The Alters Act 2 Walkthrough: Survive the Anomaly & Save Crew

Act 2 of The Alters gets more intense with tricky challenges and hard choices. Your giant mobile base stops in front of a strange gravity anomaly, and now you’re not just trying to move forward—you’re trying to save your crew from a deadly brain condition. With rising heat, shifting loyalties, and tough moral choices, Act 2 tests both your planning and your heart.

This guide will help you get through Act 2. It covers the main tasks, important decisions, and key gameplay steps to keep your team alive and ready for Act 3.

Journey 2: A Quiet Moment Before the Chaos

Act 2 starts with Journey 2—a peaceful scene where the crew shares memories and plays music together. It doesn’t affect the gameplay, but it helps you feel closer to the Alters before everything goes wrong. After the funny music-video moment, the base stops again—this time in front of a dangerous gravity anomaly.

Getting Stable: Scan the Anomaly and Start Mining Again

When your base stops, the first thing you need to do is scan the anomaly and get ready to survive. Talk to the Scientist to unlock the Gravity Sensor. To craft it, you need 50 Metals and 20 Minerals. Once you build it, climb to a high spot on the canyon wall and place it. The climb uses a lot of suit energy, so make sure to research the Climbing Hook Upgrade early. Later, you can unlock Free Climbing to make moving around easier.

While you’re waiting for the sensor, don’t sit idle. Start your mining again. Focus on Metals and Minerals—they’re key to building and staying alive. Go for the nearby Enriched Metals and Mineral spots first to get your supplies flowing. You’ll run into things like time-warp zones and energy-draining walls—use Luminators to make safe paths through them.

As your base gets bigger, good planning matters more. Build Mining Outposts for each type of resource and use Pylon Hubs to create overlapping connection paths. This really helps in the northwest area, where there are important Rapidium and Mineral spots. To reach the northwest Rapidium node, go from the ledge above your base into a small cave near the deposit. Place a pylon on the cliff beyond the energy gate, then use a Pylon Hub to link it back to your system.

Step-by-Step Navigation Tips:

• Start from your base and go to the northeast cliff, where the anomaly crackles.
• Use a Climbing Hook to get up the first wall, then Free Climb to a spot with a wide view.
• Set the Gravity Sensor here, but bring extra batteries—energy walls nearby will drain your suit fast.
• To reach the Rapidium node: follow the left side of the canyon, drop a Pylon inside the cave, go past the anomaly gate, and climb again to place a Hub.
• Keep backup batteries nearby and build a Contemplation Room if you’ll be walking that path often.

Energy-draining walls can’t be crossed using Pylon links and will drain your suit instantly if you walk through them. Plan carefully so you don’t have to redo your steps. One trick is to place a Pylon just outside the danger zone and use Free Climbing to pass with minimal energy use.

To keep things running well, set your Workshop to automatically craft extra Suit Batteries and Drill Cartridges. This way, you’ll always have what you need for exploring risky areas. Suit energy is super important when dealing with glowing energy walls. Always plan a backup route and bring spare batteries so you don’t get stuck.

Also, don’t waste Jan’s mornings. He can mine for two hours before the Alters start working at 9 AM. Use this time to collect more resources, especially when you’re short or waiting on other tasks. With smart planning and a strong supply line, you’ll be ready to handle the anomaly.

Growing the Base: Build Before You Push Forward

Before or while handling the anomaly, expand your base. Ask the Scientist to research Base Expansion 2. Then, build a second Dormitory so you have room for more Alters and avoid morale problems. Add a Contemplation Room to help stressed Alters after MRI scans. Upgrade to Medium Storage to stop resource backups.

Don’t forget about their feelings: build Personal Cabins or add HoloMovie modules to give your Alters downtime. This boosts morale and loyalty.

Dealing with the Anomaly: Build and Use the Towers

Once the Gravity Sensor is working and gives data, the Scientist will tell you to build two Neutralizer Towers.

• Each tower costs 160 Metals and 160 Minerals
• They take time to build—let a Worker do it or build during slow moments
• Place them on high cliffs, one on each side of the anomaly

How to Place the Towers Correctly

Place one tower on the east cliff and the other on the west ridge—both are marked once the Gravity Sensor is active. Use a Pylon Hub near the canyon center to connect them efficiently. This avoids wasting resources on multiple pylons and ensures full power coverage. Bad placement can result in failed activation, so double-check connections before moving on.

What Happens If Alters Refuse the Final Task

Keep morale high before assigning Alters to the towers. If loyalty drops or someone leaves (like the Technician), tower activation might fail entirely. Four loyal Alters are required. If even one quits or locks out, the mission may stall or result in serious consequences. Keep them rested, fed, and supported.

Final Mission Prep Tips:

• Best Alters: Worker, Guard, Botanist, and Doctor (Technician may leave)
• Feed them, let them rest, and make sure they’re in a good mood
• Save your game before using the towers—an ambush comes right after

When the towers are ready, assign the Alters through the Assignments menu and go back to the Gravity Sensor to move forward.

A New Problem: Molly’s Death and the Race for a Cure

Things get worse when Molly the sheep dies. Ask the Scientist to do an autopsy. He’ll find that her brain, grown using Rapidium, mutated badly. Your Alters were made the same way—they’re all in danger.

