19.6.2011

First off, PLEASE don't buy this for younger children: Despite the fact its Alice in Wonderland - it most certainly is NOT a kids game and it has a 15 certificate for a very good reason - the content is not only very adult (f-bomb/ c-bomb grade bad language and the obvious violence), but it is extremely disturbing too (going into it too much here would ruin the "twist", but suffice to say, the general play is dark, disconcerting and chilling, and the climax of the plot genuinely horrible).So for a sound-minded adult or mature teenager, it's an excellent and innovative take on the much beloved Alice in Wonderland - but absolutely NOT suitable for children.Only a complete moron would knowingly allow a child to play this!That out of the way - I'm not going to describe the storyline too much because as I previously said, the climax is (I felt!) a really shocking twist - but in a nutshell, Alice's family have all died in a mysterious fire, and Alice has been spending the last 10 years quietly losing her mind in an asylum. She's also lost her memory along with her mental health, and so cue a return to Wonderland, both to save its destruction from a mysterious train (!) and rescue her sanity into the bargain. Very odd premise... But you cant help be infinately captivated at the sequence when, for the first time in the game, Alice falls from the real world to Wonderland and transforms with a literal "boomph" from her grey, ghostly, lost soul persona - into the Alice wearing that iconic blue dress & white apron! (Albeit with a frankly unnerving psychotic glaze in her eyes and dappled with blood splatter! Whoever developed her character absolutely deserves an award; shes incredible)The game itself has a very retro-modern platformer feel to it, and as such is very easy to "get into"; and controlling Alice is a joy. She is capable of surprisingly quite a large amount of skills, and each new weapon you get comes with new actions to learn, so it should by rights get confusing and awkward to control; but everything is very easy to pick up and intuitive to work with, and she moves in a very organic manner - visually its fantastic - I particularly like the visual of the dodge move, where Alice bursts into a cloud of butterflies, reforming just out of harm's way - very cool.The real 'soul' of the game though is Wonderland, and it is absolutely brilliant. It's beyond dark, the inhabitants are more often than not utterly grotesque, and the scenery is insane and beautifully rendered: graphics are not photorealistic or groundbreaking and may not be the best of some of the recently released games, but it really is eye-candy to play in and is drenched with atmosphere.The whole game is essentially an unravelling and regathering of Alice's mind and memory, so interspersed with the macabre Wonderland levels are real-world level-bridges, with Alice meandering through London visiting an asylum, orphanage, or some other grim and dingy place. These level-bridges ultimately serve to unwrap Alice's story, so theres not a lot of action, more so plot building and to move Alice from one twisted area of Wonderland to the set up for the next - This new presentation of Wonderland though is nothing short of genius (if a little sick admittedly!): Gone are the cutesy vales of singing flowers, and instead every stage is in some way a darkened and twisted nightmare version of what you'll be familiar with - be it very, very subtly (as with the opening chapter, which is pretty much The Garden) or utterly outrageously (the Red Queens Castle is absolutely DISGUSTING, and I don't want to spoil the shock value but imagine a gothic stone palace but with... raw, pulsing, meat growing out of the brickwork!!).It's difficult to describe just how "big" the game feels too; you get a decent length of play out of it, but the level system is kind of odd - you play through 6 main chapters, each chapter being a themed Zone based on part of Wonderland (ie the garden, the mad hatter, the walrus & the carpenter, the caterpillar and the red queen - and then the