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American McGee's Alice
Windows - 2000
Description of American McGee's Alice
Not living happily ever after
Ever wondered what it would be like if Lewis Carroll's infamous Alice were to revisit Wonderland several years after the original tale ended? Me either, but that's precisely what has happened in EA's latest release, American McGee's Alice.
All is not well as we first meet our heroine in the stylish FMV introduction; lying comatose in a mental asylum bed, poor Alice has been traumatized by the death of her family in a house fire, which only she escaped alive and was then forced to stand back helplessly and listen to their final screams. Clutching at her last shred of sanity, Alice appears to have journeyed back to a very different Wonderland, deformed and macabre. Old friends, the white rabbit and Cheshire cat, are pleading for her help -- can she rescue her familiar yet altered fantasy world from the evil Red Queen's clutches and perhaps save herself along with it?
Intriguing plot, wouldn't you say? Dreamt up by ex-id Software level designer, American McGee (yes, his real name), he and Rogue Entertainment(creators of several successful Quake/Q2 mission packs) chose the 3rd-person action/adventure format to tell this exciting new chapter based on the Alice in Wonderland story.
He's still late
As you begin the game, Alice finds herself once again chasing after the white rabbit -- he's no longer the adorable bunny people will remember from the Disney cartoon. His face crinkled menacingly, ears bent back behind his head and an overbite that looks like fangs is just an example of how things in Wonderland have been skewed. It's Alice's job to traverse the 15 massive environments, jump some platforms, pull a few levers, and fight the hazards of the land and Red Queen's minions once again.
The controls and interface are pretty much as standard as they come -- seasoned gamers can dive right into the customization screen and set up their mouse/keyboard combination, just how they like it, in no time at all. Alice has little in the way of special controls -- just an alternate fire option for certain weapons and a key to call on the Cheshire cat's (enigmatic, and usually quite useless) advice when you need it.
Most noteworthy is the very well designed aiming system, which can often be a pain in the unmentionable bits for most 3rd-person games. Whenever you carry a ranged weapon, a targeting reticule is always visible to show you where you're aiming; more importantly, when you manage to get it over an enemy, it circles around them to denote Alice has locked in on the target, so the issue of preciseness and never knowing exactly what you're aiming at is not a problem. Another smart feature involves when you look towards the ground -- footprints will appear to help you anticipate where Alice is likely to land if you jump forward from your current position. This is immensely helpful for tricky platform hopping, which was also a common frustration with the 3rd-person viewpoint.
Fundamentally, gameplay remains pretty conventional for the genre. In true Tomb Raider fashion, your underlying objective is to always push linearly forward, find the exit, and possibly trip upon a few secrets/bonuses along the way. As Alice enters a new area, you'll usually get a helpful camera pan of the nearby environment -- it'll often show you the exit you need to reach, which isn't much of a spoiler, because it's getting there that's the real challenge. With a few exceptions, puzzles remain simplistic enough; agility (ie. jumping) and exploration are the keys to progressing.
Original
But wait - Alice is far from being easily dismissible. It's obvious that in the early developmental stages, instead of the traditional focus being on gameplay with a half-baked story tacked on at the end, the Alice universe is so finely and professionally crafted, it doesn't just mask what is essentially generic gameplay... it makes it completely irrelevant. The story, characters and overall attention to detail in the many wondrous environments is the driving force behind what is otherwise a tried-and-tested gameplay formula, and that's why Alice is a significantly more exciting title to play over other offerings in the genre.
So, what makes it special? Firstly, Alice utilizes the Quake3 engine in probably the most stunningly impressive way to date. Technically, everything about the graphics is first-rate: beautiful crisp textures, highly detailed characters, great animation etc. But it's the creative side of things that makes you literally gawk at the screen. There are not many action games where you'll find yourself wishing some sections weren't so fast paced, because you really just want to stop and take a look around. The endlessly unique and inventive level designs are constantly a sight to behold, and what better theme is there for levels like these than a warped Wonderland? From the floating "fortress of doors" to the colorless chess land, to the looking glass hall of mirrors, the environments almost make the levels in MDK2 seem common and dull! Combine these fantastical locations with an absorbing plot and characters, and Alice keeps you pressing on just to see what happens next.
