those are the questions at the core of The Alters, a narrative survival game from 11 bit Studios, the team behind This War of Mine. In The Alters, you take on the role of Jan Dolski, a simple worker on a mining mission gone horribly wrong. Stranded and alone on a strange planet after his ship crashes, Jan must figure out a way home. But he can’t do it by himself. He’ll need the help of alters, alternative versions of himself who made different choices in life and have the skills and expertise Jan needs. But alters aren’t just another body and set of skills; they’re entirely different people with unique personalities, hopes, dreams, traumas, and ambitions. To get home, Jan will need to not only get along with his alters, but make some hard choices – and come to terms with some of the choices he made in the past.

To better understand The Alters and how this unique set-up affects the many branching story paths you’ll encounter as you play, we sat down with game director Tomasz Kisilewicz and lead designer Rafał Włosek. The interview that follows has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

IGN: One of the most interesting things about The Alters is, well, the alters themselves, and the branching narratives that are going to come out of the possible lives of Jan Dolski, but to understand the branches, I think we have to start with the tree. Can you tell us a little about Jan, and this predicament he finds himself in?

Tomasz Kisilewicz: So Jan, the main character of our game, he’s got many regrets in his life, and he tends to ask himself this question, “what if?” “What if I’d made some different choices in the past? Where would I be right now?” So he’s using this space mining mission that he’s on as a chance to put his life on a different track, but unfortunately, things go south and he ends up all alone on this distant, desolate planet where, in order to survive and go back home, he needs to face even more tough choices, including the creation of the alters. But from that point on, the decisions he will have to make are entirely up to the players.

IGN: The idea of basing The Alters on different outcomes of decisions Jan regrets is really interesting. Can you talk about where that idea came from, a few of those decisions, and the alters they lead to? Are there any decisions Jan doesn’t regret that become an integral part of the game’s story?

Kisilewicz: When we were creating the life path of Jan and designing different decisions that shaped him into who he is in the game, we really wanted this to feel relatable. So we were gathering our own experiences internally in the team, asking ourselves, what is your what-if question, what is the thing maybe you regret in your life? And they can come from different places. It can be career-related or maybe relationship-related. Things like, “what if I didn’t leave my hometown? Or what if I fought harder to save this relationship I had,” things like that. In the end, we really want every player to find something relatable to them. At least one of the choices that Jan had in his past, I hope will be something the players can relate to.

IGN: Creating alternate versions of yourself to get more manpower and access to different skillsets is a neat idea, but these are also different people with different hopes, dreams, fears, and regrets. Can you talk about how those things affect these different versions of Jan, and how they might behave as a result?

Kisilewicz: We are bringing new alters to the base in order to solve the problems that Jan, the main Jan, wouldn’t be able to solve on his own. So for example, we can bring the scientist Jan, who will be able to conduct research and create a technology that will allow us to move our base, and run away from the sun. And he solves our problem. But at the same time, we are bringing a new person to the crew with an entirely new personality. Jan’s scientist is a very career-driven, ambitious alter. Soon he might start undermining our decisions as a leader. So while solving one problem, we are creating new ones. And in order to effectively manage our crew and find solutions for everything, we have to really understand who they are, what is their personality, what affects them, and successfully manage them.

IGN: Jan is obviously going to have to manage the relationships between himself and his alters, and probably going to have to intervene when problems arise. Can you talk about what that looks like? What are some of the things we’re going to have to manage here, and how do those decisions affect the outcome of the narrative?

Rafał Włosek: In order to get along with the alters well, we’ll have to understand the emotions that they have and what people they become because of their life decisions. And the emotions are handled by a pretty sophisticated emotional system that is more complex than just they’re feeling good or bad, and a single bar. And because of that, we can have emotions like frustration or rebellion. They may be amused by something or maybe stressed by something or saddened by something. And all those different emotions allow us to create different alters who act differently in different situations because then those emotions translate to the things they do. So they may rebel against the player or may help the player somehow, or maybe boost the morale of the crew. Or on the other hand, they may be so sad that they don’t want to work anymore.

IGN: Clearly, keeping all of these different versions of Jan happy is going to be a big challenge. What happens when some of the alters aren’t happy or don’t have a good relationship with our Jan or the other alters? Can you talk about how that affects the narrative? What about when they are happy, or we’ve managed to build a productive relationship?

Włosek: If the alters are not happy, they’re angry, sad, afraid, or they’re in conflict with Jan or the other alters, they may influence the game on many different levels. They may try to rebel against the player. They will lower their efficiency. They will not want to work for the mission, but they will also influence the story of themselves, of their own storylines or the stories of the other alters.

Also, there’s a lot of things going on on the emergent storytelling level. So if they’re in a bad shape, they may start some narrative bits that will create a different gameplay experience. But let’s not forget about the fact that if the alters are in good shape and they’re happy and highly motivated, they will on the other hand help the player. They will help him in achieving his goals. It’ll be easier for them to fix their problems, but they can also help the other alters with fixing their problems and dealing with their past and decisions.

