Mr. Bill's   Adventureland   Review

From Goliath of the Old Testament and Atlas of the ancient Greeks to Gulliver's Brobdingnagians and J. K. Rowling's Hagrid, giants have always fascinated us. From the moment we learned about Jack and his colossal beanstalk, we have imagined what it would be like to be tiny in a world of massive people and their equally huge possessions. In the game of Alida, we get to find out what it would be like if a giant liked to play in a band.

The members of the band called 'Alida' had money to burn after their smash-hit CD topped the music charts, and they decided to create an island theme park with a gigantic guitar which tourists could enter and play with the help of some ingenious machinery. However, as the band's popularity dwindled and the funds started to dry up, the band members grew disillusioned with the nearly completed park and suspicious of each other. Each one devised clever ways of securing his portion of the remaining wealth on the island, and they parted company until the resulting financial tangle could be unknotted.

When the game opens, you have just arrived at Alida, having been sent there to try to find Arin, one of the band members who has been missing for several weeks, according to his wife, Julia. As you begin your search, you will discover that this is no ordinary island but a very special place indeed.

Alida is a non-linear, 1st Person, point & click adventure game with the traditional hand cursor for navigation and manipulation of objects. However, the rest of the game is far from traditional. Not only do you have parts of the jumbo-sized guitar to investigate, if you can find out how to access them, but there are also ruins to explore, unusual transportation devices in which to ride, and many other areas of this strange and rather mysterious island to discover. Although you can't die, you will be making some decisions that can affect the outcome of the story, so save often.

This 5 CD game is beautifully crafted from start to finish. The gorgeous graphics are presented in slideshow fashion but give the player the ability to look left and right in most frames and up and down when needed. Transitions are smooth, and there is also a zip mode that allows you to cover previously investigated territory quickly. The puzzles are unique, challenging, and well integrated into the story, and although some of the puzzle solutions may require a step 'out of the box' to solve, the rewards for solving them can be truly spectacular. Auditory and visual clues abound all over the island, and there are some wonderfully clever gadgets to manipulate, interesting notes to read, and even a personal encounter or two that may provide important information. The background music in the game has a lovely haunting quality to it but is not intrusive, and the sound effects are well done and very convincing. Technically, the game runs smoothly, and the disk changes are only necessary between major areas. Of course, a full installation of the game makes for seamless gameplay.

Alida is a big and richly detailed game which was created in its entirety by the tremendously talented Cos Russo. I had a grand time in this enormously engaging world and was reluctant to leave it at the end. I recommend it very highly indeed!

© 2003  Cynthia Gary

Full View Screenshot

Visit the Official Alida Website to learn more about the story, view more fantastic screenshots and download the trailer.

Developed (2003) by  Cos Russo  and published by  Dejavu Worlds. Published (2004) in North America by Got Game Entertainment.

Rated:   E   for Everyone

Minimum System Requirements:    

PC and Mac versions are on separate CDs

PC Version:  Pentium 3 700 MHz (Pentium 4 Recommended);  Windows 98 / 2000 / XP;  128 MB Ram;  640 x 480 Screen Resolution & 16 Bit Color Graphics Card;  Sound Card;  QuickTime 5 or 6 (6.5 Recommended);  285 MB Free hard Drive Space

Mac Version:

OS 8 or 9 Version:  Macintosh G3 233 MHz or Faster;  OS 8.6 or Later;  21 MB RAM Free; 4X CD-ROM Drive;  640 x 480 Screen, 16 Bit Color Graphics Card;  QuickTime 4 or 5;  185 MB of Free Hard Drive Space

OS X Version:  Macintosh G4 350 MHz or Faster;  OS 10.1.2 or Later;  21 MB RAM Free; 4X CD-ROM Drive;  640 x 480 Screen, 16 Bit Color Graphics Card;  QuickTime 5 or Later;  185 MB of Free Hard Drive Space

Where To Buy This Game:

  In North America

Alida On-Line Store Europe, Asia, Australia

OR: see our Places To Buy Games for other sellers around the world

Walkthroughs or Hints: