When we were first introduced to American McGee’s vision of Alice In Wonderland so many years ago, it suggested a dark underside that we rarely get to see out of fables. This was no Disney-like take on the legacy, but rather a dark, dreary and quite imaginative adventure that looked beyond the looking glass, to a new, distorted universe. If you missed it, though, don’t fret, as this world is returning with the more accessible Alice: Madness Returns, a sequel handled by the McGee-inspired studio Spicy Horse. While occasional problems keep it from being as legendary as the original, some fresh gameplay and extraordinary visual cues will keep you falling down the rabbit hole with glee. Plus, you won’t have to worry about running into any Tim Burton-like visions. Those were just plain wrong. The game follows up on events that took place in the original Alice. Having killed the Red Queen and eventually gotten over the loss of her parents, Alice finds herself in stable mental care, still trying to get answers from her trip through the looking glass.
It isn’t long before things crumble again, however, and Alice finds herself once again in Wonderland, with nightmarish creatures chasing after her and danger lurking around every turn. In order to save her own sanity – as well as Wonderland – Alice will have to travel through the troubled world, overcoming obstacles and defeating enemies with whatever handy weapons she can find. What you may find about Alice: Madness Returns is that it’s a far more accessible platformer than the first game, if you remember it. It feels more like an alternative take on Visceral Games’ 2010 release Dante’s Inferno, but with the heavily religious themes replaced by those inspired by American McGee. The combat consists of taking out enemies with your vorpal blade or a number of other weapons, including a pepper grinder that doubles as a machine gun. The combat is fair for the most part, and fairly easy, and you can pick up additional weapons over the course of the game to help you along – which you’ll need against bigger enemies.
As for the platforming, it’s pretty solid. There are times when it’s easy to get lost, but you can simply tap on the left shoulder button to activate “small” Alice, which in turn reveals platforms you couldn’t see before, as well as hidden keyholes (doorways) to access new areas and arrows that point the way. Alice controls nicely through most of these segments, including the ability to float from platform to platform. Whoever said a dress doesn’t come in handy hasn’t met this girl. Still, there are mildly frustrating parts in Alice: Madness Returns. A couple of chase sequences involving a large, running executioner give you little room to react, thanks to the limited area you’re running in (since you’re heading towards the screen, instead of away). Also, some of the puzzle elements get a little bland over the course of the game, though there are some interesting extras hiding about. (Keep an eye open for floating pigs’ heads and shoot ‘em full of pepper to guide the way.) Overall, though, Spicy Horse has enhanced the gameplay to the point it’s just as unique as its content, if not quite perfect.
This feature review concludes on the next page, please click Page 2 below to see our final thoughts on Alice: Madness Returns.
