It’s been over ten years since Alice had her last videogame outing, originally it was a pc exclusive and now she returns to grace the world of games consoles. Set just after the events of the original game Alice is back in a desperate struggle to finally put her demon’s to rest, unknown to her she is set to partake in the fight of her life. The magical world of wonderland is no longer her refuge, instead it is slowly being systematically destroyed by a powerful evil force. She soon realizes that the reality around her is not much better and is forced to delve deep into her own darkness in the hopes that she alone can restore balance to her mind and to her beloved wonderland.
Madness Returns draws you deep into a world of darkness and surreal creativity, though at times the game play can lag a little its well worth the ride and when you do really get into it you won’t want to put it down. The story is as you would expect nothing short of brilliant, the writing is superb and the dialogue is perfectly matched to the universe it occupies. Alice is an action adventure game with a serious emphasis on platforming, but it doesn’t stop there along the way players are treated to various mini games that are both fun and testing. Its a challenging world full of jumps, dives and a lot of monsters to give even the most experienced gamers a serious run for their money.
Lewis Carroll originally dreamed up a world of fantasy and wonder, but this world is far removed from that wonder. It is a grotesque and dark world that Alice has to venture trough if she is to ever conquer her fears, her mind and save wonderland. Alice has a number of character moves to use but unfortunately getting her to carry them off at the start can be quite the ordeal, they lag and feel almost unresponsive though it eventually irons itself out this can be a bit of an off putter for new visitors to the game. Its a shame really and probably part of the reason many games reviewers found it hard to warm to but since most of the game really depends on these moves it can really drag the pace down to a crawl. Going slow is not a huge problem, wonderland though ravaged is quite the sight to behold and visually its extremely impressive. Many of the levels call for Alice to leap and glide her way from platform to platform, graceful in her glides and jumps she can at times be a delight to control.
The levels as mentioned are highly influenced by towering platforms you need to either leap to or solve puzzles in order to cross to the next part of the map. Some of the jumps can be very difficult to get to grips with and at times i found myself either cursing the camera or the platforms themselves. The game camera though not always can feel schizophrenic as it chooses to place itself in the most awkward of places making a hard jump even harder, a few times the camera on doing this caused me to miss completely and plummet straight off the edge. Camera aside the platforming elements are enough of a challenge to really keep you trying, many times Alice will discover secret areas that will give her an alternative route helping her bypass such difficult jumps. An integral part of Alice’s moves is the ability to shrink herself down at a time of the players choosing, this helps Alice pass though hidden keyholes scattered around the nooks and crannies of the map. Another ability she posses is a sort of special viewing where hidden bridges or passages show up as a sort of chalky outline, its a nice touch and really adds to the game.
Often these hidden areas contain collectibles such as forgotten memories Alice desperately needs as she struggles to piece together her fragile mind, when found these play out as amusingly good audio sequences that give the player a better grasp of what has happened to cause the destruction and devastation around them. Defeating enemies gives the player rose petals used to fill back up a depleted life bar, while teeth are used to buy weapons upgrades. Being an action adventure game you would expect a lot of action and Madness Returns certainly delivers. Alice starts off with the powerful vorpal blade which was once used to slay the evil jabberwocky but as she progresses various other weapons become available such as a pepper mill grinder which doubles for a gatling gun, a hard hitting hobby horse, a teapot that launches steaming hot tea, and my personal favourite clockwork bombs. All of the weapons apart from the bombs can be upgraded to prove more devastating against your ever-changing enemy.
The monsters and foes Alice faces throughout the game are as twistedly decedent as the nightmare world they occupy, though the game doesn’t exactly feature level bosses as such the monsters change so sporadically that you won’t really think about it much. The first monsters Alice encounters are easy enough to defeat as it teaches you the basics of control and combat but as the game progresses they get extremely hard especially when they hit you in waves. Combat too is difficult and at times the auto aiming can be a bit of a pain as it jumps from target to target leaving you exposed to attack, thankfully the hand to hand weapons are strong enough to not really need to rely too much on guns or cannons. At first Alice faces the likes of leeches and other low level cannon fodder but along the way she must tackle card knights brandishing axes, fire breathing dolls, samurai sword wielding wasps and executioners hell bent on separating your head from your shoulders. They can be tricky enough to deal with but eventually you learn when where and how to hit them effectively, the action part of the game can definitely be bloody but it really adds to the games atmosphere and overall visual look of the game.
Visually the game is absolutely stunning and the setting is unlike anything i have ever seen before, its a beautiful mix of style creativity and true unbridled terror. Alice not only traverses wonderland but also reality, a reality that looks like it is straight out of a Tim Burton movie. London though small and rarely visited is seeped in dark and gothic atmosphere, characters litter the street conversing shadily about this or that while other more sinister individuals peddle their wares. Reality of course is no match for the visual delight that is wonderland, it may be on the brink of annihilation but there are still pockets of pure beauty waiting to be explored. Wonderland at its worst is equally beautiful, and the game goes through an impressively and surprising amount of landscape changes. While one level might look like something straight out of a SAW movie or even Clive Barkers imagination another will place Alice in a scenic frozen tundra where you can’t help but smile happily as you wander through. My favourite level in the game was one where Alice has to make her way through a world that resembles a dollhouse, there is no shortage of level types or designs in this nightmare and shockingly each level is extremely long. Recently the market has been saturated with games featuring half finished short levels that leave the player wanting more, Alice however gives all that and then some.
Apart from a few small elements of the game i have to say i really enjoyed Madness Returns, it was hard to warm to and at times frustrating but having played though it all now and finished the game i feel like i really accomplished something. The story is so well interwoven with this dark fantasy universe, all the characters you would expect are here, the cheshire cat, the caterpillar, the carpenter, the march hare, the dormouse and of course the insanely brilliant mad hatter. The music changes as much as the visuals and levels do, its in no means repetitive and really adds to the game. The sounds too and lighting are very well done, it is not the best looking game on the market but it certainly does not disappoint.
Alice has enough moves and weapons to keep the player busy homing their skills and upgrading their tools, but that’s not all many of the levels come with their own attire to perfectly match the scene. This comes in the form of a series of dresses Alice wears throughout her journey, they are very well designed and though they do not add any special ability to Alice they look amazing and its nice to have the added choice of what costume to wear. Recently a DLC pack was released to buy for the game, it includes a whole host of dresses that give Alice special abilities and a number of weapon upgrades that really help tip the scales in your favour. Loading can be a little bit of an issue at times but its not enough to spoil the mood or the fun, the game may come to stand still followed by an egg timer but its usually for a few seconds so though noticeable it doesn’t really affect the pace.
Madness Returns could easily have been a 10 out of 10 game if the minor issues were addressed, on their own they don’t bring the pace down but all at once can be frustrating. Given the minor shortfalls its still a very good and uniquely creative game and should not be missed if given the chance. Its challenging yet very rewarding, upgrades and collectibles breath new life into the game and since they carry over once the game has been finished you will find yourself wanting to go back through the story again not just to pick up items you may have missed but for the deeply engrossing story telling. I’m giving Alice a 7 out of 10, I'm taking marks off for the reasons mentioned but those alone are not enough to really stop you from enjoying the game. If you are looking for a challenge served with a double dose of platforming action and superior story telling then this is a tea party you will not want to miss, the guests may be stark raving mad but the more the merrier.
