I'm Cryptic Paw, and I chose to play and rate Alisa on my YouTube channel!
I like to analyze games from a casual POV to give indie game devs advice and insight on what worked and how to further improve their games. You can find the rating video at the link below.
Hi Casper; congratulations on your game! I was really looking forward to playing Alisa for a long time! I finally got it on my PS5, but I’m honestly struggling with the analog sticks.. are there any plans for D-Pad controls? The classic survival horror vibes would be amazing to play on the D-Pad.. Again, congrats!
The port was not made by me, I only do the PC versions. So updates for the console version are for Top Hat Studios. Sadly, they stopped doing updates because it's too expensive on their side. And because the game was originally created in Unity 5 the upgrade to a newer Unity broke many things and it was a real challenge for them to get it running on consoles. So the controls/input system is not perfect. So I'm sad to say that there won't be any updates with dpad support unless Top Hat changes their mind and give it another shot. But I think they gave up after many attempts to implement it. The next game, Alisa - The Parting, will definitely support dpad since I'm already using a newer version of Unity and rewrote almost everything so it'll be 100% compatible. But I can't do this for the old Alisa game, that would take many months of work.
Hey Casper, played your game on Steam, great work! I was wondering, whether you used pre-rendered backgrounds for environments or is it all 3D with a specific filter applied? If these are indeed pre-rendered backgrounds, did you drew them yourself?
they're pre-rendered images. I made a high detailed version in Blender and rendered images from it. and then used in the game : ) I still use a very lowpoly version of the environment that is somewhat invisible to handle the hitboxes/invisible walls and creating the effect of characters going behind environmental objects (like going behind a table or something, even though the table is just a part of the background image)
i loved the gameplay as much as i loved the charcters. I've just finished the game, and enjoyed every minute spent on it. I'm lookin forward for a sequel!
Hello, thanks for the custom language feature, but I have a small request. You can add a line break and vertical text alignment, because when adding a translation, there are problems when the text does not fit on the screen.
someone made a mod for it, but I don't know what's inside the script of that mod so I can't add it. Also, adding this feature would glitch current existing languages. I'm sure you can achieve a lot by strategically placing the "@" mark within your text and you can even move text of the previous sentence to the next sentence. And be creative and optimize your word use like if you would be sending a text message on an old phone : )
hi casper i download this game and pretty good :) but one more very miss this game for originaly please put in a next version from alida hp down fall like 25 a slow injured running or rushing know only a next hp recovering and my english not a best so i write i know and hungarian translate coming? thanks forward :))
I'm ready to be baptized by the Black Doll Buster and enjoy the revised hand cannon...hope it doesn't disappoint.
I don't know if the maid outfit has been updated... (It's still my friend's question.)
Do you have any hope for an "extra content", similar to "Hank" or "Extreme Combat", where players can operate Alisha,partners,dolls,oldman,and angel-man to search for randomly scattered missions on the original map with limited supplies items and prizes and eventually escape.
English is not my native language, so I can only understand part of the plot. I have always felt strange about the plot:
The protagonist woke up and was forced to change into doll clothes. The glove puppet helped her along the way, but eventually became the last BOSS. At the end, another gear fell to the ground. Has she become a new kind of doll?
she's definitely not fully human anymore. and the endboss creature was trying to lure her into becoming a doll from the start. But he didn't know she was quite immune. It's a rare case but there are more characters in the game that showed immunity or partial immunity. (so not losing their soul or becoming a mindless zombie-like machine)
I liked the game from the first screenshots, I really want to immerse myself in the game, but my level of English does not allow it. I would like to know when the translation into Russian will be? I heard that it was planned for release, but it's not there.
After the coming update. The game will become "Alisa | The Developer's Cut" and a little later I will make "custom language" support so that the community can make and share their own translations. Many people wants to make a Russian translation so it won't take long for it to be available.
I don't have the time to implement each language by myself so this custom language feature is all I can do. But you will have to wait a little until it's ready.
Just completed Alisa and this was great, grats to those that worked on it. :) Hope to see more work from you in the future whether its something else Alisa related or otherwise.
Hmm, hypothetically you could lower the bitrate so that it sounds more muffled and PSX-like?. I only mention this because "Serenity" is my favourite track in a horror game, and when I hear it, I imagine melancholic scenery, and even a fantasy-like world similar to Alisa. I believe it fits quite well.
I overlooked the game before, the look of the protagonist off puted me a little. Then I saw 1 or 2 minutes of Avalanche Review. Stopped the video, tried the demo... And now I wait impatiently for sales (being careful with my money). You got me man !