not-so-familiar doll house), and these zones are split up into sections that flow pretty much seamlessly in one long level. Interspersed with the afore mentioned real-world bridges.So you see it feels like theres tons of levels, but REALLY theres only 6... Anyway - each chapter will take around 2 to 4+ hours to complete depending on whether you zip through or play cautiously getting all the collectables.The downside though, is that although there's a lot of ground to cover and a lot to do in each chapter, it is pretty much the same thing over and over (jump there/ flip switch/ shoot thing/ jump gap/ timed run etc) - so it does get repetitive after a while. This isn't as bad as it could be however, as the game play style of 3rd person / explore/ combat/ platform/ puzzle is broken up with an occasional strange new style: such as the retro 2D side-scrolling sub-levels in The East chapter (imagine playing through an oriental painting), or the pinball-ish style sub-levels in the Doll House chapter (with a bald, dolls-head facsimilie of Alice's head as a ball!). The only chapter I wasnt so keen on was the undersea "Walrus & Carpenter" one, because although its under water, it plays exactly with the same physics as the land based levels and I feel a trick was missed here.The fact that Alice can now shrink at will also adds a great twist, where she can access hidden areas with her diminutive stature and "shrink sense" vision, and also adds a nice twist in combat where you can shrink to dodge blows in some combat situations too. And the constant shock-value of the playing field keeps things very fresh!As you would imagine though, the further into the game you go the worse and more depraved it gets; so if you're easily offended you wont enjoy the last 2 chapters.The whole air of the game is not just creepy but also understatedly menacing - it's very clever considering its nothing like Dead Space for the gore value or Silent hill for the horror. Play it through again though once you know the climax of the story, and the latter levels in particular take on an altogether new disturbing air when you think about what some of the imagery (of what is obviously Alice's psychosis) represents.So - the only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is that there are some very basic issues with the game play (revel in the joy of suddenly not being able to move when occasional 'invisible walls' suddenly pop up then apparently vanish after a little button stabbing - confusing when it happens in normal play - infuriating when it happens in combat!!) and you have to play it through several times to get all achievements - but as mentioned, it can get repetitive and therefore tedious (and all that the difficulty levels seem to do is make the bad guys more or less resilient, and not increase the difficulty of the puzzle aspect) so the shine does dull after a while. In addition, its fairly easy to get all the weapon upgrades before the final chapter, so its not even as if you need to play through again for that - and yes you can buy (I think for a very reasonable 160 points) a dress and weapon pack to spice things up - but all these do are minor play impacts like the amount of damage dealt or taken, increasing/ decreasing drop rates of health, enabling "shrink sense" when normal size, etc... Although one of them is pretty much the grossest and most carnivorous looking thing since Lady Gaga's meat dress, so its worth it for the gag factor alone.All in all though and all cons taken into account; it's an excellent piece of work and a well executed concept - not one for the squeamish or sensitive however, and possibly (being critical) not the best it could have been with a little more time in production. Basically though, if like me you can't force yourself to wait for the price to come down, it is still well worth its value.And - you get a download code to get the full original American McGee's Alice too! Brilliant.Oh and on a final note: LOVED the Cheshire Cat, but where was the White Rabbit?! Or is that for Alice 2?! (Hope so!)

