Item: Alice: Madness Returns
Rating: 7
Author: Raine

Let me start this review by talking about the prequel, the cult classic, American McGee's Alice. That was one of the first games that really made me fall in love with gaming. I love the darkness and the overall weirdness in this franchise. The way American McGee twists the childhood stories we grew up with in his work (See also American McGee's Grimm) is something that I have always admired. After I finished the first game when I was in highschool (yes, I discovered the game late). I ached for a sequel. When Alice: Madness Returns was first teased, I was extremely excited. I wanted so badly to go back to Wonderland. The visuals, the weirdness and the story did not disappoint me. I especially loved the different outfits and what they do. I loved the upgrade in the combat system. It had a few glitches here and there (like the umbrella being unusable for some players, even those who purchesed the game legally. I heard a rumor the umbrella being unusable was supposedly a trap for the pirated copies) that made the game somewhat unplayable. My friend did manage to finish the game without using the Umbrella. Cause she's a boss. I, on the otherhand, had to reset and replay until finally my savefile let me have an umbrella. However, when I finally played the game, something stuck out to me so blatantly. I don't really think other players have pointed it out, but, while I am not the most skilled gamer, I didn't like how much this game spoonfed me with tutorials and such. The first game literally starts off by pushing you to Wonderland without much explanation. AMG's Alice trusted you to find your way yourself -- something that was severly lacking in Madness Returns. That being said, I still very much enjoyed this game to the point of completion, if not more than. I played this game about 2.5 times, while I played the original game to completion upwards of 5 times. I love this game -- but I must point out that I do have a nostalgic bias for it. I just really think that it had a lot of unrealized potential.

Let me start this review by talking about the prequel, the cult classic,  American McGee's Alice.  That was one of the first games that really made me fall in love with gaming.

I love the darkness and the overall weirdness in this franchise.  The way American McGee twists the childhood stories we grew up with in his work (See also American McGee's Grimm) is something that I have always admired.

After I finished the first game when I was in highschool (yes, I discovered the game late).  I ached for a sequel.  When Alice: Madness Returns was first teased, I was extremely excited.  I wanted so badly to go back to Wonderland.

The visuals, the weirdness and the story did not disappoint me.  I especially loved the different outfits and what they do.  I loved the upgrade in the combat system.  It had a few glitches here and there (like the umbrella being unusable for some players, even those who purchesed the game legally.  I heard a rumor the umbrella being unusable was supposedly a trap for the pirated copies) that made the game somewhat unplayable.  My friend did manage to finish the game without using the Umbrella.  Cause she's a boss.  I, on the otherhand, had to reset and replay until finally my savefile let me have an umbrella. 

However, when I finally played the game, something stuck out to me so blatantly.  I don't really think other players have pointed it out, but, while I am not the most skilled gamer, I didn't like how much this game spoonfed me with tutorials and such.  The first game literally starts off by pushing you to Wonderland without much explanation.  AMG's Alice trusted you to find your way yourself -- something that was severly lacking in Madness Returns.  

That being said, I still very much enjoyed this game to the point of completion, if not more than. I played this game about 2.5 times, while I played the original game to completion upwards of 5 times.

I love this game -- but I must point out that I do have a nostalgic bias for it.  I just really think that it had a lot of unrealized potential.

Alice: Madness Returns

Review Title

Player Score

Raine