Halloween Gaming Blog #18-19 American Mcgee's Alice

Ok we all know the story of Alice in Wonderland and we also know the story that we have seen in film and TV and everywhere else. Now we get to see Alice as a totally new animal all together in American McGee's Alice.

This game stars Alice trying to cope with the fire that had killed her parents and the insight that she herself may have been the cause. Alice occupies an asylum and is working her way with sadistic orderlies and a crazy psychiatrist. Alice must work out her mental demons internally as she returns to her childhood fantasy world of Underland in order to fight off her demons in the twisted world that has been turned to a nightmare with the death of her parents weighing on her sanity.

This is a platformer filled with puzzles and challenges that would frustrate even the most hardened gamer. Having to restart from nearly the beginning of each level after dying adds to that frustration as you will die over and over and over again. The jumps are nearly impossible and some of the enemies are nearly impossible to take down. Still this game does have some satisfaction with the interestingly crafted worlds and expertly crafted weaponry. One can tell that they spent a long time working on this game.

Not long ago the really really long awaited sequel Alice: the Madness returns came out of the higher generation systems such as PS3 and Xbox 360. People who pre-ordered also got the chance to download the original game in full. This gave the game a new light for enjoyment.

This game takes over where the previous one left off with Alice seemingly in control of her demons, out of the asylum and living in a halfway house. New items come sup showing that Alice is still not totally well as her mind is being torn apart by a sinister force. Alice must seek to save Underland from the destruction that was done by those around her.
 

This game is steps above the first graphically and game play wise. Alice is much easier to control and the challenge level while still present is no where near as frustrating. The worlds are expertly crafted yet again and the story is involving. There are a lot of cool customizable outfits and weapons in this game giving it more variety and making it fun to play through again and again. 

In the end a twisted and creepy worlds filled with twists and turns befitting a wild imagination makes this a game series to be involved in but be ready for frustration and stay away if you don't like platformers. 

Creep factor - 7/10

Entertainment Value - 5/10 

Scare Factor - 6/10