American McGee and the team at Spicy Horse Games are currently developing a new game based on the L. Frank Baum series of books. OZombie is currently in production and features a new take on the classic, epic world. The game occurs long after the events of The Wizard of Oz where the Scarecrow has become a malevolent tyrant bent on destruction and the great-granddaughter of Dorothy must journey on a quest to defeat him. Characters that are familiar have been mutated and deformed, lands have been destroyed and the Emerald City itself has been transformed into a nightmarish hive of evil.
It’s a great blend of science fiction, fantasy and horror. The concept art and early animations make the game look exciting for fans of action-adventure games like BioShock and American McGee’s Alice. A Kickstarter campaign has just launched for OZombie and already fans have pledged nearly $20,000 to help fund the production. As an independent developer, Spicy Horse has had worldwide success and their newest title, Akaneiro: Demon Hunters, launched on Steam recently with positive feedback.
Here is the new promo video for OZombie that features a kidnapped American McGee being forced to explain why he isn’t making another “Alice” game. It’s pretty funny and is one of the better Kickstarter pitches in quality and content. If you like sketch comedy and great games, it’s worth your time.