23.6.2011

I have been a fan American McGee's Alice ever since I bought the game many years ago for the PC. I was struck by its dark and adult take on the well know children's tail and it instantly became one of my favourite games of all time. Now the long awaited sequel has finally arrived in the form of Alice: Madness Returns and I have to say that it was defiantly worth the near eleven year wait!The most impressive aspect is the brilliantly written plot which is utterly gripping and fascinating from start to finish. Set some time after the original game, Alice is now living at an orphanage and with the help of a psychologist is trying to forget the memories that caused her so much pain in the past butit is not long until Alice's Wonderland starts to call for her help once more as a new force of destruction threatens to twist and destroy her mind. It is up to Alice to save her Wonderland, recover her broken memories and find out what truly happened on the most horrific of nights when her family died in flames.Most of the game takes place in Wonderland as Alice travels to different realms and encounters both new and old friends and foes but unlike the original the plot is not simply restricted in Wonderland. At times occasionally Alice returns to reality and wonders Victorian London while encountering real people from her present and even her past, such as her former nanny-turned-prostitute, her greedy former nurse and her useless past lawyer. This adds more verity and more depth to the plot, which is a far darker tale than the original and ventures in to some surprisingly disturbing areas as more and more secrets reveal themselves and you really get a terrifying sense that Alice the lines between Wonderland and reality get steadily fainter with every revelation. The wonderful conclusion to the story is one of my favourite endings of any game I have played, being both original and brilliantly written in its own rights.The voice cast of the original is back and the acting is of a very high standard compared to other games on the market. Each actor plays there characters brilliantly but it is the voice of Alice, Susie Brann, who is the real star who gives one of the best voice acting performances I have ever heard. She portrays Alice as a smart, feisty and strong young woman, but one who is still scared of the lurking possible guilt that plagues her mind and of losing that sanity of which she only just keeps a weakening grip on to.The graphics are simply outstanding and are joy to view. It has been a long time since I have simply stared at the environment in wonder. This version Wonderland has been beautifully designed and it really looks like an imaginative world that is both beautiful but at the same time falling in to darkness and utter chaos. From the steampunk world of the Mad Hatter, to the Eastern domain of Caterpillar and the zombified realm of the Red Queen each part of Wonderland has its own unique feel and has enough verity and wonder to never feel repetitive.The gameplay is made of a mix of typical platform puzzles and Wonderland themed weapon based combat. These puzzles, which include the usual switching of switches and jumping from platform to platform, are challenging enough to satisfy but become more repetitive the longer the game goes on as there is very little in terms of verity in what you need to do, which to me is the biggest criticism of the game.At first the combat may seem quite simple and `hack and slash' in its own way, but as you encounter harder and bigger foes you find out that each has their own weaknesses and strengths which you have to find using your four primary weapons (Which include the familiar Vorpal Blade and a spice grinder that is used like a machine gun!) It is this strategy and the smooth controls give the combat more depth than you would expect and the verity of different enemies, from the poison like Ruins to the familiar Card Soldiers, means that the combat stays fun and rarely feels like a chore.It takes around 10-15 hours of gameplay to complete and even then there are many hidden objects to be found including bottles which unlock extras such as Concept Art from the extra menu. My favourite collectable however is the Memories which are the small orbs hidden around Wonderland that when picked up give a short but mostly very informative voice clip from a real-life person whom Alice knew. It offers a deeper and fascinating look at the plot and the characters.All of this alone would make a brilliant game, however the icing on the 'Eat Me' cake is that new copies of the game contain the original American McGee's Alice. The graphics remain the same but have been given a lick of paint and looks better than ever because of it. A few trophies have also been added, providing the perfect excuse for those who have already played the game to death to revisit the original dark Wonderland one more time.Alice: Madness Returns is a rare sequel that surpasses the original in almost every way. It takes the key elements of the first game and adds a deeper and darker plot, some absolutely gorgeous graphics and so much more to create a piece of near art. It is now one of my all-time favourite games, and I cannot wait for a third sequel... let's just hope they are a bit quicker about it this time!Story = 5/5Gameplay = 3/5Soundtrack = 5/5Replay = 4/5Extras = 5/5Overall = 5/5

