Richard & Alice Review

Alright, I confess: I am a full-blown crackhead when it comes to any type of storytelling. I’ve been addicted to it for as long as I can remember, and frankly, I have no desire whatsoever to break free. When I learned of the existence of Richard and Alice, a point and click  game immensely dedicated to the quality of its story, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to review it. I had a blast playing through Richard and Alice, as you’ll see below.

 Richard and Alice begins with the protagonist, Richard, thrust into a bleak, wintry world. Snow has been falling continuously for several years, turning his once beautiful country into a desolate landscape. Only the privileged are watched over by the government; those without sufficient funds are forced to fend for their own lives. Richard finds himself imprisoned after confessing to deserting the military, and is moved to a state-of-the-art cell that promises to take care of all of his needs. There, Richard enjoys television, a new computer, a bed with sheets, and even a personal bathroom. Isolation (along with a slew of boring nature documentaries) is starting to take a toll on Richard, and he is over the moon when an inmate takes up residency in the hall’s opposite cell. After some formal introductions, the inmate reveals that her name is Alice, and she is imprisoned on the charge of murder.

 From there, a large portion of the story is dedicated to the origins of Alice. As she gets to know Richard, she reveals more about her past, her son, and even her husband. Alice gives cold, candid information on life outside the prison, and does not share the same mellow, optimistic attitude that Richard has now embraced. The contrast of Richard’s and Alice’s characters made for some great moments during the game, and I feel that the game’s developers struck gold when it came to character development. Richard is portrayed as a very sweet, compassionate, friendly chap. Through persistent hospitality, Richard is able to melt Alice’s cold exterior.

Alice is as beautifully multi-dimensional as they come. Your view of Alice is sure to change several times over from the beginning of the game to then end. I would have never imagined Alice as a fiercely devoted mother or a sincere friend until plunging deeper into the story. She indeed possesses these traits, and you will have a great time uncovering her multiple layers. It’s a bit frightening that, after only a few hours, I feel that I know more about Alice than some of my own friends. This is the power of narrative at its finest.

 The graphics and audio of Richard and Alice are not great in a traditional sense, but are beautiful in what they accomplish. The dilapidation of the game’s environments bring out somber reality of a world gone to hell. Solemn piano notes really made me feel for Alice as she tried to comfort her son in increasingly desperate situations. These components allowed me to immerse myself in the game, greatly adding to my overall experience.

Richard and Alice certainly triumphs in storytelling and character development, but be forewarned! Do not buy this game expecting gunfights, swordfights, fistfights, or any other type of combat. The game can be classified as a point and click interactive story, with most of your time spent reading dialogue between the story’s characters. As far as I’ve seen, Richard and Alice contains tense moments, but absolutely no combat. Frankly, the game does not come close to needing it. Progressing through the story is action enough in its own right. I found the break from violence to be rather refreshing, as it allowed me to focus 100% on the story. If you cannot live through a few hours without blowing something up, then sorry, friend. Your metaphorical princess is in another castle.

 Richard and Alice is certainly a compelling game, but is not one that I found gripping enough to finish in one playthrough. Reading block after block of dialogue can start to wear on your mind after a while, along with some of the environmental puzzles interspersed throughout the story. You will sometimes have to search around the game’s world looking for various objects to unlock doors, turn dials, or other tasks. Sometimes this made sense (like trying to break a padlock so that you and your son can have shelter), but other times, it seemed unnecessary (must I really construct an impromptu pole out of brooms and duct tape?). On top of that, a lot of the essential objects were rather inconspicuous, making it hard to pick them out. One instance required me to pick up a small duvet under Richard’s bed, which I mistakenly thought was just a part of his sheets. I just figured that Richard was ineffective at making his own bed, and didn’t give it a second thought. The duvet was the same color as his sheets, and it took me about twenty minutes to realize that it was actually an item and not a product of Richard’s poor housekeeping skills.

While this may be an extreme display of stupidity on my part, I do wish that some of the items were more readily seen.

Aside from this, Richard and Alice was quite the adventure. The game was not heavy on action, and honestly, it did not need it in order to craft a memorable, well developed story. At only $6, I can fully recommend the game to anyone looking to unwind after a long, tiresome day, or anyone who is a lover of dedicated storytelling. I would recommend playing the game in chunks of about an hour or two, so that the dialogue does not wear you out.