Alice Madness returns
Developer: Spicy Horse
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release date: June 14, 2011
Everyone and their granny knows the story of Alice in wonderland it’s been rehashed ,remade, recreated and reproduced in so many ways and in so many different mediums I can scarcely count the number of times the story has been told but one things for sure it has never been told quite like this before! Alice: Madness Returns is a psychological horror platformer and a sequel to the cult favorite American Magee’s Alice released in 2000. American McGee's version of Wonderland is decidedly darker a lot more twisted and sinister than the original Lewis Carroll creation. Considering Alice's dream world was always a bit on the messed up side, that's really saying something. American McGee takes the classic world of Alice and has completely warped it, distorting it into a hellish vision of inner turmoil, madness and corrupted innocence; an existential tale of childhood fantasy versus harsh adult reality. Being fan of horror and having quite a morbid fascination with the macabre I naturally loved it.
Spicy Horse has attempted to make the fantasy world of wonderland truly come alive in the weirdest, most disturbing, creepy yet beautiful hallucination fest yet imagined both in the art style and plot direction. Now free of the horrendous asylum in which she previously resided in a state of catatonia following the tragic and untimely death of her family in a house fire, Alice is attempting to rebuild the shattered pieces of her life. Under the care of the ridiculously-named Doctor Bumby, (and house-sharing with some of the most grotesque children ever committed to video game), Alice is making small steps towards sanity. Or, as it soon becomes very clear, regressing quite dramatically. After a brief jaunt around a brilliantly atmospheric Victorian London, Alice is whisked back to Wonderland under the care of the skeletal, grinning Cheshire Cat (whose teeth are rather bloody, leaving the player wondering what exactly he has been up to). Things aren't too bad at first, it's pretty friendly and happy, brightly coloured grass and cheerful mushrooms sprouting from the forest floor. Things don't really seem too weird until Alice gets hold of her first weapon, after wading through a river of blood Alice finds the Vorpal Blade, more commonly known as “A MASSIVE BLOODY BUTCHERS KNIFE”
Alice's combat plays out as both a melee fighter and a third person shooter. As the game progresses, Alice's unique arsenal expands to include Wonderland's equivalent of a hammer, a machine gun and a grenade launcher. Combat's a fairly traditional third person affair its solid but nothing spectacular, with the usual lock-on mechanic, crosshair aiming for the guns, blocks and rolls. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the combat but I found it quite fun if not a rather standard affair, although the weapon design makes things seem fresher than they perhaps are, particularly as you collect teeth littered about the level in order to upgrade your weapons in both power and appearance
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release date: June 14, 2011
Everyone and their granny knows the story of Alice in wonderland it’s been rehashed ,remade, recreated and reproduced in so many ways and in so many different mediums I can scarcely count the number of times the story has been told but one things for sure it has never been told quite like this before! Alice: Madness Returns is a psychological horror platformer and a sequel to the cult favorite American Magee’s Alice released in 2000. American McGee's version of Wonderland is decidedly darker a lot more twisted and sinister than the original Lewis Carroll creation. Considering Alice's dream world was always a bit on the messed up side, that's really saying something. American McGee takes the classic world of Alice and has completely warped it, distorting it into a hellish vision of inner turmoil, madness and corrupted innocence; an existential tale of childhood fantasy versus harsh adult reality. Being fan of horror and having quite a morbid fascination with the macabre I naturally loved it.
Spicy Horse has attempted to make the fantasy world of wonderland truly come alive in the weirdest, most disturbing, creepy yet beautiful hallucination fest yet imagined both in the art style and plot direction. Now free of the horrendous asylum in which she previously resided in a state of catatonia following the tragic and untimely death of her family in a house fire, Alice is attempting to rebuild the shattered pieces of her life. Under the care of the ridiculously-named Doctor Bumby, (and house-sharing with some of the most grotesque children ever committed to video game), Alice is making small steps towards sanity. Or, as it soon becomes very clear, regressing quite dramatically. After a brief jaunt around a brilliantly atmospheric Victorian London, Alice is whisked back to Wonderland under the care of the skeletal, grinning Cheshire Cat (whose teeth are rather bloody, leaving the player wondering what exactly he has been up to). Things aren't too bad at first, it's pretty friendly and happy, brightly coloured grass and cheerful mushrooms sprouting from the forest floor. Things don't really seem too weird until Alice gets hold of her first weapon, after wading through a river of blood Alice finds the Vorpal Blade, more commonly known as “A MASSIVE BLOODY BUTCHERS KNIFE”
Alice's combat plays out as both a melee fighter and a third person shooter. As the game progresses, Alice's unique arsenal expands to include Wonderland's equivalent of a hammer, a machine gun and a grenade launcher. Combat's a fairly traditional third person affair its solid but nothing spectacular, with the usual lock-on mechanic, crosshair aiming for the guns, blocks and rolls. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the combat but I found it quite fun if not a rather standard affair, although the weapon design makes things seem fresher than they perhaps are, particularly as you collect teeth littered about the level in order to upgrade your weapons in both power and appearance
Murderous Teapots?
