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Dom Robinson reviews
EA Games 
- Windows 95/98/ME
- Intel Pentium II 400Mhz
- 64Mb RAM
- 4-speed CD-ROM
- 16Mb 3D graphics card
- 600Mb Hard Disk Space
- DirectX 7.0
American McGee’s Alicedoes for Lewis Carroll what Nirvana did for music hall.
Alice has been summoned back to Wonderland but things have changed for theworse with bizarre and macabre overtones, although it still features some ofthe familiar characters such as the white rabbit and a certain grinningCheshire cat.
After seeing the game played on TV on various programmes this was one I wasmost looking forward to. Alas, disappointment was on the schedule. While you’represented with stylish graphics demonstrating a wickedly dark behaviour andbased upon a tweaked version of the Quake III engine, it’slet down by Alice’s movement, particularly when jumping, which is jerky and asyou leap from platform to platform it’s all too easy to fall between the cracksand hit the ground below, unless you’re unlucky enough to tumble into abottomless pit.
A smart and atmospheric score has been created by Nine Inch Nails‘founder member Chris Vrenna. At times it can be a tad overbearingthough.
If it wasn’t enough to control Alice as she stilts her way about the screen,it’s compounded by the difficulty level which is too high even early on, onesuch screen involving you to hop across a semi-collapsed floor, climb astaircase and walk back across a tilting platform. Might not be so bad ifit wasn’t blowing a force 10 gale while two spooks shoot at you.
Overall, if you get a chance to try before you buy then do so. However, it’sthe playability and the basic linear style of the game just sees you travellingfrom point A to point B ad infinitum which lets everything down and puts meoff.
SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC
PLAYABILITY
ORIGINALITY
ENJOYMENT
OVERALLThis game was played on a PC with the following spec:
Intel PIII 600Mhz, 128Mb RAM (133 Mhz), Voodoo 3 3000 AGP, SoundblasterLive! 1024.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.