Alisa is 100% a different game I personally didn't like McGee's Alice. So it's definitely not an inspiration for me I did get a some inspiration from Svankmajer's Alice when I started this project. Also, Alice in Wonderland is a public domain story, whatever someone makes that is based on this story (which for me is not the case even) can never be ripoff.
I apologize, I know Alice in Wonderland is public domain and that American McGee's Alice isn't the only game based on it, so I honestly don't know why I made my original comment.
Can this be played on actual PS1 hardware? It's always cool to see a game that not only pays homage to a console but can actually be played on it. It's not necessary, though.
No it's made in Unity : ) Also PS1 seems quite impossible to make games for nowadays. The amount of homebrew ps1 3D games can probably be counted on 1 hand. I looked into it and I only found 1 or 2 games. But Alisa runs on Windows XP so that's a tiny bit "retro" already XD
When will you release this game on consoles (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch)? Do you plan to release physical edition for console version as well?
Since I update both Steam and Itch at the same time, I didn't want to change the name of the zip file. Otherwise I need to do waaay more steps insides Steam to get an update uploaded. I know it's confusing on Itch.... But sure, next time I'll change the number. It's just going to take me an extra 10min for the upload XD
This is very impressive! This is the most authentic PSX-lookinggame I had ever seen! What software did you use to create these pre-rendered backgrounds and how did you make them look so authentic?
I have played other “PSX” style games before, but this is the first game I have played that feels completely from that era. It is harder than even RE1, but patience and careful saving has allowed me to progress so far. I can see myself using up too many resources and having to start over, but that has not happened yet.
My only suggestion would be to add an option to reset the key bindings to default. I initially rebound all the controls to a PS-style usb controller but felt the dpad was too fast for accurate movement. I wanted to set it back to keyboard but had to look at the demo version to learn which keys the game was originally set on. Now I am using a program that remaps gamepad to keyboard, which is working better for my controller’s dpad.
EDIT: I now see you can reset everything with F1 + F2.
thanks : ) And yes, there is still going to be some small balancing updates to prevent the player from accidently waste their resources too much. Also going to implement better button mapping settings soon. And more content will be added as well! : )
I downloaded this game as soon as I found it was out, and I reached the credits over a couple of sessions.
Casper Croes should be very, very proud. Sometimes when a game is a throwback, it's very shallow, clearly just so that the trailer can make dummies like me buy the game. Alisa is clearly the result of someone who loves the classics that defined the survival horror genre, and more importantly understands what makes such games so striking. The world is carefully planned, the camera angles are cool and dramatic (SOMETIMES they're a little distant from the player), the FMV cutscenes are authentically rendered and placed.
The flow of the game is very clever and natural, a good combination of the criss-cross navigation of the first early Resident Evil games, while each wing of the house also act like thematically contained zones that fit in the larger world, a bit like a Castlevania game.
The story is largely swathed in mystery with the only clues being the few documents you read and characters you meet. Some might like a denser plot and it may feel too much like "just a haunted house", but I actually appreciate the light touch. The sights, sounds, and tone do plenty of work. Even then, it's a VERY fun haunted house. There are a number of unique enemies made for particular rooms that are quite a shock when you meet them.
Despite the familiar tank controls, the gameplay loop feels more unique than its inspiration. Including currency introduces a new incentive for fighting enemies and investing in gear. I often had to weigh the reward for defeating enemies with the effort to defeat them, along with the resource I'd use in the process. I didn't sit down and do the math to figure out how well planned it all is, but it's definitely interesting to think about while playing.
The player inventory is largely unlimited, so there's no worry about avoiding medkits or ammo you come across. On the flip side, you can ONLY carry two weapons with you, until you can switch them out at a safe room. I think it's a good way of emulating the resource management of the genre classics without being so anxiety-inducing.
And a big, important disclaimer: this game is HARD. There is definitely an expectation that you've played games like this before, and that you can run, escape, and aim efficiently. There was only one boss that didn't brutally kill me on my first encounter. This is definitely a game for people who have playing games like this in the 90s, or are themselves invested in the history of the genre, OR are very into similarly devilish Soulsborne games. Still, it's very fun to play for an audience! My wife had a blast watching me play it.
I'm excited to see how this game looks after subsequent updates. I'll definitely revisit it. Thank you for this refreshing trip to the past, Casper Croes.
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Hey there, Pack Members!
I'm Cryptic Paw, and I chose to play and rate Alisa on my YouTube channel!