28.6.2011

Wow, quite simply, wow. Every now and then a game comes along that really takes your breath away, and Alice Madness Returns does just that. This is one of the most outstanding PS3 games to be released so far, showing exactly what a PS3 can do when game designers put their mind to it.At its heart Alice Madness Returns is a platform game, and although I don't normally like platform games I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this one. The game is a sequal to the classic American McGees Alice which I always wanted to play but never got a chance - it is however included as a free download with this game if you want to try it out.You don't need to play the original though to keep up with the plot which is a much darker version of Wonderland than you may be used to, although just as surreal. The premise is that Wonderland is a product of Alices imagination, so if Alice goes insane so does Wonderland. The game follows her attempt to explore this corrupted Wonderland in order to piece together the memories of her past. All the classic characters are there but distorted to fit this darker, more gothic version of Wonderland.The action switches between the real world of Victorian London which is all grey and gloomy and beautifully portrayed in American McGees style of art, and the different areas of Wonderland that Alice explores. All of it is detailed in the most stunning graphics, all smoothly rendered and textured. This is probably the best looking game I have ever played.Alice herself looks great as she explores the strange world of Wonderland and all its weirdness. Her dresses change according to the area you are in, all are subtly dark and gothic though, making Alice a bit of a Victorian "emo chick". Alice can run and jump, and make herself small when she needs to be. She can also billow her dress to float, or twirl her dress to gain altitude when jumping. All of the movement is perfect, and once you get the hang of the controls its a pleasure to watch. Alice also collects a number of weapons as she explores that she can use to defend herself from the darker monsters of her psyche. These range from a vorpal blade ( a big kitchen knife ) to a machine gun style pepper grinder. The monsters themselves get weirder and darker as the game goes on.All of the gameplay follows a certain logic and there are particular weapons to use to defeat each monster. As you explore you collect teeth which can be used to upgrade weapons, and you also get opportunities to improve your health. There are many hours of gameplay which can be taken up exploring and admiring the different settings, and its definitely a game that rewards taking your time and going slow rather than rushing through it all. There are numerous puzzles to be solved as you progress, and some lateral thinking is required to complete them all. Every time you think you have seen everything the game changes to introduce a new mini game or puzzle that completely changes your perspective and adds a new challenge.I would point out that as other reviewers have noted this game is fairly unforgiving. If you should fall off a platform or miss a jump it very kindly returns Alice to where she was in a cloud of butterflies. But if you should get killed in combat you can find yourself going right back to the last checkpoint, which may have been some time before the fight. There are difficulty settings though, so if you are not too bothered about the combat and just want to explore and solve all the puzzles you can always opt for the easy setting where presumably there are less monsters and more of the red roses that heal you.Its also worth noting that the 15 certificate is entirely justified. The game deals with some very dark themes, disturbing images and yes, even the occasional swear word. Please do not buy this game for children thinking it is anything like Disney's Alice in Wonderland, its not. The game is designed with adults in mind and any child playing this could be left with nightmares for weeks !All I can say then is that unless you have a pathological hatred of Alice in Wonderland, or just really don't like games that require patience and thought, then do yourself a favour and give this game a go. It is truely stunning, and up there with my other favourites like Batman Arkham Asylum and the Uncharted games. Alice Madness Returns is destined to be a real classic and it really raises the bar for future games, having shown what the PS3 can really do.

15.4.2012

I first saw spoof trailers for this game on youtube which led me to further investigate and I found a guy doing a walkthrough on this game. My first impression was "WOW!" I have been waiting for ages for a horror-ish version of Alice In Wonderland to come out either on film or for a game, and this is pretty much it!I have been a huge fan of Alice In Wonderland for a very long time and think it's amazing to have different genres of this film being produced.Anyway, after seeing the walkthrough I just had to get it! So on Amazon I went and purchased the game for the xbox 360. When I recieved the game, I had to try it out!Many people have mentioned that the graphics aren't amazing and don't fit what 2011 games should be bringing out,I do agree. However, I think that a good game is one that you enjoy playing, not what it looks like and how the graphics on it are (I still play metroid and zelda for the SNES, graphics = awful, gameplay = amazing!)The plot of this game is really good. On the main menu you are able to read about what has happened in Alice's past and why she is currently staying at an orphanage. The basics of it; Alice's family were in a house fire one night and she was the only survivor (this happened when she was about the age of 8 I think) , she went a bit crazy and was made to stay in an asylum, after years and years and years of doctors treating her for different illnesses she finally started speaking and was able to leave the asylum (I think she was about 15 ish now?). The main plot of this game is the fire. You must control Alice through reality and wonderland and try to pick up memories so she is able to figure out the cause of the fire in the first place. The ending really did blow my mind!I've completed this game 3 times now and will carry on playing it. Just like in any other game, there are levels which I feel are pathetic and I hate doing them, but it's all part of the game. (This level is the 2nd one I think, while she's underwater).The layout of the game is amazing! And the person who created the character Alice really has done a good job! It is a completly different person to who we see on the film with blonde hair, a fair complection. In this game she has straight black hair, she is very slim and has a pale and quite scary looking face. She has dark around her eyes which make her look that bit more mysterious!Whilst venturing through the game and levels, the cause of the fire becomes more clearer, at the begining she is seeking advice to help forget her past from Dr Bumby (The owner of the orphanage she is in) and you are able to have a little strole around London back in those days!The enemies that you face during the game are really different and most are strange! The person who created these must have had some imagination I'll say! There are some Ruin's which are like black goo with a baby doll's face that walk, or a large one with three baby doll's face's and large arms, or one that somehow has a motor on it! The mad hatter is a genius creation! With very long legs and a robotic body that requires you to find his arms and legs!But, the star of this game on the looks must be the Cheshire Cat! He looks amazing and really bizzare! A grey/blue ish cat, that seems dead as you can see all his bones through his skin! Markings on his face and arms (tattoo's perhaps - such a badass cat!), peircing yellow eyes and a peirced ear! This character is fabulous!All in all this is a really good game! The graphics may not be up to 2011 standards and there are some glitches (for example, it may look like you can walk under the branches of a tree but there is something stopping you) etc. But I don't think games should all be about this, a game should be one that you enjoy and can play for hours! This is deffinatley that game. The background information to Alice also makes you interested. I really enjoyed this game and hope they bring out a new one!

