It's back down the rabbit hole for another twisted and surreal adventure with ‘Alice: Madness Returns’! The developers have really let their imaginations run wild on this one, and teamed with truly gob-smacking visuals, gamers are in for a real trip.
Returning to Wonderland after 'American McGee's: Alice', our heroine notices her world is falling apart. While trying to understand what is happening, Alice attempts to piece her memories together to unveil what had started the fire that killed her family.
Story
‘Alice: Madness Returns’ is a smooth continuation of the previous games - after being released from Rutledge Asylum, Alice now lives in an orphanage under the care of psychologist Dr Bumby, who insists that the best thing to do with her memories is to discard them. However, Alice is still tormented by the death of her family and escapes into Wonderland, trying to piece together what started the fire.
Presentation/Design
Diving deeper into American McGee's twisted version of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, ‘Alice: Madness Returns’ showcases vastly different worlds, from Victorian London to a train with an interior that emulates the eerie majesty of a cathedral.
Although each of these retina-dazzling worlds are diverse, they all maintain a theme of corrupted innocence, which is a clever reflection of Alice's mind. Each of these worlds has platforms, levers and enemies to match the world Alice is in.
As well as the muted tones of Victorian London and the surreal beauty of Wonderland, ‘Alice: Madness Returns’ incorporates an intriguing aesthetic of 2D Cutscenes. Despite being two very different styles, they work together nicely. The time it takes to render these graphics jolts you out of the wondrousness of Wonderland, but is a small price to pay for the spectacular visuals.
Gameplay
Platforming is what ‘Alice: Madness Returns’ is all about. The different worlds within Wonderland are full of jumping pads, levers and other puzzles which are fun, but during long gameplay sessions, these start to feel a bit repetitive. However, we get some variety with the 2D levels as well as a twisted version of pin-ball with Alice's head!
During Alice's time in Wonderland, she discovers new weapons which can all be upgraded. Each of the weapons, The Vorpal Blade, The Pepper Grinder, The Hobby-Horse and the Tea-pot Cannon, are great fun and are true to the overall franchise, complete with that innocence-meets-corruption theme.
The game mechanics are well made; combat plays smoothly, the jumping system is great and the ability to glide is a nice touch. The invisible walls are a little too frequent for my liking; many are in places that look as if you can simply shrink and walk through.
Verdict
The developers of ‘Alice: Madness Returns’ have brought their A-game, and even cynical gamers will find something they like about it. The mind of a child on the brink of madness and the ongoing theme of corrupted innocence is something the cinematic counterparts struggle with, so the fact that a game pulls it off is to be commended. The down sides? Graphics take a while to render and the invisible walls get frustrating. But it still maintains replay value with various collectibles as well as astounding environments and atmosphere for each world.
‘Alice: Madness Returns’ earns itself a 7.5 out of 10 on an the insomnia meter!
What did you think of Alice: Madness Returns? Let us know by commenting below! Meanwhile, check out the video below...
Returning to Wonderland after 'American McGee's: Alice', our heroine notices her world is falling apart. While trying to understand what is happening, Alice attempts to piece her memories together to unveil what had started the fire that killed her family.
Story
‘Alice: Madness Returns’ is a smooth continuation of the previous games - after being released from Rutledge Asylum, Alice now lives in an orphanage under the care of psychologist Dr Bumby, who insists that the best thing to do with her memories is to discard them. However, Alice is still tormented by the death of her family and escapes into Wonderland, trying to piece together what started the fire.
Presentation/Design
Diving deeper into American McGee's twisted version of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, ‘Alice: Madness Returns’ showcases vastly different worlds, from Victorian London to a train with an interior that emulates the eerie majesty of a cathedral.
Although each of these retina-dazzling worlds are diverse, they all maintain a theme of corrupted innocence, which is a clever reflection of Alice's mind. Each of these worlds has platforms, levers and enemies to match the world Alice is in.
As well as the muted tones of Victorian London and the surreal beauty of Wonderland, ‘Alice: Madness Returns’ incorporates an intriguing aesthetic of 2D Cutscenes. Despite being two very different styles, they work together nicely. The time it takes to render these graphics jolts you out of the wondrousness of Wonderland, but is a small price to pay for the spectacular visuals.
Gameplay
Platforming is what ‘Alice: Madness Returns’ is all about. The different worlds within Wonderland are full of jumping pads, levers and other puzzles which are fun, but during long gameplay sessions, these start to feel a bit repetitive. However, we get some variety with the 2D levels as well as a twisted version of pin-ball with Alice's head!
During Alice's time in Wonderland, she discovers new weapons which can all be upgraded. Each of the weapons, The Vorpal Blade, The Pepper Grinder, The Hobby-Horse and the Tea-pot Cannon, are great fun and are true to the overall franchise, complete with that innocence-meets-corruption theme.
The game mechanics are well made; combat plays smoothly, the jumping system is great and the ability to glide is a nice touch. The invisible walls are a little too frequent for my liking; many are in places that look as if you can simply shrink and walk through.
Verdict
The developers of ‘Alice: Madness Returns’ have brought their A-game, and even cynical gamers will find something they like about it. The mind of a child on the brink of madness and the ongoing theme of corrupted innocence is something the cinematic counterparts struggle with, so the fact that a game pulls it off is to be commended. The down sides? Graphics take a while to render and the invisible walls get frustrating. But it still maintains replay value with various collectibles as well as astounding environments and atmosphere for each world.
‘Alice: Madness Returns’ earns itself a 7.5 out of 10 on an the insomnia meter!
What did you think of Alice: Madness Returns? Let us know by commenting below! Meanwhile, check out the video below...
Copyright : MTV Australia