I like to analyze games from a casual POV to give indie game devs advice and insight on what worked and how to further improve their games. You can find the rating video at the link below.
Happy Gaming!
Alice of Cryptic Paw
Hi Casper; congratulations on your game! I was really looking forward to playing Alisa for a long time! I finally got it on my PS5, but I’m honestly struggling with the analog sticks.. are there any plans for D-Pad controls? The classic survival horror vibes would be amazing to play on the D-Pad.. Again, congrats!
The port was not made by me, I only do the PC versions.
So updates for the console version are for Top Hat Studios.
Sadly, they stopped doing updates because it's too expensive on their side. And because the game was originally created in Unity 5 the upgrade to a newer Unity broke many things and it was a real challenge for them to get it running on consoles. So the controls/input system is not perfect. So I'm sad to say that there won't be any updates with dpad support unless Top Hat changes their mind and give it another shot. But I think they gave up after many attempts to implement it.
The next game, Alisa - The Parting, will definitely support dpad since I'm already using a newer version of Unity and rewrote almost everything so it'll be 100% compatible.
But I can't do this for the old Alisa game, that would take many months of work.
Thanks for the reply! Can’t wait to play the next game, keep up the good work!
Hello Casper Do you plan to relaunch the physical version? I loved your game
Most likely not.
There might be a physical release for the console version very soon.
But the console version publisher needs to announce it.
Hey Casper, played your game on Steam, great work! I was wondering, whether you used pre-rendered backgrounds for environments or is it all 3D with a specific filter applied? If these are indeed pre-rendered backgrounds, did you drew them yourself?
they're pre-rendered images. I made a high detailed version in Blender and rendered images from it.
and then used in the game : )
I still use a very lowpoly version of the environment that is somewhat invisible to handle the hitboxes/invisible walls and creating the effect of characters going behind environmental objects (like going behind a table or something, even though the table is just a part of the background image)
Hi! Just played this game on Steam and I loved it! Just wanted to know if this is coming also to GoG anytime soon, I would love to buy it there too!
Yes, it will eventually release on GOG too : )
i loved the gameplay as much as i loved the charcters. I've just finished the game, and enjoyed every minute spent on it. I'm lookin forward for a sequel!
Was some of this game inspired by Rule Of Rose? I see a lot of that in this game!
I know rule of rose but I never played it. : p
So it was no source of inspiration : )
ohh thank you!
This was the best Resident Evil game since RE3, Capcom should be taking notes. Thank you for the experience. I hope we see more of Alisa some day.
Hello, thanks for the custom language feature, but I have a small request. You can add a line break and vertical text alignment, because when adding a translation, there are problems when the text does not fit on the screen.
someone made a mod for it, but I don't know what's inside the script of that mod so I can't add it.
Also, adding this feature would glitch current existing languages.
I'm sure you can achieve a lot by strategically placing the "@" mark within your text and you can even move text of the previous sentence to the next sentence. And be creative and optimize your word use like if you would be sending a text message on an old phone : )
hi casper i download this game and pretty good :) but one more very miss this game for originaly please put in a next version from alida hp down fall like 25 a slow injured running or rushing know only a next hp recovering and my english not a best so i write i know and hungarian translate coming? thanks forward :))
Is the game with the translation of subtitles in Spanish?
https://caspercroes.itch.io/alisa/devlog/550369/custom-language-is-here
What about the promised custom language feature? Enthusiasts have already folded their hands
Just taking a break for a moment. But I thought about it yesterday.
Hey, it's me again.(if you remember)
The wait brought surprises!
I'm ready to be baptized by the Black Doll Buster and enjoy the revised hand cannon...hope it doesn't disappoint.
I don't know if the maid outfit has been updated... (It's still my friend's question.)
Do you have any hope for an "extra content", similar to "Hank" or "Extreme Combat", where players can operate Alisha,partners,dolls,oldman,and angel-man to search for randomly scattered missions on the original map with limited supplies items and prizes and eventually escape.
hey! I will only do bug fixes from now.
and occasionally add event dresses to the "make-up menu"
English is not my native language, so I can only understand part of the plot. I have always felt strange about the plot:
The protagonist woke up and was forced to change into doll clothes. The glove puppet helped her along the way, but eventually became the last BOSS. At the end, another gear fell to the ground. Has she become a new kind of doll?
she's definitely not fully human anymore.
and the endboss creature was trying to lure her into becoming a doll from the start.
