Alice: Madness Returns

by Electronic Arts

• Use multiple upgradeable melee weapons, including the explosive Teapot Cannon, the punishing Hobby Horse, and the classic Vorpal Blade
• Encounter familiar, but now strange characters including the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the Catapillar and the Red Queen
• Obtain peculiar abilities in Wonderland such as floating with Alice's dress, shrinking and growing to towering sizes in order to crush enemies
• Intuative and rewarding puzzles such as transforming obstacles, musical memories chess and picture blocks
• Delight in the whims of the ever-changing visual aspects of the gameworld which visually affect everything in the game, including Alice and her attire

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B004CD9X2C
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches ; 2.4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: June 14, 2011
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (183 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #574 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #58 in Video Games > Xbox 360 > Games > Action

Product Description

Platform: Xbox 360

Amazon.com

Alice: Madness Returns is an Action-Adventure game that delves deep into the dark and violent side of the imagination, creating a nightmarish Wonderland where Alice must face the demons that haunt her visions. Visit the grim reality of Victorian London and then travel to the beautiful yet ghastly Wonderland to uncover the root of Alice's madness and discover the truth behind a deadly secret, kept hidden for years. Features include: upgradable melee weapons and magic abilities, a shattered gameword filled with altered versions of Lewis Carroll's famous characters and intuitive and rewarding puzzle play.

Return to a Very Different Wonderland

Eleven years ago a horrific fire took Alice's family from her and left her mind horrifically scarred. Afterwards she was confined to Rutledge Asylum where she struggled to confront her demons by slipping slipping further into her fantasy world of Wonderland. Now, after ten years, she has finally secured her release - yet she still bears the heavy psychological burden of that tragic event.

With her mind in tatters, she is unable to resolve the fear prompted by her strange memories, dreams, and visions. Perhaps she'll do better in Wonderland. She always has. She travels there, seeking what the "real" world can't provide: security, knowledge, and the truth about the past. But in her absence, Wonderland too has suffered. Something has gone horribly wrong, and now a great evil is descending upon what once was her beautiful refuge. Can Alice save Wonderland -- and herself -- from the madness that consumes them both?

Join Alice once again in her search for truth hidden within madness.
View larger.

Gameplay

Alice: Madness Returns, like the original 2000 game release for PC that it is a sequel to, is a third-person, single player, action game that incorporates platforming and combat gameplay. Playing as Alice players retreat into Wonderland for comfort from the real world, only to find it in even more shambles than before. Yet this world that exists in Alice's head holds the secrets to her repressed memories and the truth behind the murder of her family. Players must fight their way across this world using a mixture of melee weapons, magic and puzzle-solving and platforming skills to defeat a variety of enemy types, each with particular strengths and weakness. By besting each, players collect in-game currency that can be used to upgrade weapons and skills. In addition to combat players also must explore every corner of this strange world to find clues, messages and potions that help to literally unlock memories that will finally expose the truth behind the madness.

Key Game Features

• Intense 3rd-person Action - Use multiple upgradeable melee weapons, including the explosive Teapot Cannon, the punishing Hobby Horse, and the classic Vorpal Blade.
• Explore a Dark and Shattered Wonderland - Encounter familiar, but now strange characters including the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar and the Red Queen.
• Magical Abilities - Obtain peculiar abilities in Wonderland such as floating with Alice's dress, shrinking and growing to towering sizes in order to crush enemies.
• Interactive Puzzles - Intuitive and rewarding puzzles such as transforming obstacles, musical memories chess and picture blocks.
• A Visually unique Gameworld - Delight in the whims of the ever-changing visual aspects of the gameworld which visually affect everything in the game, including Alice and her attire.

Additional Screenshots

A very different Wonderland. View larger.

Wield upgradable weapons. View larger.

Platforming and puzzle play. View larger.

Unlockable abilities. View larger.

Product Description

Eleven years ago a horrific fire took Alice's family from her and left her mind horrifically scarred. Afterwards she was confined to Rutledge Asylum, where she struggled to confront her demons by slipping further into her fantasy world of Wonderland. Now, after ten years, she has finally secured her release-yet she still bears the heavy psychological burden of that tragic event. With her mind in tatters, she is unable to resolve the fear prompted by her strange memories, dreams, and visions. Perhaps she'll do better in Wonderland. She always has. She travels there, seeking what the “real” world can't provide: security, knowledge, and the truth about the past. But in her absence, Wonderland too has suffered. Something has gone horribly wrong, and now a great evil is descending upon what once was her beautiful refuge. Can Alice save Wonderland-and herself-from the madness that consumes them both?

