Alter Ego

For a long time I've wanted to play a game that simulates a whole life. I'm not sure why, I suppose to play out the fantasy of being someone else, or making different choices. Alter Ego is the closest game I've found that does what I had in mind.

This game was originally made in 1986 for the Commodore 64. It's almost as old as I am! And it was written by a doctor of psychology. In the game you play through the various stages of life from baby to old age to death. The gameplay consists of addressing you with a problem, asking you how you feel about it, and then what you want to do about it. Then the game will tell you the results of your actions.

The game often doesn't give you many choices, however. Either in how you feel, or in what you do. So, despite there being a large volume of life experiences, you might not feel like you're really forming the kind of person you had in mind. Also, as far as I can tell, the choices you make don't actually affect the life experiences that you have, so at age 50 you're going to have trouble with your boss no matter how you play the game.

Also, this game is really played through the lens of the writer's own biases on how to live your life. He will literally tell you when you've made the 'right' or 'wrong' choice. And sometimes you get chided for the stupidest stuff, like choosing not to steal, or for doing what you're told, when developmentally you're at the age that you should be rebelling.

Anyway, so it's not so much a life simulator as it is life according to some doctor from the eighties.

Overall, I really didn't enjoy this game. I give it 1.5/5 stars. The guy's smarmy tone really bugs me.