7.12.2016

The Alice in "Alice: Madness Returns" is an Alice far, far removed from the quizzical, innocent child who inhabited Lewis Carroll’s world-famous stories. Alice has now grown up, having spent most of her teenage and early adult life in an asylum for the insane. Having gone mad after the death of her family in a fire at their Oxford family home – which killed both her parents as well as her little sister Lizzie - Alice returns to Wonderland to find out who started the fire and why. Without spoiling the plot, the reasons are very much adult in nature. The game is not suitable for under-14s, and includes its fair share of sexual references and swear words.The game is essentially a puzzle-platformer,

17.10.2014

I'd recommend that any potential buyer read the "Amazon Customer" review from 11th June 2011 because that pretty well covers everything you need to know about the game.After playing the DLC original American McGee's Alice first earlier, which I was very disappointed with, I was expecting the same sort of problems with Alice Madness Returns. It does start off badly though with a virtually non-interactive, very linear preamble through a faux Victorian setting filled with dodgy voice acting Mockney 'characters' and other unconvincing accents. But once Alice drops into Wonderland and the game proper begins suddenly things just get much, much better in almost every way.The platforming isn't that demanding but still imaginative,

16.10.2016

Some spoilers in this review.I do really like this game. The visuals are excellent as is the soundtrack. Elements of game play are very charming. Alice has a 'shrinking' ability that allows you to search out hidden items and you collect snorting pig snouts to open up new path ways. Their rendition of the Cheshire Cat - who pops up every now and again to offer anecdotes and veiled advice - is almost as compelling as their rendition of Alice. She 'dodges' in a flurry of butterflies, which I haven't stopped finding beautiful even though I use the dodge function liberally.However it can be frustrating. The camera for one is quite unfortunate. It's directly behind Alice which means we only see what she's facing but even then,

21.6.2011

This game is beautiful from the abstract artwork and level design to the animation and cutscenes. Alice gracefully twirls during long jumps and turns to butterflies when dodging. The music is mostly well done too as is the acting. There is plenty to distract from the basic 3D platforming including 3D cutscenes, 2D cutscenes, 2D shoot em up games, 2D platform games, slides, picture puzzles, chess puzzles, invisible platforms, and the usual switch, collect and find scenarios. Somehow it all fits together in this odd world.Each of the 6 chapters has many distinctive looks; some, for example outside the Hatter's Domain, will have you pause in awe at the design.