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Some reviewers don't know a proper "snicker-snack" from poppycock... July 12, 2011

By Lucia Sinister

Platform for Display:Xbox 360|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

If you're looking at this game and the reviews, then you're obviously curious! Some "professional" review site's might convince you that this game is a mere 6/10, but don't be fooled! Let's take this into account... Do you enjoy the strange and unusual, and sometimes creepy experiences? This game has that. Do you enjoy the occasional grotesque twisting of your childhood fantasies? That's a check too!To be straight forward, I am a fan of pretty much anything Alice in Wonderland. I also love weird, grotesque-ish, twisted things, lol! I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Now it's obvious we all have our own opinions about subjects, but here are my reasons for enjoying Alice: Madness Returns.

1. The original American McGee's Alice! I never had the pleasure to play it back when it was released, but the HD remake was a welcome surprise! Now here's an important note: If you purchase Alice:MR new, you get a redeem code that gives you the original Alice, free of charge. Without this redeem code (assuming you purchase used), it is 800 MS Points ($10) on the Xbox 360 Marketplace.

2. Graphics! They were beautiful in this game, all you have to do is google the images, and you'll see what I'm talking about! Think animation kind of sorta (but not exactly) like The Incredibles, it's exaggerated and "cartoon-ish" (for lack of a better word). The only oddity about the graphics is sometimes the textures appear "muddy" due to not fully loading quickly, but that's not a negative and in no way impacts the game! It was just obvious... >_>

3. The environments were stunning, from a beautiful forest, to menacing castle, and even the streets of London! Most games stick to one theme, such as being dark and scary to the end, or bright and happy, etc.... Alice: MR had instances of gorgeous and serene, contrasting to the dark and ominous. They were the things of a beautiful, daydreaming nightmare! :D

4. Story! Ok, so this isn't going to win any awards for most ground breaking storytelling ever, I get that... But! Alice: MR investigates the tragic fire Alice survived. It's like one big mystery, one that only Alice can solve, whilst her mind slips further into maddening doom! At the climax of the story, I found myself in a "WTF, no way?!?!" moment. Great stuff O_O

5. Alice! I loved this version of this beloved character. She's so gloomy yet spunky! The odds are incredibly stacked against her, yet she's got that "I'm kicking ass one problem at a time" attitude! She's tormented, broken, and struggling to survive. Despite this, she has a so much personality, it was very much an enjoyable experience! Not to mention the sexy "swish swish!" of the Vorpal Blade, and she has a great assortment of dresses, lol. She's definitely not the dead persona Tim Burton had in his recent film adaptation... Just an opinion >_>

6. Enemies! Overall, they were pretty freaking sweet! LOVED the Card Guards in this game, very Hellish. The "Ruin" enemy gets a little repetitive, but, I really started to dig the possessed dollies, lol! I'll be having nightmares about those for a while, lmao! Oh, and two words... "Bitch Babies" xD (Note: That's really the name of an enemy in the game, so please don't punish me Amazon, I'm speaking truth! T-T)

I can go on and on, but it comes down to saying, this game was AWESOME, lol! 2 games to play made it a lengthy adventure. Now I should talk about gameplay before I end this. The fighting basically comes down to hack n' slash type of play. Depending on how you like your games, that might mean something. It's not a deep strategy kind of game. If you've played Devil May Cry, then I should say it's not going to be a difficult game to play. You don't need immense skill to get past enemies (on normal anyway, I can't speak for Nightmare difficulty). It's a good game for the casual gamer, because there isn't a learning curve. It's linear, as well. You can go off the beaten path and find collectibles and goodies used to upgrade weaponry, but this isn't an experience like, say, Dragon Age. Linear is not a bad thing though! For a hardcore experience, I dare you to play American McGee's Alice on Nightmare. That should be enough to drive someone insane... Damn those unfair deaths T-T

There will be plenty of combat opportunities, a plethora of platforming, and some puzzle solving. The puzzles are nothing complex, just little distractions. It's like doing a super easy crossword, but it totally makes you feel smart when you finish it, lol.

