The Alters: Last Variable Shows Gameplay in New Trailer

The Last Variable DLC for The Alters is almost here. According to 11 bit studios, the cloning resumes on July 13. As a warm-up, the Warsaw-based developer and publisher has released a new gameplay trailer.

Exactly one year after the release of survival adventure The Alters, protagonist Jan—the original—wakes up from cryosleep again. In the Last Variable DLC, however, several years have passed since the brilliant scientist refused to leave the alien planet behind.

He has barely opened his eyes before he realizes that the world around him has changed. He also realizes, once again, that there is a mountain of work ahead of him—and that he obviously can’t handle it alone. So what does a genius scientist do? Exactly: he starts creating alternate versions of himself again, each one shaped, as before, by a different field of expertise.

This time, the roster includes Geologist Jan, Biologist Jan, Chemist Jan, and Physicist Jan. Possibly even with Albert Einstein hair? The new gameplay trailer released today doesn’t make that entirely clear. What I do know is that one of the clones is walking around with a truly impressive case of academic bedhead. My money’s on the chemist, but as a journalist, I probably shouldn’t be speculating in a news post. Sorry. 🙂

New gameplay, slickly cut together

The newly released trailer (see below) includes gameplay scenes, as the title suggests, along with a few more cinematic camera moves. The focus is the new oasis, which needs to be terraformed with help from the clone team. According to 11 bit studios, every change reshapes the landscape, creates new resources, and triggers the planet’s defense mechanisms—including more frequent earthquakes, stronger radiation waves, and other threats.

A lot stays familiar in this roughly 20-hour DLC, including the clash between different scientific philosophies and the question of whether the team will crack under the pressure or build something that lasts. Still, there are several new additions, including:

• New storyline
• Expandable underground base
• Different soil types
• New terraforming system
• New technologies and research
• Additional regions
• Earthquake and radiation threats
• Field labs, including shelter during expeditions
• New modules such as the cryosleep chamber
• Harmful and neutral planetary cycles

The Alters: Last Variable is coming to PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5—although the PlayStation Store currently lists the DLC only as part of the Deluxe Edition or the Deluxe Edition Upgrade. The expansion’s price has not been announced yet; the press release didn’t offer any clues either.