I can't help but adore this game and the franchise as a whole, it captures that very specific 00s goth energy I find charming. But honestly while playing this, I ended up missing the first game. Yeah, the platforming and combat in the first is rough, but it's not exactly a bucket load of fun here either. I feel like you sort of have to look by that and appreciate it for its story, character and enemy designs, and art direction, which I just think feels fresher in the original (though this game is absolutely stunning, make no mistake). Chris Vrenna's score really added to the atmosphere as well, and I found myself wishing it were playing. The first game also just had a greater variety in levels, some focusing more on different gameplay elements, and also boss battles which helped to break up the game. In comparison, this game can feel bloated and monotonous, with a lot of jumping from one platform to the next and mindlessly hacking at the various ruins.
However, I still loved this game for what it was, it's such a great looking game, Alice's outfits are really cool, and I enjoyed how it expanded on the lore of the first game. American McGee's Alice Liddell is such an iconic and lovable character, and I'm glad I finally sat down and played through this game! A fun spooky early October treat.