Alterium Shift is an RPG developed by Drattzy Games LLC and published by Gravity Game Arise Co., LTD. that takes a lot of inspiration from late 90’s RPGS on the PlayStation 1. It’s on early access right now and has a lot of work to do before it’s ready to be released in final form. Let’s take a look at the good and not so good aspects of this RPG.

Gameplay is a bit menial

Starting off, the word “SAVE” was on top of my screen the first hour I played – even during menus. Certain aspects of the menu wouldn’t even work correctly.

It also seems to have some trouble with its pacing. One of the first things it does is test you on lore with easy to miss in-game books that dump the backstory on you. Any writer will tell you that backstory has to be woven into a story, otherwise the player is going to forget about it right away, even if you try and quiz them on it.

After it quizzes you on lore about dark elves and magic crystals, it puts you through what it describes as menial tasks. And, well, they are, in fact, menial. Go to this person and talk. Deliver these letters. Where is the adventure? I know that this is to teach the player how to interact with the world, but there are more fun contexts and ways to put together a tutorial.

Questing is a strong point

Once the quest gets moving, though, you’ll find a lot to like. I’m a sucker for classic turn-based combat, and the combat in Alterium Shift works very well. A bad RPG has you hitting “attack” over and over until something dies. A good RPG encourages you to experiment with a variety of different attack commands. It does this with fights that evolve as the game progresses. You start off with simple attack and magic systems, and eventually you get introduced to a limit-break system like in Final Fantasy VII. There are also no random battles. You see the enemies on the field and battles start automatically Chrono-Trigger style when you get close enough.

Forgetting the R in RPG

The story is a little generic, but it doesn’t seem to be trying too hard. There’s a pretext about a war between humans and dark elves, but most of them hardly even notice that you aren’t a dark elf at all. There’s not much of an overarching goal to meet as much as you wander into different scenarios that require action. There’s very little call to adventure in this adventure. The characters are there, but they’re mostly stiff and don’t talk until a cutscene makes them. Emotional depth isn’t this game’s strong point.

It does offer a lot to explore, sometimes at its own detriment. You can go off and explore the area that surrounds you and you’ll find enemies and treasure chests. But you will often find yourself getting a bit lost with a muddled idea where to go next. This being an RPG, these things are of importance. It teeters the line between too linear and too open for a role-playing game.

There’s also the pixel-art. I love good pixel art, and Alterium Shift delivers in that department quite well. Each character has a different silhouette, which is difficult to do in pixel format. But the colors and designs of these characters read well and are very distinct from one another. The 3D environments and objects evoke feelings of classic PS1 RPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics and Grandia.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, whether or not you like Alterium Shift depends on how much nostalgia you have for RPGS in the days of early 3D. There is a lot to like, but a lot that needs polishing before I would say it’s ready for a full release.

Alterium Shift is in Early Access on Steam, with a free demo. There are plans to bring it to consoles in the future. Alterium Shift retails for $19.99. Drattzy Games LLC provided NeverMore Niche with a review key.