Alter Ego

Every video game allows you to take matters into your own hands more or less, but most also force you to follow a linear path through the levels and the story itself. On the other hand, things have evolved in the last decade or so, given the fact that most games feature multiple story paths and a plethora of ways to customize your character as you go along.

Alter Ego is a text-based adventure game with role-playing elements and an emphasis on the ability to change basically everything about the story and the protagonist. Although it might be difficult to get into the proper mood without any graphics, the freedom to do everything you want is very tantalizing. On the other hand, it can be a bit of a bother to read all the text, especially if you like multiple playthroughs.

The plot starts with the main character’s birth, so you get the reins from the first moments of his/her life. After that, every choice is up to you, and you can take the story in any direction you want. Whether you fight bullies, find true love or choose a rich lifestyle, you have hundreds of choices at your disposal, each one of which has the potential to take the story into a different direction.

Although the usual routine involves you picking the answer from a list, there are some differences too. Thus, every now and again you get to pick an option from a huge tree of possibilities, each one of which has a different effect. This is also why there are so many ways to finish the game, as well as the reason why the story deserves more than one playthrough.

As mentioned before, there are no graphics to speak off, which might make it difficult to get through the experience if you are a newcomer to the genre. It doesn’t take long to grow accustomed to the experience, on the other hand, especially if you enjoy reading. A good soundtrack in the background can help a lot if you take the extra step to enrich the atmosphere.

Alter Ego won’t be quite as fun for every gamer out there, given the fact that it requires a lot of reading. However, the story is worth the effort most of the time, especially since you can take so many different routes to conclusion.