I rarely pay attention to in-game music but in Alice's case, the ambient soundtrack possesses a fantastic chilling quality that perfectly complements the dark and sinister atmosphere of the game. While there are no real scare moments, the chorus of young voices and creepy instrumentals in the score (all originally composed by former Nine Inch Nails member, Chris Vrenna) keeps tension levels high. Sound effects, on the other hand, do not have as much presence and the voice acting could have been much better - it's not that the characters sound wooden per se, but you can tell each of the actors recorded their lines separately and the dialogue doesn't flow smoothly.
The minions
There are quite a number of enemies vying for Alice's blood, mostly from the Red Queen's army of card guards that chase you throughout; they get tougher and wield more powerful weapons as the game goes on. You also spend a good portion of the game shrunk down in size to only a few inches tall (much of the game parallels the original Alice in Wonderland story), and so come up against many enemies of the insect variety, such as huge bayonet-carrying ants and mutated ladybugs. You also have to be careful of the hazards in the environment itself -- flowers will pop up and spit spikes at you, and mushrooms come alive trying to suck you into their fang-filled orifice.
As in any action-adventure, you can expect to find your share of boss creatures to deal with too. Many of the bosses are also twisted incarnations of the characters from the original story that the rather snobby Alice didn't get along with, including the Mad Hatter and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. The Hatter's lair is actually one of the most depraved environments, as he's turned his home into a factory that manufactures automatons from living creatures. And what of the Hatter's companions, the hare and sleepy dormouse? You can find out their horrible fate if you delve far enough in.
On the weapons side, things remain just as imaginative and bizarre. Alice starts with a rather standard, but icky, blood-stained kitchen knife (or "vorpal blade"); but from then on, she finds much more interesting contraptions to fight with. These include the playing cards, which you can rapidly hurl; the mallet that serves as a club and a way of lobbing fiery Croquet balls at the bad guys; the Jackbomb that's a Jack-in-the-box which can explode like a timed bomb or rotate while breathing a stream of fire; and don't forget the toy "Jacks", which home in on targeted creatures and pummel them to death.
Conclusion
Admittedly, underneath the incredible level designs, absorbing original storyline and constantly delightful visual assault is your standard 3rd-person action/adventure, with a few of those familiar frustrations, like having to reload ad nauseam when you keep missing that required perfectly-timed jump. But what makes American McGee's Alice stand out is that it's the sort of game that you don't play for the usual satisfaction and ego-boost of completing the last level; you play because, like any expertly-crafted tale, you want to know what happens next and see more of the fascinating, seemingly alive world of Wonderland in its new, depraved form. If id were having any problems selling their Q3 engine license, this would be the game to showcase that anything in your imagination can be magnificently crafted onto the screen. The new variation on the Alice theme is obviously intriguing enough to attract attention from the mainstream crowd outside of gaming, as it was recently announced that Nightmare on Elm Street creator, Wes Craven, has signed up to direct a movie based on this game.
Alice is suffering and she needs help out of her dementia -- and even if you can't save her, you still get to venture forth through an obscenely twisted Wonderland. It's really a no-lose situation.
Review By GamesDomain
External links
Captures and Snapshots
Comments and reviews
Pattt 2021-09-11 0 point
Anyone having issues with the dialogue not playing for anyone but Alice just move the folder into your programfiles(x86) folder.
Lady_Rapture 2021-08-17 1 point
The only dialogue that works is Alice, and even the sound effects do not work. Downloading the "High quality sounds" did not fix the issue. Just download from this site instead: https://steamunlocked.net/american-mcgees-alice-free-download/
Sky 2021-08-12 0 point
The first PC game I ever bought, still have the original CD :) The in-game music is absolutely gorgeous, composed by Chris Vrenna former Nine Inch Nails member (apparently with some input from Trent Reznor).
