On June 14, Alice will embark on an adventure back down the rabbit hole of madness. While the original entry, American McGee's Alice, may not have been the most mainstream title ever, it's likely a game everyone has heard of by now.
I recently got the chance to grab Alice: Madness Returns Executive Producer R.J. Berg and ask him a few questions. With more and more information becoming available to fans every day, I tried to stay away from run-of-the-mill queries. Hopefully, the result is an insightful look at the soon-to-be-released sequel.
(Also, after reading this interview, anyone who has an iPad should download the free Alice: Madness Returns storybook. I think it's pretty cool!)
What was your initial reaction when you were told about this project?
R.J. Berg: Excited and eager to start development. While we were still working on AMA, we discussed storylines and game mechanics that we might use in the next Alice. She’s such a great and imaginative character: vivid, smart, and brave. We thought there were lots of great Alice stories to tell. Fortunately, Electronic Arts felt the same way.
How much freedom did the art team have with respect to Lewis Carroll's Wonderland and the original game?
RB: Our concept artists loved the [original's] story and the game design, which suggested goals for character and environmental “looks.” That was the extent of the guidance. The level artists and animators gave their technical abilities and fertile imaginations a workout, and executed the concepts to perfection. I think their distinctive work is evocative and thrilling.
What is the feeling or mood you're looking for when deciding what type of music to use?
RB: As in the best cinematic soundtracks, we asked our composers to create original soundscapes that complement the game’s environments, its characters, and their actions. Great music and sound provide players with a unique emotional connection to a visual experience. It may intensify or contrast, clarify or even confuse that experience, but it always makes it richer.
How did you come up with the idea of having Alice leave Wonderland? What was the thought process behind this?
RB: Whether it’s a rural riverbank, the family library, an asylum, or the cruel city, Alice always has a presence in the real world. Wonderland is the "otherplace." Sometimes it's a secure refuge or a fantastical relief, and other times, it's an outlandish and menacing nightmare or a test ground for her fears and hopes. In AMR, we focused a portion of the game’s action on a provocative connection between the harsh reality of Alice’s London and its effect on her Wonderland.
Can you name one item and one weapon that won't be making it into the final game? Why didn't they make the cut?
RB: Not everything that was conceived in design got into the game. In the early stages of development, many features that seemed like a good idea, turned out not to be. While I’m reluctant to leave you pining for what might have been, I’ll confess that American and I initially wanted Alice to wield an umbrella, as a kind of all-purpose, gliding-and-fighting implement.
After concept work, the art and animation directors and the lead engineer offered their expert judgment: The technical complexities of implementing such an umbrella couldn’t be paid off in gameplay and were not worth the inevitable — and for Alice, unfortunate — association with Mary Poppins. The umbrella was discarded.
What's the one thing (scene, item, gameplay feature, etc.) that hasn't been shown that the development team is most proud of?
RB: I wouldn’t presume to speak for the team, but even after witnessing several jaw-dropping sequences in the game, the team’s handling of the denouement knocked me out. Their challenge was to render the story’s resolution in a cogent, powerful way that was not solely a compelling visual. Their presentation is inventive, elegant, dramatic, and completely satisfying.
What did you think of the community reaction when they found out that they were finally getting a sequel to the original game?
RB: The huge response from the fans of AMA has been unanimously positive, and we’re grateful for it. The opportunity to serve them — their passion, their loyalty, and their commitment — was gratifying and exciting. But we’re also fortunate that the larger gaming community (especially console players) has avidly expressed its interest and its eager anticipation for an action title founded on the great Alice property.