In the riveting sequel of The Alters, the crew faces a new formidable challenge after their initial success navigating the lava river in Act 1. This time, their quest is obstructed by a colossal gravity wall anomaly that threatens to obliterate their base upon contact. The stakes have never been higher.
Act 2 elevates the difficulty and complexity compared to earlier gameplay phases. Players must manage a wider array of resources, face critical ethical dilemmas, and contend with the persistent threat of insurrection—all while grappling with the ominous approach of the sun.
If you felt overwhelmed by the management and survival mechanics of Act 1, brace yourself: Act 2 escalates the challenge significantly.
However, there’s good news! I’m here to guide you through every crucial decision, peculiar anomaly, moral dilemma, and navigational obstacle to ensure you keep progressing.
Journey 2
Before plunging into the chaos that awaits, Journey 2 offers a refreshing and heartwarming interlude, providing one of the most delightful segments of The Alters. Take a moment to appreciate it.
Time to Unwind
Progression here is straightforward.Begin by waking up and heading to the kitchen, where the alters are engaging in a debate over the base’s playlist.
Regardless of your dialogue choices, nostalgia will ensue as you share memories of your high school band and your guitar prowess. If only you had the means to craft a guitar right now…
Visit the Workshop and create a guitar—it doesn’t require resources, and since the Journeys are pressure-free, enjoy the creative process.
Just as you’re ready for a jam session, Maxwell will alert you that rescue efforts are underway, allowing hope for extraction from the planet—provided nothing catastrophic occurs…
After returning to the kitchen, engage in a song-writing activity with the group using any dialogue options you prefer. An engaging music video-style cutscene will follow, leading to yet another predicament as your base becomes stuck once more, prompting your next move.
Act 2 – Main Objectives
Your first challenge involves a significant anomaly—an enormous wall of warped gravity that blocks your base. The repercussions of confronting this barrier remain uncertain, but the outcome is likely grim.
As before, you must strategize on how to overcome this new obstacle. Stay organized by managing multiple objectives throughout Act 2.
Important note: By Day 41, the sun will begin its advance, intensifying radiation levels. Plan your actions wisely to cope with this looming threat.
The Great Anomaly
First, exit the airlock and closely inspect the anomaly. Afterward, return to the base and converse with your crew about their reactions to this imposing new hurdle, particularly checking in with the Scientist.
With no one assigned to tasks currently, take a moment to delegate responsibilities. Although mining outposts aren’t operational yet, prioritize research and crafting essentials like radiation filters to safeguard your survival.
The Scientist will propose climbing to the canyon’s summit to deploy a gravity sensor for detailed readings on the anomaly. Craft this sensor in the Workshop for 50 metals and 20 minerals if resources permit.
If you lack the materials, it’s an opportune moment to resume operation at your mining outposts. Right next to your base is an enriched metals deposit—ideal for gathering refinable resources. Do keep in mind, these mining areas are radioactive.
Exploration will reveal additional mining locations for diverse resources, just like before. Utilize the images provided to outline your path to at least one outpost for each resource type. If necessary, craft more outposts to optimize efficiency.
Once again, connections between these outposts and the base must be established with the pylons. Note that distances often exceed those from Act 1, necessitating multiple pylon packs for effective coverage.
Act 2 introduces more aggressive and hazardous anomalies. New threats include pulsating anomalies that expand and contract. You can usually navigate around them safely if you synchronize your movements with their pulses. Meanwhile, time-warp anomalies will slow you down while accelerating everything else; enter these anomalies, locate their core, and neutralize it quickly to eliminate the threat permanently.
Once you have your resources and the gravity sensor built, proceed to the designated cliffside to set it up. Remain vigilant for any cargo drops en route.
Exercise caution with the energy walls, which drain your suit’s power on contact. While crossing these walls is sometimes essential, have a contingency plan for your suit’s recharging supplies, such as spare batteries.
Prepare for extensive climbing throughout this act, and remember that some cliffs require an upgraded climbing hook to access. Prioritize researching upgrades for climbing and consider keeping spare suit batteries stocked in the Workshop for when you’re out exploring.
