While classic RPG series like Final Fantasy have shifted to large AAA blockbusters like Final Fantasy XVI, indie games have stepped forward to fill the need in the genre for pixel RPGs reminiscent of Final Fantasy VI. While I haven’t played much of the classics, I do have a lot of time clocked into turn-based RPGs like Pokémon, and after five hours of playing through Alterium Shift early access, I can say that while there is still room for improvement, the debut from Drattzy Games manages to recapture a lot of what made the classics so good.
The first decision you have to make when you start is to pick a character. Pyra is a strict and loyal leader who fights with a spear. Atlas is a young, shy, and nimble archer. And last, but not least, Sage is a very talented weaver of Alterium Essence, the source of magic in this world. Whoever you pick, you will soon find yourself setting out into the world of Alteria to uncover its magical secrets. Alteria has a lot of lore and understanding it doesn’t just help you pass in-game exams but also lets you grasp the political standing of a given location. The choices you make as you play help define the details of the overarching storyline and starting up a new playthrough will give you a different experience as a result. Assuming you aren’t making the same decisions that is.
This change between playthroughs is also aided by the characters’ abilities. In combat, each character has different attacks and a unique set of abilities that use Alterium Essence. Pyra has Fire-based moves like Fire Strike and Atlas has bow-based ones like Focus Shot. Basic attacks don’t consume anything but they also feel weak. This can often result in them feeling rather powerless. In order to avoid mindlessly attacking enemies, exploiting their weaknesses each turn is essential to avoid defeat and prevent excessive Essence drain. Along with the moves and attacks they have in battle being different, they also have different on-map abilities. For example, Pyra can break boulders with her spear and Atlas can shoot far-off targets with his bow.
Alterium Shift is a charming affair right off the bat. The visuals perfectly capture the look of classic JRPGs and though it doesn’t always seem to have the budget to back up its ambitions, with post-processing turned on the game manages to have a good blend of older pixel art style and modern effects. Of course, since the game is still in Early Access, additional settings to tweak the graphics are still on the way. Just like the visuals, a similar charm goes for the music as well, which stirs a great sense of adventure as you play.
The biggest critique I have for the game is that it can sometimes be a bit too faithful to the source material. First off, there’s no quest log in the game and this means that when you are tasked with finding x amount of this and y amount of that for someone, you will need to remember it by heart or write it down like me. In all honesty, that’s not too bad and, for some people, that might even be a positive. The second point is that the game map is pretty large and until you get a not-Chocobo to ride, you will be walking around a lot. The problem here is that the map is separated into blocks and leaving one and going to another blacks out the screen for loading. In certain parts of the game (like the dessert) where you might need to do some backtracking, this can get old fast.
Alterium Shift is a tough but fun throwback to classic JRPGs with strong visuals and audio. If you grew up playing 90s RPGs then this is a great way to get a dose of the old and the new. Alteria is a large world with a lot of lore to back it up. Those are my thoughts on the game after the first five hours. I played the game on the Steam Deck and I can report that the game not only runs well but also that the game has good game support for players just wanting to play with a controller. Alterium Shift is available now on PC via Steam Early Access. The game costs $20 but you can check out the demo first to get a taste of the action.