18.6.2011

The game is graphically rich (although the rare background object is not animated) and you get immersed into the game play once you start.The first chapter of the game is like a tutorial and the story is not only well thought out and but shown.On a different note.The last game I played was Assassin's Creed 2 which was released in 2009. So any problems shined through the options I had in AC2Problems/Minor Annoyances I've had:- No Windowed Mode, I had to go into the engine file and manually force it to open windowed- No choice if you wish to manually save it, you just have to wait til you've past a save point (and even then I've heard it not saving :/ but it hasn't happened to me so it may not be as true)- If you're using a controller,

1.7.2011

OK, I'll start with the positives. Graphically stunning. The levels are truly nightmarish in their depiction. A level where Alice jumps around on playing cards way up in the clouds is not for anyone nervous about heights. The storyline is engrossing, and the London sequences show us some truly grotesque characters. The foes you face are varied, and you have some pretty impressive weapons, especially when upgraded. Replayability factor is high. There is a lot to do and find, and you're unlikely to achieve it all in one playthrough. For example, you may find yourself with more than one path ahead. One of those may lead you to a collectible object or a side-game, while the other advances you through the level.

21.1.2013

Sometimes I feel that there are not enough "different" games out there. I don't wish to pour scorn on the popular shooter games, for they are popular for a reason, they just aren't for me. I'm not big into playing online, and as a rule, just going out and killing bad guys for no other reason than they are not on your side, does not make a great experience for me. I realise that I am in a minority here, and mean no disrespect to those games or their fans. What does it for me in gaming, is an interesting story and engaging single player experience, a fantastic world to lose oneself in with beautiful scenery to see and things to do along the way.Alice: Madness Returns does all of this.

25.6.2011

Graphics: 9/10The graphics are not the best in the world but they still are very beautiful from the colours to shading effects it all adds to the dark yet colourful nature of Her wonderland. There are also many themed stages that alice travels through on her journey such as an underwater stage , japanese themed stage, the mad hatters domain filled with machinery, There is so much variety to each stage you will never get board on whats going on around you.Gameplay: 9/10The controls for the game pretty basic, And that's not a bad thing at all. Each weapon is assigned to a different button and switching between them is simple and fun.

18.6.2011

I don't think you need to have played the earlier game to appreciate this one - you are just returning to a different Wonderland and you start by following a white cat - rather than a rabbit - who helps you and provides tips throughout.The look of the game is what strikes you - beautiful landscapes and unusual creatures/vegetation. It's a bit like the later Prince of Persia series in terms of being high up and jumping between platforms; interspersed with combat. There is also the same 3-dimensional puzzle aspect. But the game has a very different look and main character.There are lots of references to the original Alice books and the action is interspersed with cut-scenes mimicking a Victorian cardboard theatre - nice!

29.4.2013

Oh wow ... What a game. If you played the original American McGee`s Alice, you`ve got to play this one.As you`d expect, the graphics are so much more fluid and, after levelling them up, the weaponary is a lot stronger although the controls are a little different so you`ll have to get used to them but once mastered, you`ll really enjoy it.In the normal gameplay, Alice gets a new dress after each level completed which gives you the option of swapping around but (unless you fiddle with the .inf files) you won`t get the total of six until you`ve finished the game at which point, you can re-play it with a full wardrobe and in case anyone`s wondering,

26.6.2011

I'm tired of seeing Amazon users bad review games because of issues that are totally indirect to the actual game. This is a great game, just as excellent as the first installment a decade ago (American McGee's Alice). Just because your terrible system can't run the game, or because the piracy precautions are extreme, does not warrant you to be rating the game 1 star. It does not provide people with any benefit to buying the game based on reviews because your PC system is terrible. Oh, you dont have the internet? Seriously? in 2011, you are writing a bad review on a website that you ordered a game from.. on the internet... come on.OK, now that is out of the way lets discuss the game.Alice is back in wonderland.

Alice: Madness Returns - Reviews

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