Once you’ve gathered data from the gravity sensor, check back in with the Scientist. He’ll recommend researching neutralizer towers to stabilize the anomaly long enough for safe passage. Initiate this research immediately, as it requires 10 hours to complete.
Upon researching, two neutralizer towers need to be constructed in the Workshop, each demanding a hefty 160 metals and 160 minerals. Prepare for extensive mining to meet these demands—setting up all necessary mining outposts is now crucial.
Even if alters are assigned to mining tasks, consider taking the initiative to mine yourself for two hours before transitioning back to normal duties at 9 AM. Every bit helps expedite the resource collection process.
After establishing the towers, return to the Scientist for additional directions. He’ll inform you that you need four alters to manage the towers concurrently while launching the gravity sensor to circumvent the gravity wall anomaly.
To execute this operation, you’ll need to manually arrange it through the Assignments menu. Once four alters are in position, interact with the gravity sensor you initially installed.
A brief cutscene will unfold, featuring an ambush from a previously unexpected traitor, marking the conclusion of Act 2. Yet, much transpired during this act that warrants further discussion below.
Something You Should Know
A dire situation unfolds aboard the base: Molly the sheep has died, and you must uncover the cause of her demise. Time is of the essence, so head to the Kitchen immediately.
After consulting with the crew, assign the Scientist to conduct an autopsy on Molly via the Mission tab under research options.
As grief spreads among your crew, consider organizing a morale-boosting activity, such as a family movie night.
The autopsy results will reveal that Molly’s brain had mutated, leading to her untimely death. Given that she was cloned using rapidium, it’s plausible that your alters may face similar issues.
The Scientist will recommend crafting an MRI scanner for the Infirmary, so get to work on that immediately. The crafting requires 100 metals, 100 minerals, and about six hours—though this can be halved if you involve a Worker.
Once the MRI is created, bring it to the Infirmary and collaborate with the Scientist for team scans. Everyone will undergo scans, with results expected the following morning. Unfortunately, every alter will show effects from the mutation, necessitating an urgent solution.
Wait for a suitable opportunity to converse with Lucas in the Comms Room, and when his call comes in, take the opportunity as it becomes available. After some time, Lucas will give you another call, but you will need to wait for Maxwell to provide a potential cure.
The Value of Life
After keeping you in suspense, Maxwell will eventually reach out with a theory. He suggests that the Quantum Computer could enable the creation of a mindless clone of Jan, dubbed Tabula Rasa. By eliminating this clone, it may be possible to procure a healthy brain to forge a lifesaving serum for your alters. This plan is, to say the least, quite controversial.
Executing this strategy will require circumventing Ally Corp, raising significant ethical concerns in the process. The Scientist endorses this plan for the sake of scientific progress and survival.
Word of the plan will spread among your alters, prompting discussions with each about their feelings regarding this morally ambiguous solution. Will you proceed with Maxwell’s idea, or seek alternative opinions to explore potentially better solutions?
Cure Option 1 – A Thread of Hope
If you opt to proceed with Maxwell’s suggestion, you have immediate tasks ahead. The Scientist needs to research how to hack into the Quantum Computer for generating Tabula Rasa, which will take about 10 working hours—get him started at once.
Consult Lena for a second opinion—doing so will not obstruct the Tabula Rasa project. Engaging her may enrich your decision-making process without any commitment to the choice yet.
After completing the research, a meeting in the Kitchen will allow you to validate your choice with the entire crew. This will enable you to clone and harvest Tabula Rasa’s brain using the Quantum Computer, with your crew agreeing to execute the plan regardless of personal sentiments.
Choosing this path will exclude the possibility of adding Tabula Rasa to your crew, and may prevent certain trophies. You can always revert to a prior save and explore both options for a fuller experience.
Cure Option 2 – A Second Opinion
Alternatively, consider consulting Lena or Ally Corp for different potential cures. The Botanist will implore you to permit him to discuss alternatives with Lena, hoping to sway her towards finding another solution.