But he didn't know she was quite immune. It's a rare case but there are more characters in the game that showed immunity or partial immunity. (so not losing their soul or becoming a mindless zombie-like machine)
Thank you...seems to be looking forward to the sequel
ah! late reply but you found the discord so that's good : )
Sneed/Seed&Feed
I liked the game from the first screenshots, I really want to immerse myself in the game, but my level of English does not allow it. I would like to know when the translation into Russian will be? I heard that it was planned for release, but it's not there.
After the coming update. The game will become "Alisa | The Developer's Cut" and a little later I will make "custom language" support so that the community can make and share their own translations. Many people wants to make a Russian translation so it won't take long for it to be available.
I don't have the time to implement each language by myself so this custom language feature is all I can do. But you will have to wait a little until it's ready.
Thanks for the answer. This is great news.
Just completed Alisa and this was great, grats to those that worked on it. :) Hope to see more work from you in the future whether its something else Alisa related or otherwise.
I'm glad you liked it!
And a big content update will release around the end of the month / start of next month! : )
Hey, ever thought about sampling this music for a spot in the game?. It was used by Capcom to create the amazing "Serenity" track in Resident Evil 4, and I think it would fit for this sort of title as well. https://archive.org/details/q-up-arts-pandoras-toolbox/29+To+Burble+%26+Pine.wav
For this game, I wanted it to sound like RE1996. Or other 90s PC games. : )
Hmm, hypothetically you could lower the bitrate so that it sounds more muffled and PSX-like?. I only mention this because "Serenity" is my favourite track in a horror game, and when I hear it, I imagine melancholic scenery, and even a fantasy-like world similar to Alisa. I believe it fits quite well.
I overlooked the game before, the look of the protagonist off puted me a little. Then I saw 1 or 2 minutes of Avalanche Review. Stopped the video, tried the demo... And now I wait impatiently for sales (being careful with my money). You got me man !
then you should wait until the next update drops (in about a month) will add a lot of deleted content and maaaaaaaaybe a small update sale ;)
I also want to say that the demo is more of a beta demo. A lot of stuff is better in the full version.
(game over screen is a big example)
Thanks and congrats ! :D
I really dig the style and from what I saw the artistic choices are not here just for the show. Eager to put my hands on this game.
Yeah! "Death" and the reboot of the game. Kinda harsh but fun.
Is the starting room theme inspired from Alone in the Dark? I got some nostalgia vibes listening to it. :p
Well, if that's the case, you have a future sale. ... Or I might buy it soon anyways just because. I like the look already.
This looks like a ripoff of the Alice games...
???
American McGee's Alice
It was a popular game that you can't get (legally) anymore I believe
Alisa is 100% a different game
I personally didn't like McGee's Alice. So it's definitely not an inspiration for me
I did get a some inspiration from Svankmajer's Alice when I started this project.
Also, Alice in Wonderland is a public domain story, whatever someone makes that is based on this story (which for me is not the case even) can never be ripoff.
I apologize, I know Alice in Wonderland is public domain and that American McGee's Alice isn't the only game based on it, so I honestly don't know why I made my original comment.
Look like first Alone In The Dark´s Games
Can this be played on actual PS1 hardware? It's always cool to see a game that not only pays homage to a console but can actually be played on it. It's not necessary, though.
No it's made in Unity : )
Also PS1 seems quite impossible to make games for nowadays.
The amount of homebrew ps1 3D games can probably be counted on 1 hand.
I looked into it and I only found 1 or 2 games.
But Alisa runs on Windows XP so that's a tiny bit "retro" already XD
Hello,
When will you release this game on consoles (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch)? Do you plan to release physical edition for console version as well?
Thank you,
somewhere this year, but I can't say exactly when.
If I do physical, it'll probably be a limited produced amount
Thank you!
Ever though about putting this game on GOG?
yes, but I'm waiting until the next big update is done :)
Well ... dunno about you , but calling it still Alisa V1.0 ... after 19-ish updates its kinda a stretch lulz ... should it be Alisa V1.19
Since I update both Steam and Itch at the same time, I didn't want to change the name of the zip file.
Otherwise I need to do waaay more steps insides Steam to get an update uploaded.
I know it's confusing on Itch....
But sure, next time I'll change the number. It's just going to take me an extra 10min for the upload XD
Thanks XD ...
This is very impressive! This is the most authentic PSX-looking game I had ever seen! What software did you use to create these pre-rendered backgrounds and how did you make them look so authentic?
thanks! : D I used an outdated Blender version and a lot of research in how the materials should look and the use of colours :)
I'd love to see a tutorial on how to do this :)
What game engine did you use?(if you used one)
I used Unity
Ok Thank you!!