The game is rated Mature by the ESRB. Take that as you will, because you are the best judge on what you allow your kids or yourself to play. Personally, if I had a 10 year old (I don't have kids, so don't comment my parenting, lol), I don't think I'd let them play this, but then again, I've been online and heard kids playing M rated games like Gears of War and GTA IV, so what do I know? :P

MINOR SPOILER (I think >_O): Do you hate leveling your weapons and collecting stuff all over again? Well not to worry! Alice: MR has a "New Game +" option when you finish! So there is no worries about having to recollect and upgrade your weapons, nor do you have to re-increase your health meter! This all carries over to different difficult settings, as well! Neat :D

As far as the running of the game, Alice: MR ran smooth. I have the Xbox 360 version, and I always install my games (not 100% sure if that makes a BIG difference). Not once did I experience the game crashing or freezing, etc. The load times were acceptable and combat was often fluid without loading hiccups, which was nice :]

That about wraps up my review! Not everyone will love this, beauty is in they eye of the beholder and all that jazz. Fans of Alice in Wonderland type of stuff will enjoy this. I LOVED IT!!! lol! So if this review convinced you any, give it a shot! It's definitely a game that should be experienced first hand! I apologize in advance for anything I may have left out, but happy gaming on your mad journey through Wonderland! ~_^ Read more ›

62 of 68 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully demented return to wonderland June 14, 2011

By T. Granillo

Platform for Display:Xbox 360|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I've been waiting for this game to release since I first heard news of it last year and now that I'm playing it, it didn't disappoint. This is a platforming action game and both aspects are done really well. It's visually rich with tons of detail and the camera work is done well. The backgrounds vary from vivid and serenely beautiful to dark, gritty and gory. Even the costume changes as you make it to new locations are nice little touches that add to all the attention to detail that was paid to the graphics. Even when you fall and die it looks cool. Standing out are the parts with the motion comic-like cutscenes that are dark and violent. Sort of like reading rainbow on a very bad acid trip.

Platforming feels solid. Double jumping not only looks beautiful with a cool graphical flourish but the "float" ability that allows you to glide and string multiple double jumps together is useful and cool to look at. The fighting is also done really well. I like dedicated melee and ranged buttons that allow the combat to flow seamlessly instead of constantly switching weapons back & forth as the situation and enemies demand a major improvement over the first. Theres also a dodge/dash ability that's both very useful and is awesome to look at. Locking on to enemies to and being able to change to another target during battle is very useful and also an upgrade from the first game.

Exploration is rewarded and encouraged which I love. It's not just a straight road through the game. There are items & memories to find if you go off the beaten path. Your first power is "shrink sense" which is sort like detective mode from Batman Arkham Asylum.... It lets you shrink down in size to access new paths that only your smaller size allows you to access, but also gives everything a UV glow so you can see hidden signs and platforms you normally would have missed. Collecting teeth to upgrade weapons, finding other items and snouts to unlock hidden paths feel very rewarding. You can go into first person mode for more precise aiming to take out enemies or to aim at pig snouts to unlock new paths.

This game is everything I wanted from the first one and more. I bought the original when it first released and I'm on my second copy I just loved it so much. My only problem with the original was I"m not a PC gamer and using a keyboard and mouse was something I'm not use to. Being able to play the new game with a console controller and getting a free download of the original to play on my xbox with a controller is amazing. Read more ›

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Been waiting for this for ten years June 14, 2011

By Stephanie Bowsher

Platform for Display:Xbox 360

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

For the original American McGee's Alice fans out there, this game not only lives up to our high expectations, it far surpasses it. We all know it has been rumored for at LEAST five years, and it's been painful waiting for news.

I preordered this a few months ago for both PC and XBox, and have experimented with both for a few hours each.

The graphics are art; nothing more. How refreshing it is to have a game that isn't attempting to make everything look like the real world. This is pop surrealism at it's finest. American McGee has created a stunningly beautiful and often times creepy world for Alice to play in.

I'm rather shocked to hear that this game has received negative reviews from websites. Even if I were unbiased, I still view this game as an incredible journey. The gameplay itself is smooth and easy to pick up on. Weapon upgrades customize the experience while keeping with the basics. The NPC's are challenging, though you have four options of difficulty to choose from when you begin the game. The focus fire is magnificent, the dodge is not only easy to use but also a lovely graphic, and Alice shrinking for a different view of the world is quite clever.

It's impossible for me to find any draw backs. A previous reviewer could only find that he didn't like the pepper shaker, and that was the worst he had to say. The pepper shaker is a weapon from the duchess in the first game and also appears in the book, so that made sense for a weapon based on Alice.

Truly, a remarkably beautiful game, and for all of us American McGee fans, it's what we've been waiting for. You won't be sorry. :)