Cyberpunk Brawler: Altered Alma

Kick ass and make friends in this lush pixel-art platformer.

Oct 02, 2024

‣ Altered Alma
From: 2Awesome Studio, CRITICAL REFLEX
Platforms: PC
Release: Coming Soom
Steam Page • Demo Video • Developer Site

Real style with a giant laser-shooting poster of Salvador Dali.

Jack is having a bad day. Her former employers, the Crusaders, are out to end her services permanently, so she must collect a crew and get off the planet. Fortunately, our hero is a cyborg-enhanced brawler who comes into possession of a special sword. She might be in for a fight, but the other side better bring their best.

Thus, we start our adventure in the stunning 'metroidvania' platformer Altered Alma, a neon-soak cyberpunk action adventure with some interesting ideas—and so much amazing pixel art.

Regular readers might notice I have a soft spot for pixel art. Far from being a relic of eighties and nineties games before the arrival of 3D acceleration, today's pixel artists are doing really stunning work. Yet even by those standards, Altered Alma is a knockout. Seriously, even the opening menu is something to behold.

You take charge of Jack, a young cyber-enhanced mercenary on the run from her shady outfit (along with her robot sidekick, Vera). Looking to escape the city of Neo Barcelona, she soon discovers an ancient ship, the Esperanza, that hasn't been explored in decades. The odds are against her, but inside the Esperanza she finds the quantum blade, a special weapon that can upgrade her powers, giving her deadly new abilities in combat.

Altered Alma is, at its heart, a brawler game. Jack explores various stages, fighting a variety of bad guys who try to stop her. In the demo, we mostly encounter members of the Harlequin gang, culminating in a boss fight with their leader, the insatiably flirty Red Rosie. There is a reason for her seductive ways, but we'll get to that in a second.

First, the combat. Jack is nimble and dangerous, able to beat up several enemies at once. However, this is not a button-bashing game. The gameplay is less punishing than precision fighters, and randomly flaying the controller's buttons will get some results. Yet, satisfying progress requires dodging attacks, timing blocks, and unleashing special moves. The combat is very arcadey, so it's not entirely for a hardcore crowd, but patient gamers will find it particularly rewarding.

Then, there is the quantum blade.

This strange weapon is not only deadly. Jack can throw it towards distant surfaces, and instantly teleport to the new spot. The teleportation is helpful during crowded fights, and it's also a gameplay mechanic for some intense platforming. You can throw the blade repeatedly to teleport, which you soon use to navigate tricky and deadly platforming puzzles.

It's tricky to get right, but super-satisfying. Besides the beautiful artwork, Altered Alma works so well because the combat and platforming are responsive, interesting, and well-designed. If you love a slick and aggressive metroidvania experience (meaning a non-linear platformer where you can unlock and explore new areas), this game belongs at the top of your wishlist.

Yet, Altered Alma is not entirely conventional. Jack's ship, the Esperanza, can be upgraded to grant her new features (an element sadly not explored in the demo). There is also a pinch of dating sim in the game. Jack recruits a crew to work on her ship, and she can chat with them to develop friendships and possibly even romances. Hence the first boss' strange flirting—there's likely a lot more of that in the full title.

The game hints at branching paths and choices, though the demo is pretty straightforward, doing just enough to introduce us to Jack and the neon city of Neo Barcelona. Fortunately, Altered Alma doesn't expect you to be a dating sim expert. The real meat is in the combat and platforming, which feels solid and has moments of delicious brutality. Death is not permanent—in many situations, Jack will respawn in the same screen to try a fight or obstacle again, or she'll respawn at one of the many medical stations.

📽 Demo Snapshot: Let’s start a fight

Altered Alma looks and plays great, and it has real style (complete with a giant laser-shooting poster of Salvador Dali). The world is interesting, grim yet colourful, and brutal yet cartoonish. The character designs and animations are slick (I never got tired of watching Jack interact with a medical chair).

I'm a sucker for great pixel art. I'm also really attracted to rich cyberpunk worlds, responsive combat, and ass-kicking heroines. I was destined to adore Altered Alma.