I'm having a bit of trouble solving this puzzle and it is the candle puzzle. Can anyone help me solve this?
the solution is in a room close to the library ;)I hope it helps
Okay, thank you for replying and providing me with a solution to this puzzle!
Fantastic! ⬆️➡️⬇️⬅️
would anyone recommend this version or the steam version? or are they pretty much the same?
it's the same. But Steam updates automatically and this version you have to redownload every time there is a new update.
Hello. Is this macOS Monterey compatible?
I have played other “PSX” style games before, but this is the first game I have played that feels completely from that era. It is harder than even RE1, but patience and careful saving has allowed me to progress so far. I can see myself using up too many resources and having to start over, but that has not happened yet.
My only suggestion would be to add an option to reset the key bindings to default. I initially rebound all the controls to a PS-style usb controller but felt the dpad was too fast for accurate movement. I wanted to set it back to keyboard but had to look at the demo version to learn which keys the game was originally set on. Now I am using a program that remaps gamepad to keyboard, which is working better for my controller’s dpad.
EDIT: I now see you can reset everything with F1 + F2.
thanks : )
And yes, there is still going to be some small balancing updates to prevent the player from accidently waste their resources too much.
Also going to implement better button mapping settings soon.
And more content will be added as well! : )
I'd love to see this game on GoG soon :)
Very soon! : )
YAAAY! I'm happy about that! :)
why is it possible to change every keyboard control except the directions (i am forced to use arrow keys). is it supposed to be that way?
i would really like to make the directional controls map to w a s d. i cant do it in the configuration menu. please help
this will be possible in a future update. hopefully very soon. but Im still busy fixing some bugs.
Definitely a MUST get! Absolutely LOVED it! Can't wait for more from this creator.
Hi, I can't (re-)download the latest "Quick patch" version (27th oct. 2021) 😨
hey! I just uploaded the new one. maybe you were just trying to download when I swapped them. Can you try again?
GAMEPLAY WALKTHROUGH
I downloaded this game as soon as I found it was out, and I reached the credits over a couple of sessions.
Casper Croes should be very, very proud. Sometimes when a game is a throwback, it's very shallow, clearly just so that the trailer can make dummies like me buy the game. Alisa is clearly the result of someone who loves the classics that defined the survival horror genre, and more importantly understands what makes such games so striking. The world is carefully planned, the camera angles are cool and dramatic (SOMETIMES they're a little distant from the player), the FMV cutscenes are authentically rendered and placed.
The flow of the game is very clever and natural, a good combination of the criss-cross navigation of the first early Resident Evil games, while each wing of the house also act like thematically contained zones that fit in the larger world, a bit like a Castlevania game.
The story is largely swathed in mystery with the only clues being the few documents you read and characters you meet. Some might like a denser plot and it may feel too much like "just a haunted house", but I actually appreciate the light touch. The sights, sounds, and tone do plenty of work. Even then, it's a VERY fun haunted house. There are a number of unique enemies made for particular rooms that are quite a shock when you meet them.
Despite the familiar tank controls, the gameplay loop feels more unique than its inspiration. Including currency introduces a new incentive for fighting enemies and investing in gear. I often had to weigh the reward for defeating enemies with the effort to defeat them, along with the resource I'd use in the process. I didn't sit down and do the math to figure out how well planned it all is, but it's definitely interesting to think about while playing.
The player inventory is largely unlimited, so there's no worry about avoiding medkits or ammo you come across. On the flip side, you can ONLY carry two weapons with you, until you can switch them out at a safe room. I think it's a good way of emulating the resource management of the genre classics without being so anxiety-inducing.
And a big, important disclaimer: this game is HARD. There is definitely an expectation that you've played games like this before, and that you can run, escape, and aim efficiently. There was only one boss that didn't brutally kill me on my first encounter. This is definitely a game for people who have playing games like this in the 90s, or are themselves invested in the history of the genre, OR are very into similarly devilish Soulsborne games. Still, it's very fun to play for an audience! My wife had a blast watching me play it.
I'm excited to see how this game looks after subsequent updates. I'll definitely revisit it. Thank you for this refreshing trip to the past, Casper Croes.
I was moved for the first time in 20 years to make a GameFAQs submission for this game. Spoilers for the middle of the game. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/292277-alisa/map/16947-water-maze-map
Ah there is currently a mistake in the game there. one pack of the Martin Ammo should be Bob Shells. A text component of one item is incorrect.
A real artistic gem, with subtle humor, and excellent music.