You will have to decide whether to contact Lena yourself or allow the Botanist to initiate the connection. No matter your choice, rest assured the Botanist won’t reveal his true identity to her, although the news regarding the alters will inevitably surface at some point.
Eventually, Lena will get in touch with a plan. Answer her call from the Comms Room; she proposes a schematic for a brain implant Workshop, which could potentially heal the alters.
It’s important to converse with your alters to gauge their sentiments toward this proposal. Understanding their perspectives will help ensure a cohesive decision-making process moving forward.
Prepare to craft implants for each alter. If you’ve unlocked all Qubit upgrades and filled out your roster, you’ll need to produce six implants in total. Each implant costs 10 metals, 30 minerals, and 20 rapidium and requires two hours to manufacture in the Workshop.
Note that you can undertake both cloning Tabula Rasa and creating the implants before ultimately selecting Lena’s strategy. This dual-path decision allows you to add an additional alter to your squad at the start of Act 3, with Tabula Rasa integrating into the team.
After crafting all necessary implants, consult the Scientist and proceed to the next task at hand. Convene with the alters to relay your decision, after which the Scientist will commence the injection process.
Lucas and Maxwell are likely to express disappointment regarding your choice.
The Clock Is Ticking
Regardless of your chosen direction, it is imperative to hold a meeting in the Kitchen to announce your decision to the crew. Generally, most will comply with your plan, with the exception of the Worker, who will steadfastly refuse treatment, aware that this choice may lead to his demise.
After making your announcement, your crew may split into diverging factions. Be mindful that any alter you have upset significantly may choose to leave by the end of the act. Review the potential outcomes of both paths to make an informed decision based on the alliances you wish to maintain.
|
Alter |
Choose to Kill Tabula Rasa |
Choose to Accept the Brain Implants |
|---|---|---|
|
Technician |
Leaves |
Leaves |
|
Scientist |
Stays |
Stays |
|
Refiner |
Leaves |
Stays |
|
Miner |
Stays |
Leaves |
|
Botanist |
Leaves |
Stays |
|
Guard |
Leaves |
Stays |
|
Doctor |
Leaves |
Stays |
|
Shrink |
Stays |
Leaves |
|
Worker |
Stays |
Leaves |
Choosing a morally aligned path may not only secure your convictions, but also optimize the number of alters remaining loyal to your leadership.
If you select the brain implant option and have the Worker on board, be prepared for his outright refusal of treatment, effectively sealing his fate. In this case, you might opt to decline the option to administer treatment in his sleep, thereby freeing up an alter slot for another ally aligned with your decision. Consider that an alter’s refusal may be anticipated.
Role-play this pivotal decision as you see fit, but keep the potential outcomes in mind to ensure a cohesive team heading into Act 3.
Your offended alters will now display yellow locks next to their HUD icons, indicating their dissatisfaction with your choices. There’s little you can do to remedy this, so avoid wasting effort trying to appease them. Delegate them to less critical roles, as their commitment to work may wane.
Act 2 – Additional Objectives
As in Act 1, your team will solicit assistance for various objectives or simply seek emotional support in their harrowing journey through space.
While some tasks may seem trivial compared to the previous act, engaging with others remains a worthwhile effort aimed at preserving crew morale.
Sound Mind and Sound Body
It may surprise you to learn that the Refiner is quite the fitness enthusiast. If you haven’t completed this task already, he’ll urge you to design and construct the Gym module when convenient. After investing 70 metals and 70 minerals, visit him in the Gym to observe his progress.
This task won’t wrap up immediately; the Refiner will approach again a few days later with a pressing matter. He seeks clarity on the fate of his boyfriend, Ben, who perished in a workplace incident. His conditioning in the Gym has improved, but his mental anguish remains unresolved.
When you next converse with Lucas, filling him in on the Refiner’s situation might prompt Lucas to check Ally Corp’s records for the status of Ben in this alternate reality. Surprisingly, it appears Ben is indeed alive; however, Lucas cautions against sharing this news with the Refiner, as it may exacerbate his emotional state.
