Alice Madness Returns – Review – Xbox 360

American McGee’s Alice was one of those games that surprised people that played it. When it was released in 2000 it gained a cult-like status. For the past 10 years, fans have been waiting eagerly for a sequel. That day has come, but like most anticipated sequels fans are left wondering is the game actually good?

Story: At the beginning of the game you find Alice in an orphanage talking to a psychologist. He is trying to help her forget things that have emotionally scarred her. Even though you come in at the end of the session you find out Alice is not quite all there and neither is the doctor, if not more so. He bids you farewell as he greets another orphan and sends you on your way. As you work your way through the orphanage and onto the street, you find out what most people think of Alice and most do not hold back. While walking through the streets and back alleys you spot a cat and decide to follow it. This quickly leads to a situation and once again Alice heads down the rabbit hole. Once Alice returns to Wonderland, she quickly finds things in disarray and gains a want to fix and set things right. The story is told pretty much exclusively through cut scene’s. The only exception to this is the odd appearances of the Cheshire cat. He will give you hints about a level or at times give you some insight at what’s happening in Wonderland.

Gameplay: Gameplay itself is just a simple platformer; you encounter rooms or outdoor areas that are all puzzle-like in nature. Some rooms can be difficult to beat and others are very simple; once you beat a room you move on to the next one. Jump and double jump are all there. You are even granted an ability that allows you to control Alice’s size only to the point of shrinking. Once shrunk you can see things you would not normally see like drawings on walls that point to hidden items or hidden passages. Entering these hidden passages gives you access to hidden items such as potions or teeth. As you play you gain teeth that allow you to purchase upgrades for your weapons. Teeth can be acquired by defeating enemies or finding them along your path. The gameplay at times is fairly straight forward but at times it can be difficult. An example of this is some of the harder enemies; some require a precise combination of moves to defeat and you must do this while being attacked by other enemies. The game itself is rather long and is not a game you can pick up one minute and put down the next. Some rooms can take 15-20 minutes to complete and save points are few and far between. The only problem I had with the game is I would find myself getting bored after about an hour but I would give myself a break and come back and play for a few hours more. There are 5 chapters in all and each is very unique.

Graphics/Sound: The game itself looks great but at times you will see a graphical glitch here and there. None are distracting. The sound design is rather simple and music will loop for a good 20-30 minutes. It does get tiring to hear the same thing over and over, though.

Overall: I think this game is a great sequel to the original and at times is quite enjoyable. I found myself laughing at the characters and at times pitying Alice for what she has to deal with. The story is gripping but will leave you scratching you head. When you purchase the game new you are given a code for the original Alice game so if you haven’t played it, you can beat it before you play Madness Returns. The game is fun and offers 15+ hours of enjoyment and is a great buy.

Score: 7 out of 10

A copy of this game was provided by the publisher to the reviewer for reviewing purposes

Popularity: 14% [?]