This week we rate five of the latest game ads, including ones for Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 and Tribes 2

American McGee's Alice
From Rogue Entertainment and Electronic Arts

View the ad: Page 1 or Page 2

One game that has intrigued me from the start of its development is American McGee’s Alice, an action game set in a twisted version of Lewis Carroll’s famous fairy tale.  Developed in secret until now, the first ad for the game certainly does make an impression with bright colors, lots of detail, and the use of familiar characters (Alice and the Cat).  Even the logo for the game is much improved over previous versions, looking clear and pristine, brushed in gold.

Of course most readers will probably see this ad and say, “Who is American McGee?” and the copy effectively tells you who he is (Lead Level Designer for Quake and Quake 2).  Whether his name should be on the game or not is entirely another issue, but taken as a whole, McGee’s supposed vision for the game lifts off the page.  There is a sense of cohesion in this ad, and you come away from it intrigued by the possibilities of a game set amidst Alice’s wonderland. 

While it’s normally a pre-requisite for screenshots in an ad such as this, I actually think it works well without them, especially since the in-game images up until now have been relatively disappointing, lacking the organic look that permeates this ad.  Suffice it to say, this is a good teaser ad…now the team behind it needs to move into really promoting the game behind the vision.

Grade: B+