Being forthright, I chose to tell the Refiner, which unlocked the “Optimism”life lesson, granting access to new dialogue options.
As Good as a Feast
If the Doctor is amongst your ranks, you’ll soon discover that he is also an adept chef. Growing weary of the repetitive diet aboard the base, he will seek permission to prepare a special meal in the Kitchen. To initiate this task, provide him with three raw food items. You can either part with your stock or quickly gather fresh supplies from the Greenhouse.
Following this, the Doctor will attempt to prepare a delicious meal but will inevitably create a mishap that explodes the kitchen. Grab a repair kit, and either fix it up yourself or delegate the duty to the Technician.
Once repaired, “Feast” becomes an available food option in the Kitchen, offering a guaranteed morale boost for all alters, akin to watching a movie together.
Celebrate the feast with a charming cutscene depicting everyone enjoying the hunter’s stew before concluding this task by checking in with the Doctor.
Every One Counts
Lucas will again urge you to produce additional rapidium arks. Completing this task will require crafting five in total, rewarding you with a gold trophy upon completion.
While you may continue to create more arks post-this goal, further production offers no additional trophies—consider stopping at five.
Less is More
The Refiner will approach you again, following an incident in the Refinery that has left him unconscious from toxic fumes. A heated argument erupts between the Refiner and the Scientist regarding the safety of mining radioactive enriched metals moving forward. In this debate, support the Refiner; he requires this affirmation to alleviate his anxiety without upsetting the Scientist too severely.
The next steps entail disposing of all enriched metals in stock and promising to cease mining activities for five consecutive days.
Once these tasks are executed, check in with the Refiner who should be in a better headspace, allowing him to resume his mining and refining duties. This is crucial as it aligns with his responsibilities.
Focus Time
This objective is fairly straightforward, as the Scientist will express interest in redoing much of his past research to leave a legacy in this universe.
To assist him, you’ll need to select this topic within the “Mission” tab and allow him 24 work hours for the project. While this effort doesn’t earn you a life lesson, the Scientist will appreciate your support for safeguarding his legacy.
A Special Kind of Substance
At some point in Act 2, the Shrink will ask for your assistance regarding his supply of a special plant, signaling his fondness for a particular type of herb.
This request is simple to fulfill: cultivate the special plant in the Greenhouse, craft the mix in the Workshop, then combine them in the Kitchen to brew the tea.
Once accomplished, check in with him for a far-out conversation, which will unlock the “Chill” life lesson that enhances future dialogue options.
Act 2 Tips
This segment of The Alters presents increased challenges regarding navigation and exploration. Here are effective strategies to ensure smooth traversal while managing your evolving team:
- Research Free Climbing ASAP: This upgrade is critical. Upon attaining Qubit Level III, focus on the Free Climbing perk. It allows you to scale walls without using suit energy, which is especially beneficial given the number of steep climbs and negative energy gates you will encounter.
- Explore and Set Fast Travel Points: During downtime while waiting for collectibles or research, venture out to map your surroundings and establish fast travel pylons. This will streamline navigation when needing to return to specific quest locations later.
- Thoroughly Clear the Map: Since you won’t revisit this area, take full advantage of your time—collect samples, discover cargo drops, and refine your base’s setup before launching it away from the planet.
- Optimize Mining Locations: Each resource type has multiple deposit points. Rather than setting one mining outpost per resource, create several for crucial materials, particularly minerals, to maximize your collection efficiency.
- Lock Your Saves: The Alters features an exceptional save data log, allowing you to revert to earlier moments. Lock pivotal saves to revisit key decisions and strategize reruns without permanently altering your game access.
Cargo Locations
Similar to Act 1, this phase includes several cargo drops scattered across the landscape. The images provided offer insights into the exact locations and their corresponding rewards.
Prioritize finding the Damaged Chips, as these can be transformed into Qubit Chips. These valuable chips unlock an additional alter slot and new research topics in the Quantum Computer. Collecting both types of chips in Act 2 will elevate your Qubit Level to the maximum IV.
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