"Valerie" 2021-08-08 0 point
growing up it was only my brother who got brand new gifts and video games and it would make me sad whenever I'd tell my parents which games I'd want only to see my brother get them for his birthday or Christmas instead. So as soon as I was able to work and buy my own computer I very quickly learned I can buy games online and bought myself a copy of Alice Madness returns on steam! Thank you for such a wonderful game! My goal now is to be able to play the first Alice
David 2021-06-24 0 point
Vorpalnose - The "sound" folder should go into the folder in the game directory called "Base"
VorpalNose 2021-05-02 0 point
Where exactly do we place the higher quality audio to? Do we place the "sound" folder on the root of the games folder?
david 2021-04-20 2 points
Phatoume: You don't need the Madly Enhanced mod or any other mods for it to work properly on Windows 10, just the Windows 10 fix file in the mega.nz link is enough.
Phatoume 2021-04-19 1 point
The OG Version doesn't install correctly on windows 10, you need certain files for it to fully install and run, I'll link them here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxsjlkG4eTY&t=218s
https://www.moddb.com/mods/american-mcgees-alice-madly-enhanced
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1P54riPxUKFMFYR8ifhoK30xx89nSzfRK
https://mega.nz/file/CdpBXYxK#9DxJkL5Hfz5BwEXgrQP-vPG2qJu-BHy3U1Mifvbhu-c
https://www.nexusmods.com/americanmcgeesalice/mods/1?tab=files
https://www.play-old-pc-games.com/2014/02/09/american-mcgees-alice/
david 2021-04-16 1 point
JACKO - in the "ALICE" folder there is alice.exe which you can double click to start the game
david 2021-04-16 2 points
This copy of the game has low quality audio for some reason. You can download higher quality audio for it from this link, just extract it and drop it into the "ALICE" folder
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TVzD1TBQnAKne-4RcqTSNuJu9jTGnNIy/view?usp=sharing
StealingYourComponents 2021-04-14 1 point
Grew up with this game, holds a special place in my heart as it was my very first 'violent' videogame. Hell, my father had the original copy when it came in those silly art boxes, I even have the journal that came with the game box detailing Alice's treatment at Rutledge insane asylum. This game holds alot of great memories for me, much like Thief 2 and Thief: The Dark Project before it became 'Thief Gold'.
I highly recommend this game to anyone who likes grim twists on childhood fairytales.
The Simstress 2021-03-19 1 point
Thank you so much. I am obsessed with "Alice In WOnderland" and played this game when it came out, also played "Madness Returns." With help from this site, I am finally playing American McGee's Alice in Windows 10 and I am so thrilled, I cannot believe it. Thank you!
Hatter 2020-09-23 5 points
StixsmasterHD:
I'd still consider it abandonware because you can't just buy it, you have to buy the sequel. Plus the version here is the original release version while the sequel is bundled with an HD remaster which some people might not want since remasters usually have things not working properly or change things in a way that not everyone likes.
StixsmasterHD 2020-09-19 -12 points
technically this isnt abandonware
you can buy it legally from here with its sequel: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/alice-madness-returns-the-complete-collection
phoenixbyrd 2020-09-06 1 point
I can understand the -1 point on the Raspberry Pi 4 comment but let me explain... I'm using Twister OS with a program called box86 that let's me run x86 wine which let's me run this game and a ton of others.
Swiftarm 2020-07-31 0 point
It almost runs perfectly for me... except that all the ingame conversations are skipped and I can't hear any audio from them. All other audio works just fine.
Cedar1974 2020-07-13 1 point
If you are having trouble with the DRM, get the Good Old Games front end and register Alice in it. They remove the DRM and make it boot up.
Hatter 2020-06-01 0 point
"Not allowing me to save? Keeps saying full hard drive and to delete saved games, but there almost 4tbs free on my hard drive.... and this is my first play through, just launched it .."
If you installed the game into your "Program Files" folder, sometimes it causes problems because Windows won't allow the game to modify any of the files, which could include creating a save file. Try running the game as an administrator, or moving the game folder somewhere outside of the Program Files folder.
Secretlyinsane 2020-05-29 0 point
Not allowing me to save? Keeps saying full hard drive and to delete saved games, but there almost 4tbs free on my hard drive.... and this is my first play through, just launched it ..