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"Why so serious?" The Cheshire Cat getting confused with The Joker.
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Alice's foes are primarily large lumps of deformed black goo with masks on, but occasionally the enemies extend to unique creatures like robot teapots, samurai wasps(god I hate wasps) and terrifying broken dolls who gradually lose their clothes as you attack the themed variants for each chapter is always interesting, mostly down to the excellent art style and design of the game. Your always waiting o see what will be thrown your way next.
There's something of an industrial revolution going on in Wonderland. A demonic, thundering train is working its way through the land, threatening to destroy the world of Alice's imagination. Wonderland is realized fantastically here, even if the game itself isn't graphically superb. Textures are often muddy and basic and some character models aren't brilliant (although others are far better crafted) but the style, throughout, is a thing of beauty. It's a shame that a game with such well thought-out art direction doesn't look a bit more impressive. It's still easy to marvel at numerous aspects though; the intricate design of the teapot enemies, the floating towers of playing cards, the sprawling gothic castle amalgamated with living flesh. The entire game has a very distinct charm, a twisted appeal that manages to capture McGee's vision of a warped Wonderland.
At its very core, Alice: Madness Returns is a platformer. Again, it's fairly familiar stuff: floating platforms spring up across gaping chasms, crumbling architecture plays host to ledges and outcrops. Alice's navigational abilities are a refreshing return to traditional 3D platforming mechanics compared to recent automatic leap-abouts like Assassin's Creed and Infamous. Armed with a jump, a double jump,and a glide, Alice traverses this fractured Wonderland in a flurry of butterflies and whirlwinds. and for the most part the platforming and trap-dodging is great.
There's something of an industrial revolution going on in Wonderland. A demonic, thundering train is working its way through the land, threatening to destroy the world of Alice's imagination. Wonderland is realized fantastically here, even if the game itself isn't graphically superb. Textures are often muddy and basic and some character models aren't brilliant (although others are far better crafted) but the style, throughout, is a thing of beauty. It's a shame that a game with such well thought-out art direction doesn't look a bit more impressive. It's still easy to marvel at numerous aspects though; the intricate design of the teapot enemies, the floating towers of playing cards, the sprawling gothic castle amalgamated with living flesh. The entire game has a very distinct charm, a twisted appeal that manages to capture McGee's vision of a warped Wonderland.
At its very core, Alice: Madness Returns is a platformer. Again, it's fairly familiar stuff: floating platforms spring up across gaping chasms, crumbling architecture plays host to ledges and outcrops. Alice's navigational abilities are a refreshing return to traditional 3D platforming mechanics compared to recent automatic leap-abouts like Assassin's Creed and Infamous. Armed with a jump, a double jump,and a glide, Alice traverses this fractured Wonderland in a flurry of butterflies and whirlwinds. and for the most part the platforming and trap-dodging is great.
This is no children's bedtime story!
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Dotted throughout Alice's adventure are a variety of fun and intriguing minigames, varying in quality. The chess puzzles, the doll head obstacle course and the side-scrolling shooter section all provide entertaining distractions, but the 2D platforming levels prove to be a bit glitchy, with Alice getting stuck on scenery and generally not controlling too well. It's
a shame, as these sections are beautifully designed papercraft levels in traditional Japanese art style. The attempts at mixing things up pay off overall, and no one game is repeated too often. These minigames - and a few survival levels- also make up the optional challenges, useful in that they allow you to increase your health bar which is represented by red roses.
As the plot progresses through a series of dark twists, Alice's 'reality' becomes more bizarre. Chapter 5 in particular, outside of Wonderland, is extremely evocative as Alice returns to a location from her past. It's real rough around the edges but I found it to be a real gem with an amazing soundtrack, there's a lot to love about Alice: Madness Returns. Wonderland itself, the way it changes visually and the way it changes Alice, is the game's most important feature. Alice's outfits may vary between areas but the core game mechanics rarely do. It's a game that frequently shocks and has some great surprises. It's a fun, interesting, artistically fantastic platformer/combat hybrid, it's an enjoyable game with a fair bit to offer. Despite its various shortcomings, Alice's is a madness worth returning to and has entered my top ten games this gen truly glad I picked this up.
Michael McCloskey 9.1/10
As the plot progresses through a series of dark twists, Alice's 'reality' becomes more bizarre. Chapter 5 in particular, outside of Wonderland, is extremely evocative as Alice returns to a location from her past. It's real rough around the edges but I found it to be a real gem with an amazing soundtrack, there's a lot to love about Alice: Madness Returns. Wonderland itself, the way it changes visually and the way it changes Alice, is the game's most important feature. Alice's outfits may vary between areas but the core game mechanics rarely do. It's a game that frequently shocks and has some great surprises. It's a fun, interesting, artistically fantastic platformer/combat hybrid, it's an enjoyable game with a fair bit to offer. Despite its various shortcomings, Alice's is a madness worth returning to and has entered my top ten games this gen truly glad I picked this up.
Michael McCloskey 9.1/10
Tea for two?