American McGee's Alice Preview
We take a nearly complete version of Alice out for a spin.
We're not entirely sure what inspired American McGee to take Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and craft it into a dark and twisted 3D action-adventure game. It could have been divine inspiration, a lost drunken bet, or just plain boredom with the typical action fare. Whatever the reason behind McGee's unique take on the world of Alice, it's very clear from our early hands-on time with the game that this is one of the most unique and intriguing games to hit the scene in quite some time. Anyone can tell from a quick glance that Alice is a visually stunning game; in fact, it makes most other 3D games look plain or boring by comparison. After digging into the story, the gameplay, and the atmosphere in the game, we've come away with the feeling that Alice is a game people will be talking about for a long, long time.
Due to ship in early December, Alice was about 90 percent complete at the time of this preview. We were assured by EA that the game's content was entirely in place. All that remained was more play testing and tuning. Essentially, we looked at near-final code. Certainly the game seemed to be in good shape - we never ran into any performance problems or crashes, and the levels were perfectly linked with no missing cinematic sequences or transitions. With the exception of a few movement and control oddities, Alice manages to impress in every important aspect. The level design, story, puzzles, weapons, and foes are all very strong in this game, as is - generally speaking - the gameplay. Though it isn't quite the perfect action-adventure and is definitely not your run-of-the-mill first-person shooter, Alice is simply an extraordinary game.
This third-person game wastes little time in letting you know that the theme is dark, creepy, and sinister. After losing both of her parents in a fire when she was a little girl, Alice checked out of reality and checked into an asylum, which is where we meet her when the game begins. She's older now, and although she sports the familiar blue and white frock, she has a few touches that make her seem quite a different person from anything Disney - or even Carroll - imagined. From the skull broach that holds her white bow in place, to the high-heeled Doc Marten's boots, to the sullen, haunting green eyes, Alice is a very distinctive and memorable character.
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- GameSpot Score7.3good
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American McGee's Alice Review
While you'll undoubtedly enjoy the imaginative artwork, you might end up disappointed with just how straightforward the underlying game really is.
- Dec 8, 2000
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- Electronic Arts
- Rogue Ent.
- Horror Action Adventure
- Release: Dec 6, 2000 »
- ESRB: Mature
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