Chesh 2020-05-22 0 point
I had problems running this game above 640x480 but I found a fix. If anyone ekse has graphics problems with Alice on a modern system here's how to fix it. Install the program called "nGlide" and check the compatibility section of the nGlide website for the rest of the instructions on how to make it work properly. You need to install another file into the Alice directory and use a console command, but after that it should work properly at any resolution.
Firstime 2020-05-01 1 point
I need an entire code that can be found in a white box at the left of the back of the cd. Does any one have it?
Mar 2020-04-10 0 point
Hi, I just downloaded it. I'm using Windows 10, it does run it, however the screen is cropped and moved a bit down and to the right. I can't get it to center. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks a lot.
DixiePenguin 2020-03-17 1 point
I am having trouble with graphics. The blue Will bar is in the middle of the screen. No red Sanity bar visible except golden line to left of will level, again mid screen. Toy indicator is crammed behind these two. ANy fix?
Thanks,
Bill
Steve 2020-03-03 -2 points
There is an artist called "English-Sheep-Shagger" from London who has released a new HD texture pack for AM-Alice this on his website.
Ascendant 2020-02-14 1 point
This page doesn't mention anywhere it doesn't work on windows 10 and I've looked it up online and apparently the latest it runs fine on is windows 8. I even found a fix someone made for this but it requires the CD to be in your drive as if anyone is going to physically own this game by this point or even own an optical drive. So i'm at a loss.
jjjones 2019-12-11 3 points
Thank you for this game! I got it to play quite well on win 7 after I ran it on XP3 compatibility mode as administrator. I'm so glad this was here, I bought Alice back in 2000 and had wanted to play it again but couldn't get the discs to work in any of my computers. It's a classic!
mecaX 2019-11-26 0 point
Thanks, this perfectly run in windows 7 whit 6 cores, this dont requires any patch its wonderfull
Pc 2019-09-08 -2 points
Hi I have a question is this safe to download because I don't want a bunch of virus invading my computer
Stelios Samos 2019-08-10 0 point
thank you so much! , its time for me to play it for the 1st time!! ;)
ElsieIsAGamer 2019-07-21 0 point
Every time I start the game and begin to play when I get to a loading screen the game freezes and doesn't allow me to force quit. I really want to play this game and I can't afford a physical copy so it would suck if I can only play the introduction but not progress pass that. I don't know what to do and would love some help.
karma 2019-06-09 0 point
fun fact from when I played this on my own copy: type god in console to activate godmode, just remember to do it when you load in a level as it doesn't carry over :)
karma 2019-06-09 0 point
I had this game as an actual physical copy and played the hell out of it as a kid, but now it doesn't work on my Windows 10 laptop, so this is really helpful. Thanks for bringing back one of my favorite games :)
blackdahlia42 2019-02-10 4 points
tried to install and run Alice and the window essentially holds my mouse hostage - I can't tab out of the game whatsoever once I start it. The only way to leave the game is to quit and close it down. Any ideas if this can be fixed?
The Corgi 2018-12-04 4 points
"This version only made available through pre-order of Alice: Madness Returns or purchasing The Complete Collection on Origin, both of which are no longer available."
https://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/American_McGee%27s_Alice_(2011)
The Corgi 2018-12-04 4 points
I bought Madness Returns on Origin. It does NOT include the original game.
admin 2018-12-03 0 point
According to Wikia, the sequel is bundled with an enhanced port of American McGee's Alice, featuring widescreen resolution and slightly updated character texture models.
The Corgi 2018-12-02 2 points
It says this is available for purchase on Origin but it's not. You can only buy the sequel on Origin.
Steven 2018-11-20 0 point
Here's a guide to install the HD version of Alice with updated textures. Taken from Alice Madness Returns Special Edition (Origin). Needs Steam or Origin version of Alice 2 Madness returns.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=645862676
Mod that updates skins, bug fixes etc.
https://www.moddb.com/games/american-mcgees-alice/addons/american-mcgees-alice-hd/#3275129
Übertools Expert 2018-11-07 0 point
If the game crashes after cinematic, this is probably related to the high frame rate.
