Alice: Madness Returns

[Neon Ignition]

I've been playing away at this for the last couple of nights and it's a curious one. Visually it's another title that sits on the end of looking like an early 360 game. The art style certainly carries the game a lot as you press on to see what lies around the next corner. Fortunately it's pretty easy to play through, in making this the devs have changed up the controls so Alice is easier to navigate whilst the combat system has gone from a simple hammer one button system to a copy of Zelda's Z-Targetting system. You can upgrade your weapons too which makes enemies easy to take out as you string your weapon attacks together fluidly. The game also plays very smoothly with only the odd dip in frame rate.

The included original game is a bit of a mixed blessing. It's nice to see (it's recieved the same kind of update as Sony's HD Collections do) and it also makes the new game seem far more progressive than it is. However, despite holding alright I gave up on it part way through as there are some sections where the design is so poor by todays standards it becomes a massive chore, something the sequel doesn't seem to struggle with. One thing the original does do better is story. The original is pretty straight forward with Wonderland being her mental escape from the trauma of her real life. In the sequel you have hub areas in the real world which are morbidly depressing, Alice is faced with either living in the increasingly dying and corrupting Wonderland or being in the real world where she would likely end up a destitute hooker. It stops it being as engaging when there's no hope for Alice to aim for. A point not helped when in the new game characters have a tendency to talk in a complicated manner for the sake of it making it easy to lose track of what's being said, important when at the moment the game seems to be leaving the door for Alice 3 firmly shut.

There's nothing audio wise to comment on, there's little music in the game, mainly low key piano riffs and the voice acting is stilted UK accents throughout. One thing that works in its favour, something the reviews have criticised it for, is the heavy platformer leanings. Personally I'm enjoying that aspect of it as traditional 3D platformers are few and far between so it's proving a little refreshing. Overall, it's an entertaining though firmly average game. Another bound for the summer sales.

That said, it does feature GIANT ENEMY CRABS!

[Family Fry]

I simply can't help but enjoy this platfomer. Takes me back to ratchet, jak and memories of others, as said its a genre that hasn't been seen regularly this generation so its nice to play another.
Only thing I am hating so far is the lack of music, really want some nice classical or twisted musical score to push you through the game, instead you just have abstract noise which starts to grate after a while.
Just started Chapter 3 and when the level started up thought this is very nice artistically, lot of work has been put into the environments.
Story doesn't seem too bad at moment, have to really pay attention to what's being said and when, its easy to loose track of it all.
Having never played the original game its nice to have a look at it but Jesus they should have mapped a quick save onto back/select button, few times I have died and lost about 15mins of progress, which feels like a lifetime in the olde game.

[Neon Ignition]

Finished this yesterday and it's sad to say that it really loses it in the second half. During Chapter 3 I began to feel like it was dragging on far too long and repeating as a way of padding the time out. Sadly Chapters 4 and 5 follow the same pattern, it's like they lost interest during development, it also gets very desolate and loses the sense that you're in Wonderland which is a massive shame as in the first 2 chapters it's a feast for the eyes. Ironically, from my first post, it's the story that carries it to the end with the Alice 3 door being open again and the overall arch is revealed to be incredibly dark, dealing with a couple of subject matters that are stomach knotting in films let alone in a game.

[Family Fry]

I though the entire game throughout was a feast for the eyes in beautiful ways and beautifully horrible ways too. Chapter 4's introduction was a joy and a visually well done level in beginning, couple that with the insanity of the intro to chapter 5, some quality stand out moments right there. I get the feeling a lot of people won't experience this game, which is a bloody shame as artistically it shines solidly, platforming is as enjoyable as platforming goes, combat is varied enough with the help of a variety of different enemies to slay and lastly the storytelling, especially when you collect all the memories it's an incredibly dark and depressing story.
Job well done I reckon, how this has been scoring 5 and 6's I don't know.

[Riskbreaker]

Just finished this last night and it's a real shame that there's not much love for it, probably one of my games of the year. It does have issues with the padding on levels 3 and 5, not just in the length of the levels but that both use their own mini-games more than necessary. Rather than illustrate a lack of love, I put this down to a lack of focus and a need to reign the developers in a bit.

