Have you heard the news? Alice is Dead. In 2009, Mike Morin and his team released an unsettling little fairy-tale-gone-wrong that became a breakout success, and the sequel has finally arrived. Alice is Dead Episode Two picks up immediately where the first left off and provides a tantalizing bit of exposition before things go from bad to worse. It's time to warm up your point-and-click skills if you ever hope to solve this mystery. Just make sure you put the kids to bed first before you play this one. (And play the first episode if you haven't already!)
The game is played with the mouse, clicking on objects to pick them up or find out more about them. If an object appears in your inventory, you can use it by clicking on it once, then on where you want to make use of it. Unlike other point-and-click or escape titles, the cursor won't change if you can interact with an area. Fortunately, areas are small and well designed so that there's very little pixel hunting, if any. You can navigate between areas or look around by clicking the hearts at the edges of the screen.
The puzzles this time are a bit more involved, but not by much. Most of them make an appropriately mad sort of sense if you apply Wonderland logic to it. Even if your brain doesn't work that way, all the puzzles in the game can be solved just by paying careful attention to your surroundings and the information you've been given. If you get stuck, just stop and take a closer look at items in your vicinity... or a closer listen. Just keep your eyes open for any secrets you might trip over.
Analysis: The good news is that the second episode in this strange series continues the high standards of quality the original set. The bad news is that those of you who were hoping for a lengthy escapade into this twisted Wonderland are going to be disappointed. While it might take you a little longer to complete than its predecessor, the sequel is still going to leave you wanting more. Whether that's good or bad depends on how patient you are, as this installment also ends on another cliffhanger with the promise of more to come.
Frankly, if this sequel is any indicator, the old adage holds true; good things come to those who wait. The idea of a twisted Wonderland is hardly one that's gone unexplored before in pop culture, but something about it provides fertile ground for the imagination. While you'll likely sail through it in half an hour at the very most, you'll want to drag your feet the entire way. Morin's Wonderland is revealed in tiny bits and pieces gleaned from your surroundings, and feels like an early draft from Tim Burton as edited by Quentin Tarantino, who thankfully deemed Johnny Depp in pancake makeup too weird to make an appearance here. I honestly think that the Alice series boasts some of the best and most appropriate artwork I've ever seen in a point-and-click game, with everything from the character designs to the environment perfectly suited to the mood and theme. The series' signature creepy-cool music makes a comeback, and the voice work by Joshua Tomar is very well done.
While it lacks the some creepy punch the first installment had, except perhaps for a peek through a wall that may send you some shivers, Alice is Dead Episode Two is still fun, imaginative, and, most importantly, wonderfully weird. I may wish it had been longer and a bit more complex, but that's just the greed talking. As a snack-sized portion of gaming for your day, it does not disappoint. Oh, and make sure you hang around until the end of the credits. You might just make a new friend. Enjoy your nightmare fuel, dear.
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January 13, 2010 10:02 AM
Walkthrough Guide
This is just your basic walkthrough as sparse as possible to avoid spoiling the story. NO SECRETS FOR YOU. The "trickiest" puzzle solutions are clearly marked so you can click right on them if you need to. Because I love you all, that's why.
Click on mirror to take glass shard.
Click on the end of the bed near the toilet to take the bell.
Click on the white bed sheet to take a strip of it.
Click on the toilet handle to flush it. Click on the toilet bowl, then on the nut at the bottom of the bowl to take it.
In your inventory, click on the sheet, the on the shard of glass to combine them.
Turn to the right. Click on the x-rays taped to the window.
Click on the poster of the man to remove it and reveal a hint.
Click on the button under Lewis' hand to pick it up.
Turn to the right again. Click on the Hatter to speak with him, and on "reply" to be given a choice of responses. You can pick whichever ones you like. Continue speaking with him until he tells you to cut open Lewis.
Turn to the left. Click on the makeshift knife in your inventory, then click on Lewis.
Click on the nut in your inventory, then click on the hole in Lewis' chest.
Click on the stomach until you get the message "This part of the stomach seems soft." Use the knife on that spot.
Click on the hole in the stomach.
Click on the makeshift knife in your inventory, then click on the worm to kill it. Wait until you grow large again.
Turn to the right. Read the message the Hatter left.
Turn to the right again. Click on the door to leave.
Click on the open door at the end of the hallway.
Turn to the right. Click on the newspaper and read it to get a clue.
Click on the note taped to the shelves. Decipher the password using the newspaper story as a clue.
The Password is:
MARCH.
Click on the computer screen. Type "help" and hit [enter] to get a list of commands.
Type "Unlock" and hit [enter].
Type "Unlock March" and hit [enter].
Turn to the right twice and take the photos from the safe.
Turn to the right again and click on the painting to get a clue. The three buttons on the right change various aspects of the painting; head, chest, and hands.
Change the Painting to display:
Head of a rooster. Chest with a heart. Hand dropping a coin. You may have to click each button several times to get it to display what you want.
Wait for the door to descend. Click on it to go through.
Click on the console in front of you.
The end!
OR IS IT?!
Posted by: Dora
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January 13, 2010 10:02 AM