Other worlds

The first time I saw the box for American McGee's Alice, I knew I had to buy it. Not only is Alice in Wonderland one of my favorite stories but the dark images in the game fascinated me. I have strange tastes, I love whimsy and darkness. Best if both are together. And who can pass up this version of the Cheshire Cat. Creepy and bizarre.

I love games for the look of them. I love animation for its otherworldly quality. Alice did not disappoint. Jeff and I played the game for hours, exploring the world and killing things. It was bloody and violent but more than anything it was intriquingly and beautifully rendered. I have often bought items for their visuals. I've always called myself a writer but in the last year I have realized how much imagery moves me. A picture or some graphics will make me buy things that I normally wouldn't.

So imagine my delight when I went to Cabinet of Wonders today to see this image.

Not only that, this beautiful image is a game called Mechinarium. (or will be soon) An interactive world that I can enter and move the characters around in. I can play with these paintings. There are more beautiful images just like this to explore. I'm already saving my money for when it comes out. And have no doubts, I will take a break from WoW to spend some time in this world. The game is being created by Amanita Design studio and is supposed to be out this year.

The game image drew me for a number of reasons. It combines all of my favorite things. Like the fish in Shaun Tan's The Red Tree, the mixture of dark and whimsy is intoxicating. It the same mixture that brought me to Polish surrealist Jacek Yerka when I was only 18. If you want other worlds, this is the man for you. I bought two of his books with the little money I had after looking at his images. I can almost see his influence in this upcoming game. At first I thought he was the designer.

So more games to play, more images to enjoy. I better start saving my pennies.