Aside from the padding, I didn't have any issues with it at all. Gameplay was enjoyable throughout, with the platforming elements managing to be challenging every now and then without being frustrating. Combat just worked, opponents are varied through the levels each with different weak points and methods for taking them out, the larger encounters mix up enemy types to increase the difficulty. It's during the larger battles that the lock-on can become awkward, but never enough to damage the experience, partly because Alice is flexible enough during combat that it's not often you feel out of your element. A quick couple of dodges will see you out of most situations.

More than anything, the game is stunning, artisically it's very pleasing to the eye especially on the early stages. Later levels are impressive in their own way opting for a much darker oppressive tone. The soundtrack is minimal and very subtle, this actually works in the games favour, it doesn't need big epic themes or little cute platforming ditties. The devs seem to of decided that the game would be lead visually, it's mainly on reflection that I've noticed it's absence. There are levels that rival Child of Eden for the wow factor, especially when you stop to take a look around. The way they depict real world London is bloody brilliant in how damn bleak it is, I want them to base a whole game there. Gamers are a funny lot, we'll bitch about the lack of imagination in game design until someone releases a beautiful game set in some fantastical environments which everyone promptly ignores. Ultimately, we get what we deserve.

The story starts off fractured and confusing, which is fair for a game about madness and Wonderland. As mentioned, it gradually progresses to some very dark places dealing with a subject that other mediums would think carefully about covering. The designers should be applauded for maintaining a relatively mature approach to the storyline.

One of the only games this year that gave me the empty feeling once it was over and wanted to play through again.


As an aside. If you buy the game and decide to play it's predecessor first take this advice. Drop it the minute you feel it's getting too frustrating. Out of stubborness I forced myself through the whole damn thing only to realise that at best I risked tainty my experience of the sequel. Just wiki it or watch a youtube run instead

[Riskbreaker]

Double post.

[saturn-gamer]

I'm waiting for this to hit the bargain bin. I kind of quit buying EA games at launch seeing their ridiculous fast price drops. It looks good and original enough. Some dudes I spoke with at work said it was surprisingly good as well.

[Family Fry]

It's currently ?29.99 instore GAME (in UK of course)
I applaud everything Riskbreaker has said and it realy is a shame looking around at this forum and seeing from all the members around, only 2 people contributed to it's first play.
No one else either bothered or of course have not played it yet whilst possibly waiting for the bomba price, for shame.

[SuperBeatBoy]

Will post some thoughts on it later. I bought it on the pc a couple of weeks ago, just haven't got around to starting it yet. Shame the original Alice doesn't come with the pc version.

[Riskbreaker]

Thanks Fry. Didn't want to see the game sink without a trace as it doesn't deserve it. At the very least it will get my vote this year for "Best game no-one played."

In honesty you're not missing much Zero. It really hasn't aged that well and the novelty wears off very quickly especially on the later levels, don't get me started on the fight against the

->Open Spoiler<-

damn Jabberwocky

. If I wasn't being pigheaded I'd have stopped halfway through if not earlier. There is a free Alice: Madness returns app that recounts the story from the first game well enough provided you have an iDevice.

[chopemon]

I'm with you man.

I finished it the other day and loved it. It seems weird in this day and age to complain about a game being too long but the padding is my only gripe with it.

It was so nice to play a platformer again.

[SuperBeatBoy]

Just got to the Mad Hatter district, my one gripe with the game is the boring combat. Really dull. The game is wonderful to look at and really intriguing.

[Mr M0by]

Funnily enough I searched out this thread last night to post my thoughts having finally completed Chapter 4 but then just wasn't in the mood to type anything so voted instead.... a 6 I'm afraid. Admittedly that might be a tad bit harsh, after a good night of it, I'd have probably given it a 7 but I've found much of it a chore to be honest. One of the biggest downsides for me has been the length of the individual chapters. I think if the game had been made up of 9-12 shorter, more varied chapters, I would have enjoyed it more. As is, with the repetition of some sections, my enthusiasm waned considerably by the end of each. There is definitely some nice art direction in parts but no one level completely wowed and then in other stages I've found it quite bland. Usually by that point it's felt like a real drag to get through that point in the game, particularly when I've got the likes of Assassins Creed: Brotherhood & inFamous 2 sitting untouched because I was persevering with this.