If you limit the frame rate via console command, the game will run stable:
seta com_maxfps 140
Open console while in main menu by pressing one of the following keys on your keyboard, the console will appear then:
~ or ^ or ´
Type now the following command chain into the console and press enter after you are done:
seta com_maxfps 140
If this does not work for you try 60 instead of 140
The reason for this problem is that modern computers can handle more frames than the engine/game can process. It will crash if you hit a few hundred frames or even go above 999.
ToughOrc21 2018-11-04 -3 points
@ADMIN how about you not be a little bitch boy over someone asking a question? FFS...
Darkpaladin 2018-07-08 1 point
Installed fine, but crashes right after intro cinematic. Anyone, Help?!
Cameron 2018-06-24 1 point
Every time i load up the game, it crashes after the talk with the Cheshire cat for the first time. Can somebody please help me because i really wanted to play this game forever now.
Motley 2018-02-20 1 point
been having trouble getting the launcher running.
been getting this error.
American McGee's Alice win-x86 Nov 13 2000
----- FS_Startup -----
Current search path:
C:\Users\Admin\Downloads\ALICE\base\pak4_english.pk3 (44 files)
C:\Users\Admin\Downloads\ALICE\base\pak2.pk3 (71 files)
C:\Users\Admin\Downloads\ALICE\base\pak1_large.pk3 (3369 files)
C:\Users\Admin\Downloads\ALICE\base\pak0.pk3 (5341 files)
C:\Users\Admin\Downloads\ALICE\base\Pak3.pk3 (9 files)
C:\Users\Admin\Downloads\ALICE/base
----------------------
Config: config.cfg
execing default.cfg
couldn't exec menu.cfg
execing config.cfg
couldn't exec localized.cfg
couldn't exec autoexec.cfg
...detecting CPU, found Intel Pentium III
------- Input Initialization -------
Initializing DirectInput...
Couldn't set DI coop level
Falling back to Win32 mouse support...
Joystick is not active.
------------------------------------
----- Client Initialization -----
----- Initializing Renderer ----
----- R_Init -----
Initializing OpenGL subsystem
...initializing QGL
...calling LoadLibrary( 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\opengl32.dll' ): succeeded
...setting mode 3: 640 480 FS
...using colorsbits of 16
...calling CDS: ok
...registered window class
...created window@0,0 (640x480)
Initializing OpenGL driver
...getting DC: succeeded
...GLW_ChoosePFD( 16, 16, 0 )
...35 PFDs found
...GLW_ChoosePFD failed
...GLW_ChoosePFD( 16, 16, 0 )
...35 PFDs found
...GLW_ChoosePFD failed
...failed to find an appropriate PIXELFORMAT
...restoring display settings
...WARNING: could not set the given mode (3)
...shutting down QGL
...unloading OpenGL DLL
...assuming '3dfxvgl' is a standalone driver
...initializing QGL
...WARNING: missing Glide installation, assuming no 3Dfx available
...shutting down QGL
----- CL_Shutdown -----
-----------------------
GLW_StartOpenGL() - could not load OpenGL subsystem
if anyone can help, that would be great.
this is a game i have wanted to play for some time and even owned once. however, i uninstalled it and well, i don't have the manuel code or the other disk for it. so this is the best i can get for now.
kmo911 2018-02-01 1 point
many of alice games has a block and crach out. even with full version and no crack you were trowed out of game and jumpi was aoufull. you had to turn on codes and then it crased all and --///-- over again. dx drivers was unstable. 3dfx support ? voodo 2 3 4 5 on win 98 se-xp
Lithium 2018-01-09 0 point
@TENBEAT
I was actually talking about the 600mb file, since that is the size of the 2011 cut re-release. But I downloaded this one and when unziped it's over 800mb so my bad, it is the original 2000 game.
Tenbeat 2018-01-07 0 point
(@Lithium)
The 79MB shown is one of the three files available for download, specifically a demo for the game that has a special level. The actual full game is 613MB.
