Reception
Alternate Reality: The City was given a mixed review in Computer Gaming World. The graphics were praised for its attention to detail, as was the expansive city to explore. On the other hand, the game has no goal; once the city is painfully mapped out, the only thing left to do is monotonously battle enemies in preparation for The Dungeon. A later review of The Dungeon described the game as "a big improvement over City, but it is still ultimately unsatisfying." While the graphics were much-improved, especially on 8-bit versions, the game lacked any sense of accomplishment. The review noted starting characters from scratch is nearly impossible, and several aspects of the game arbitrarily punished the players, such as the unbeatable Devourer which eats items if the player has too many, and the reduction of stats when playing from a backed-up save.
Alternate Reality: The City received a mini-review in 1988 in Dragon #131 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the Macintosh version of the game 3 out of 5 stars, and the Atari ST version 3 stars. Alternate Reality: The City and Alternate Reality: The Dungeon were both the subject of the feature review Dragon #135. The reviewers gave Alternate Reality: The City 3 stars, and Alternate Reality: The Dungeon 2½ stars.
Read more about this topic: Alternate Reality (series)
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