In the early 20th century, famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud coined the three states of consciousness: Id, Ego, and Superego. The Ego is our role in how we perceive ourselves and others around us. It also provides us with motivations for our desires, dreams, and communications. It is the driving force of what essentially constitutes our being.
In Ctrl Alt Ego, you play as an actual Ego, a mind without a body, existing as a form of pure consciousness. You can switch between different electronic devices, from computer interfaces to doorways and small robots. Why are you doing this? Who is helping you? All will be revealed in this sci-fi immersive sim.
The small development team behind this one has created something special, albeit a bit rough around the edges. The gameplay mechanics bring to mind a mixture of Portal 2 and Observation. You play as a disembodied ego aboard a floating space station that has been infected by a virus. You start the game inside a small robot in storage and have to figure out what is going on and make your way to a computer terminal. There, an AI voice chats with you and instructs you on what to do next.
The story is well-crafted in terms of the setting and the information you receive. You are constantly kept guessing about the truth and your own identity. There are some nice reveals, and the space station itself is a great place to explore.
The game mechanics start simple. You spend a significant portion of the game in a small, bug-like robot. You can move around, but you can’t jump. You also have a small grabber that you can use to lift certain objects. Need to reach a higher platform? There are boxes with ramps that, with the right rotation and placement, can help you ascend. You collect batteries and oil to power up and maintain your robotic form, and then you acquire a gun, and everything changes…
In addition to the bug-like robot, you can occupy many different machines with the touch of a button. From terminals to tablets to, later in the game, turrets. Your bug can also be upgraded, allowing for quicker improvements in skills. Combat comes into play with other robots patrolling the levels, called MUM and DAD. You can choose to stealthily avoid them, hiding and sneaking past to your next objective, or engage them directly with your gun. The combination of choices you have in tackling each level gives it a real playground feel.
Towards the end of Ctrl Alt Ego, the scope expands significantly, and the gameplay undergoes some major changes. I experienced some motion sickness while playing, even though there are settings to mitigate it. This is because the first-person perspective feels somewhat floaty, which, for me, was a bit disorienting. Of course, others may not have the same issue.
I liked the visuals, and even though they feel a bit dated, they do so in a charming way. The level design and maps are visually clever, and transitioning between different objects is seamless.
And frankly, the sound design is excellent, mixing ambient noises of the space station with bleeps and bloops from the machines. The soundtrack, while used sparingly, is very effective. I feel the voice work is good and well-delivered with charm and humour.
Ctrl Alt Ego is highly original, full of potential for those who love to experiment and find multiple solutions. I enjoyed the overall concept and the puzzle design, particularly the ability to instantly switch between machines. The stealth and combat elements are decent, but the freedom of choice is the most compelling aspect. On a personal level, I experienced some motion sickness, which impacted my enjoyment, but the game does offer settings to address this, as well as options to switch up the difficulty.
On the whole, if you’re looking for something original and engaging, Ctrl Alt Ego is definitely worth checking out.
No Body, No Problem: Play as a Disembodied Consciousness in Ctrl Alt Ego on Xbox and PlayStation – https://www.thexboxhub.com/no-body-no-problem-play-as-a-disembodied-consciousness-in-ctrl-alt-ego-on-xbox-and-playstation/
Buy Ctrl Alt Ego on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/ctrl-alt-ego/9nw8qgbqh7jm