IGN: One of the things that fascinates me about The Alters is the base itself, and it seems the decisions you make regarding how it is managed have the potential to have just as much impact on what can happen in the story as the other Jans do. Can you talk about that, and maybe give us some examples of how the base itself plays into what happens in the story?

Włosek: Base management is very important for many aspects of the game. First, it influences the economy part. Of course, this is pretty obvious, but also has to be maintained. If you don’t maintain your base well, it’ll deteriorate. There will be accidents. Those accidents will create emergent stories and will influence the general alter storylines or the main story. And finally, the bigger the base is, the more rapidly we can bring back home. And this is very important for Jan, for the people back on earth. So this is another way you can influence the narrative.

IGN: The root of any good story is conflict, and there are a lot of conflicts in The Alters. We’ve got to manage our relationships with the other Jans and we have to manage the base, but it also seems like we’re in a race against time because of how the star that the planet we’re on orbits. Does the amount of time we spend on this world affect the ways the narrative can play out? If we progress very quickly, do we get access to branches in the story we wouldn’t otherwise see? If we’re struggling and taking a long time to make progress, do certain paths become closed to us?

Kisilewicz: We want to spend time with our Alters. We need to invest time in our relationship because only then we will be able to uncover their stories and understand them fully, and with this crew that we understand, and that we know how to manage, we will be able to succeed in the mission.

Time is a very important resource in our game. Everything we do requires some time, whether it’s excavating the resources, or crafting stuff, or conducting the research, all of the tasks require some time. And that’s why we need the alters on board, because Jan won’t be able to make everything in time. He’s being chased by a giant rising star, so he’s got this ticking clock behind his back, but at the same time, we don’t want to rush things too much.

IGN: In the past, you’ve said that The Alters is “using a mix of classic and emergent” narrative and reflects how splitting the life of the main character opens up new paths for the story. Can you talk more about what that means, and how we’ll see that mix in the game specifically?

Kisilewicz: From the very beginning, we wanted to tell the story of Jan in a classic manner, but also create a game that is more open-ended and allows players more freedom in creating their own stories. So the narrative structure in our game consists of different layers. On top, we have this more classic narrative structure, which is a branching story of Jan landing on the planet and finding his way home. And it is a branching story with multiple different endings.

But underneath there is this second layer of the alter storylines, and it’s up to the players what alters they create. It’s not possible to have all the alters in a single playthrough. So when you replay the game, you will be able to create different alters and also within their storylines make different choices to shape their story in your own way. And underneath all of this, we have this giant layer of the emergent narrative that comes from the decisions you make. Economical decisions, strategic decisions, the way you handle your base, the way you treat your alters. It all affects them and can result in some unexpected outcomes, different reactions, different events, different mini-scenarios that can happen. In the end, we hope it all adds up to this unique experience of each player having their own unique playthrough.

IGN: You’ve talked about how The Alters is a spiritual successor to This War of Mine, which is really interesting given the drastic change in setting and genre. Can you talk about what you learned from This War of Mine, and the impact that had on The Alters in how the story plays out, or anywhere else?

Włosek: And there’s also the topic of emergent gameplay. This is also something that showed up in our games for the first time in This War of Mine. In The Alters, we do the same thing. We use a lot of emergent narration, but in this game, we also connect that with a more classic approach to the narration, where we have a single storyline that is branching and we enforce this storyline with those emergent systems that make this story richer.

IGN: Is there any aspect of The Alters that players can’t see or isn’t immediately obvious that you’re particularly proud of, and hope players get something out of?

Włosek: There are a couple of mechanics in-game that I am proud of, but they’re not easily visible at first glance. One of them is the emotional mechanic, which is pretty complicated. It consists of many different variables, and we don’t show them as values or numbers, but more like adjectives that are floating around the alters. They have different sizes and those variables connect into even more sophisticated emotions.

And all of this makes it very hard for our analytical brain to process. But it’s quite easy if you try to use your empathy to process. So the idea behind making this so complicated is not only to create different personalities for the alters that are very nuanced, but also to make the player use this proper part of the brain when they’re trying to cope with alters.

The other thing would be the way we use the exploration. Of course, it is a tool to get a gameplay loop. You’re going to go explore, look for the resources, go back to base, and face the problems with the alters, and so on. But it is quite important that we also wanted to use this exploration part to create a special environment for the player to actually think about all those decisions that the alters made and ultimately maybe create a space for them to think about their own decisions.

IGN: What are you most excited for players to experience in The Alters? Is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like folks to know about?

Kisilewicz: We can’t wait for the players to meet the alters, learn their different stories, and, understand what made them who they are. In the end, we just hope that everyone will find something, and learn something about themselves through the alters.

Wishlist The Alters on Steam if you’re interested to learn more.