In my quest to continue practicing the fine art of game appreciation, I continue to scour the most unlikely spots to forge forward in my tirelessly Herculean crusade of intense effort.
I may have been being a bit dramatic in my previous declaration
When one is lacking but wanting, one makes due with whatever one can, which is just another flowery way of alluding to being completely broke but having the creative juices to spare. I’ve been attempting to play around with discount titles (see: free) in recent days, and I was searching for something of value in which to speak to. The task of writing about video games in an interesting manner has been a challenge for me as of late, as there are only so many ways to write something a long the lines of: graphics bad, gameplay fun without sounding derivative in a sense, which is one of the reasons I took such a long hiatus from writing within the medium in the first place. Enthusiast press just doesn’t deliver the same pomp and circumstance without the whole enthusiasm bit.
My energy levels channeling Wonka’s when another GaaS title is launched
Time away gave me a little bit of a buffer to all the inanity of the gaming everyday, so I am starting to cozy back up to the idea of the familiar. To that point, I recently downloaded a demo called Alisa, which feels as familiar as they come.
Pictured: An example of an American’s profile pic on a far right leaning dating app showcasing the range of their various interests
Imagine my delight when I was able to find a trial that was reminiscent of a late 90’s survival horror game, fixed camera angle and tanks controls in tow. Alisa is very much born out of the love of experiences such as Silent Hill and Resident evil, and just about any moment wandering around the bleak environments the game has to offer will be a constant reminder of the ever palpable tension the games of yore always inspired with.
To quote a profound wisdom: Garbage day, is a very dangerous day
The premise of Alisa is most certainly a super flimsy one, as the game launches directly into a cutscene interrupting some official meeting with an unnamed task force being debriefed on a matter of great importance. The matter at hand turns out to be a manhunt, as a spy has stolen blueprints and has escaped with them. Which organization is this? Why do these blueprints matter? Who is this spy endangering with these actions? All of these questions and more seem to be of absolutely no consequence, as our leading lady Alisa is already on the case! I’m not actually miffed the game doesn’t dive into these seemingly important details anymore than a surface level throwaway motivation to set the action in motion, as the game seems extraordinarily self-aware of what it is paying homage to, and realizes the bread and butter of the experience needs not the garnish of reason to compliment the sustenance at hand. 
Barry Burton, of Resident Evil fame, starts wondering if having no official training will impact his performance whatsoever after being sent out on his first mission
And so Alisa and her compatriots, definitely *not the S*T*A*R*S team (we will refer to them as the N^E^B^U^L^A^S) grab the first train to Frightsville to unknowingly but predictably seek their untimely fates. At least, that’s what the opening cinematic would suggest, but the team scatters nearly immediately amongst different train stops, leaving you to work with only Jean-Francois, a competent and even keeled individual who will persevere with you through thick and thin as the sturdy professional he will unrelentingly be till the bitter end.
Or not
Yes indeed, just like the infamous S*T*A*R*S team of Resident Evil fame, the N^E^B^U^L^A^S are in short order entirely scattered (and possibly eviscerated) almost immediately upon dispatch. If the Captain at the beginning were wearing sunglasses during his discussion of the stolen plans, I would mention the feeling of being already spoiled to the possible twist ending…but we never catch up with any of the other characters in the force, as the demo knowingly teases much but leaves even more to the imagination.
Fun you say? I just adore playful surprises!
As I lightly rag on Alisa for some of the absurdity to the games approach in storytelling, it is spawned more so out of endearment than anything negative, as the game hits the notes it’s suppose to in paying tribute to the titles that set the stage for it to perform upon. Part of the fun of both RE and SH as they reigned supreme of the survival horror genre in their heyday was this strange mix of off-putting and abstract, elements that paired with the backdrop of the macabre and slathered in over the top B-movie cheesiness, helped in making those games a fetching package wrapped in bizarre glory.
…I knew I should have taken that left on Sesame Street
Alisa follows suit as she attempts to escape from her fate of being trapped within the walls of The Doll House, and the game does well in making you feel right at home with all of the staples of old school survival horror shenanigans present. As already mentioned, the game boasts both fixed camera angles and tank controls, and comes packing with the kind of combat you can expect from such a setup. Alisa even takes a page out of the book of old school with both the pause menu, inventory, and even the saving methodology from titles that have inspired it. To that point, the graphics are peak 90’s, in all of their jagged polygonal quaintness, and perfectly lock step with the atrocious voice acting you’ll be laughably confronted with. It’s not only that the lines are being delivered in the same fashion as some kind of first take of an answering machine recording, but the main character Alisa borders on the Tommy Wiseau levels of ridiculous when it comes to delivery.
YOU’RE TEARING ME APART, ALISA!
With both a richness of liminal spaces and a creepy ambience that the audio design just drips with, Alisa checks all of the boxes in terms of it’s concerted efforts as a throw back title to a golden era of survival horror. It unapologetically sticks to its guns…and puzzles in this regard, so I’m looking forward to downloading the full game when I’m not so broke. Until then, I’ll just let visions of creatures ala Nemesis and Pyramid Head dance through my mind as I dream curiously as to what horrors await for me within The Doll House.
~Pashford
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