Like it or not, the Age of the Alpha Release is here.  Whether it’s Steam Early Access, or more humble releases like Sir, You Are Being Hunted, and Cube World, or even Bohemia’s Arma 3, alpha releases are everywhere these days.  It’s a controversial subject - some are complaining that companies are charging for incomplete products they may or may not finish, while others believe the process helps fund games that otherwise might never be developed.  It’s hard for me to find a suitable metaphor for this complex matter other than likening it to buying a fruit and waiting for it ripen. 

Sometimes I want to play games where I can summon Ifrit and fight enemies on the sides of buildings.  Other times I want to leap across moving platforms, flatten enemies with my butt, and collect shiny stuff.  But then there’re times when I want to play a game where I get dysentery and have to crawl through the woods inch by inch following the sound of buzzing flies to a dead body so I can loot it for supplies.