Lithium 2017-12-18 1 point
Judging by the size this is the inferior (cut content, cut sounds) "HD" re-release, not the original.
You should change the year to 2011, it's misleading.
Matyas 2017-09-28 16 points
I recommend playing it in FullHD, it's awesome :-)
just open console by "~" key and type:
seta r_customwidth "1920"
(enter)
seta r_customheight "1080"
(enter)
seta r_mode "-1"
(enter)
vid_restart
(enter)
and it's done. Enjoy! (of course you can use other resolutions too, depending on your monitor)
CC 2017-09-26 -2 points
Thank you so much! I've the original cds but on W7 I've problems with launcher mode. If someone is interested to play it with the original cds and you haven't XP anymore, I know that it works with VirtualBox (Xp), but it's not perfect (I've problem with the mouse in Load/Save section).
With this download I've no problem, fortunately!!
I confirm it works perfectly on W7, guys! Extract zip file, clic on Alice.exe and voilà...! The game starts!
Harley 2017-08-25 0 point
I have a xp and every game ive tried works perfect btw use winrar or winzip to open it
Darkness-within99 2017-08-17 2 points
This will be my first time playing this and I excited let's just hope my computer doesn't crash, unlike the first time I tried to download this...
thanks 2017-07-08 0 point
been hearing this is a great game just built me a retro pc and now i have to try it out
Nate 2017-07-04 0 point
Introduction works fine on windows 10 but it crashes as soon as I get to pandemonium making it unplayable for me.
alan97320 2017-04-28 1 point
on windows 10 / 7 runs smoothly and perfectly but just to make sure update the driver before playing this game
lunalen 2017-04-25 0 point
GoodDay, I'm downloading this game today. Hope it will function very well in my pc. huhu. I really miss this game a lot! hahah.
...downloading 30%...
God Bless. :)
bastwren 2017-03-26 0 point
It runs fine on Vista, no problems. Thank you so much for this! Still one of my all-time favorite games.
smilez313 2017-03-23 0 point
Awesome download! I have Windows 10, and all I had to do was unzip the file and open it. Easy! Thanks!!!
Dobby 2017-02-10 0 point
A great find! It's one of the few games from this site that I managed to get working just fine.
I'm using Windows 10 for this, but have a Macbook Air, too. The only games I can get working for that are some of the old DOS games through Boxer.
Statocon 2017-01-11 0 point
I haven't had any problems with the game since download. Running Win 10. All runs smooth, good sound quality, scanned with multiple anti-virus programs and came up clean. (That is not to say there is no chance of harmful programs, just that Avast, Iobit, and Advanced System Care 10 didn't find any.) I think it's a clean program, and super fun! Thank you for the game!
win10disgrace 2016-12-30 0 point
I'm running the game on windows 10 with administration rights and in compatibillity with windows xp; no problems with the game whatsoever, it runs really smooth and the gameplay is fantastic.
Randall 2016-11-20 -2 points
got ur download weeks ago andf cannot open it to play--askedf then how to start play and never got an answer. u have a strange idea about answering within 24 hours. still can't open the game to play it, even after unzipping--cannot find the .exe. file
jasonvoorhees3.0 2016-02-04 2 points
this game looks very very promising, I only spent about
10 minutes with it but it could be a winner, only downside
so far has been some random choppiness in framerate
on my windows7 pc but I will play around with the graphic options.
the visuals are pretty nice but the models in the game look very low
poly count, I have a feeling it could be a winner though.
Al 2015-09-14 -1 point
Cool game! But how do you install the game when you have the files? There was no instruction included.
JayDee 2015-06-04 2 points Windows version
cool game,but the crew who cracked it may have added an extra program,as when you start the game it tries to connect to the net.strange for a single player game.so you might want to block net connections for this game.
Cancerkills 2015-05-24 1 point Windows version
I owned this game back on 2002, but my computer sucked so bad that it barely ran it. I'm happy to see it here, which means i can beat it now. WIN!
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Windows Version
613 MB
DownloadISO VersionDisk 1
718 MB
DownloadISO VersionDisk 2
237 MB
Manual 3 MB
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