This starts the “Value of Life” mission. Build an MRI Scanner (100 Metals, 100 Minerals) and scan Jan and each Alter in the Infirmary. The result: they’ll all die soon without a cure.

A warning task called “The Clock is Ticking” shows up. If you don’t finish the cure soon, your Alters will die. Put curing them ahead of exploring for now.

This news crushes morale. Here’s how to help:

• Show movies with the HoloMovie module
• Use the Contemplation Room to calm them
• Give Collectibles or build Personal Cabins

Big Choice: Use Tabula Rasa or Brain Implants?

When things hit the worst point, you’ll face a huge decision:

Choice 1: Tabula Rasa (Maxwell’s Way)

• Research QC Hacking
• Use Rapidium to make a clone of Jan with no memories
• Take its tissue to cure everyone

What Happens:

• Technician and some others leave forever
• The clone dies and can’t be used in your team
• Everyone else is cured—but the moral cost is high

Secret Combo: Clone First, Then Pick Implants

If you build Tabula Rasa early but choose Lena’s Implants during the meeting, the clone survives and joins your team in Act 3. This clever workaround lets you avoid both sacrifice and rebellion. It’s rarely mentioned in guides but gives you the best of both paths.

Choice 2: Brain Implants (Lena’s Way)

• Talk to Lena using the Comms Room
• Build one Implant per Alter (10 Metals, 30 Minerals, 20 Rapidium each)

What Happens:

• Crew survives, but now Ally Corp can monitor them
• Technician still leaves
• You keep most Alters for Act 3 and can keep the clone too if you made one

Tip: Save before choosing so you can see both outcomes if you want.

Crew Reactions: Who’s With You?

Your cure choice affects who stays and who rebels.

Assign any Alters who disagree to smaller jobs. They’ll show a yellow lock and won’t take big assignments.

Side Quests: Personal Stories That Matter

Side quests in Act 2 reveal the Alters’ pasts and feelings. They don’t just give bonuses—they help you understand who these people are.

Refiner – Sound Mind, Sound Body & Ben’s Memory:

• Build a Gym. The Refiner will think about his old friend Ben. You can call Lucas to learn more. Turns out Ben died in a work accident. Helping the Refiner get closure unlocks the “Optimism” life lesson.

Technician – Green Refuge:

• The Technician remembers a park bench his mom loved. You’ll find a Holo Disc in the northwest. Bring it back to unlock the “Park with Bench” module. Alters can relax there.

Doctor – As Good as a Feast:

• Grow Raw Food in the Greenhouse. Give it to the Doctor. He’ll try cooking, break the Kitchen, then fix it and unlock the “Feast” ability—a group meal that boosts morale.

Chill Tea Isn’t Just a Buff—It’s a Moment:

• Brew the Shrink’s special tea using a Greenhouse-grown plant. During the scene, he reflects on losing himself across timelines and how this tea helps him reconnect. It’s one of the few personal, heartfelt moments in the game.

Botanist – Blast from the Past:

• The Botanist wants a special axe. Ask the Scientist and Lena to help identify it. Build the Shepherd’s Axe and give it to him to unlock a bonding moment.

Lucas – Rapidium Arks:

• Lucas reminds you about the mission. Build Rapidium Arks. They affect the game’s ending and show how much you care about success vs people.

Refiner – Less is More:

• If you assign the Refiner to Enriched Metals, he gets sick. He’ll ask you to delete all Enriched Metals and stop mining them. Doing this boosts his loyalty a lot.

Scientist – Focus Time:

• Let the Scientist do private research. It takes 24 hours but increases his trust in Jan.

Guard – Call Sign Recovered:

• Explore a broken tower near the cliffs. The Guard finds an old message. It reminds him of his past and gives him the “Silent Watcher” perk.

One-Way Trip: Final Chance Before Act 3

Once you assign four Alters to the towers and activate the Gravity Sensor, you can’t return. This is your last chance to:

• Collect Damaged Chips to reach Qubit Level IV
• Finish side quests like Refiner’s Gym or Doctor’s Feast
• Grab Holo Discs, collectibles, or missed upgrades

Launch only after tying up every loose end.

Final Steps: Ready for Act 3

Before moving on:

1. Refuel with Organics, Fuel, and Coolant
2. Choose four Alters to man the towers
3. Use the Gravity Sensor to start moving

After the anomaly is neutralized, a traitor among the Alters will attack—hinting at deeper story twists in Act 3.

Act 2 isn’t just about survival. It’s about what kind of leader you are. Your choices shape the story and the people around you. Who you save, who you lose, and how you treat your crew will follow you into Act 3.

Make your choices count. The future of your team depends on it.

Read More:

Sylveon ex in Eevee Grove Is a Meta-Changer in Pokémon TCG Pocket

Dune Awakening PvP Fix: Devs Plan Changes for Deep Desert and Toxic Players

How to Get Sovereign Sigils in Elden Ring Nightreign and Unlock Collector Signboard Rewards

Apex Legends Season 25 Midseason Update: New Skins, Duels Mode, Legend Buffs & Ranked Fixes

How to Find Buried Treasure in Dune Awakening: Full Guide