Combats not too bad most of the time, though at it's worst it makes Dantes Inferno seem decent. At times the platforming is great, the opening to chapter 4 is one example but there are a lot of needless switches and the like in that same level. I mean if you reach an area that you can't traverse but on that same platform you're standing on is a switch that suddenly brings in to view a path ahead, why bother with the switch at all. I also come unstuck on a couple of occasions, finding the jumping, double jumping & gliding actions not to be as responsive as I'd like. In some sections having got past a difficult 'spot' (Chapter 2 stands out here) when I lost the subsequent battle, the checkpoint restart was not just before the platforming area that was troubling me, but some distance further back than that too. I came to a dead-end because of a glitch or two on occasions also: The Exectutioner was to send me through a hole in the floor & warp me to the next area in one part but I just got a blood red screen & a looping scream. The next time I tried it, despite clearing the arena of all other enemies, no amount of damaging the Exectutioner would trigger his action of sending me through the floor. I had to restart the checkpoint again. Third time was fine though. In another section I hit a switch in one area, the camera panned to show me the path but I accidentally fell back down to the area I had climbed up from, only now the ledge was no longer elevating to get me back up, so that was another checkpoint restart. Similarly I fell from an invisible ledge in another Mad Hatter sequence & despite there being a block that I imagine was there to help me climb back up, I just could not make the jump.

On at least two evenings, I thought enough is enough & decided I wouldn't go any further. I was starting to feel resentful of the time that I had already put in & the time it appeared would be required to see it though. I didn't even reach that low on my way to completing some of the CoD games on Veteran! To be fair it was only on Chapter 4 that I finally worked out that I could jump, glide, jump, glide, rather than the jump, jump, glide actions I was trying for most of the time previously. Whether this was explained clearly in the game prior I don't recall but I'm willing to give the developers the benefit of the doubt there & assume I must have glazed over when it was mentioned.

I don't think the London sections of the game are really up to much*. Very little is actually interactive here & for some reason the text box information provided when 'examining' anything is so small that it was a strain to read. Yes London is bleak & the tone of it all intrigues but I'd have probably preferred some well done cut-scenes.

Anyway apologies for the rambling post, I am now guilty in forum form of what has wound me up about this!! I have stuck at it though because crucially I'm genuinely intrigued by how it will all pan out. I'm working my way through Chapter 5 now & suspect I have between 1 and 2 & a half hours left before completion. Fingers crossed it proves to be worth it.

edit: *Chapter 5 intro aside.

['Press Start']

Funnily enough I searched out this thread last night to post my thoughts having finally completed Chapter 4 but then just wasn't in the mood to type anything so voted instead.... a 6 I'm afraid. Admittedly that might be a tad bit harsh, after a good night of it, I'd have probably given it a 7 but I've found much of it a chore to be honest. One of the biggest downsides for me has been the length of the individual chapters. I think if the game had been made up of 9-12 shorter, more varied chapters, I would have enjoyed it more. As is, with the repetition of some sections, my enthusiasm waned considerably by the end of each. There is definitely some nice art direction in parts but no one level completely wowed and then in other stages I've found it quite bland. Usually by that point it's felt like a real drag to get through that point in the game, particularly when I've got the likes of Assassins Creed: Brotherhood & inFamous 2 sitting untouched because I was persevering with this.

Combats not to bad most of the time, though at it's worst it makes Dantes Inferno seem decent. At times the platforming is great, the opening to chapter 4 is one example but there are a lot of needless switches and the like in that same level. I mean if you reach an area that you can't traverse but on that same platform you're standing on is a switch that suddenly brings in to view a path ahead, why bother with the switch at all. I also come unstuck on a couple of occasions, finding the jumping, double jumping & gliding actions not to be as responsive as I'd like. In some sections having got past a difficult 'spot' (Chapter 2 stands out here) when I lost the subsequent battle, the checkpoint restart was not just before the platforming area that was troubling me, but some distance further back than that too. I came to a dead-end because of a glitch or two on occasions also: The Exectutioner was to send me through a hole in the floor & warp me to the next area in one part but I just got a blood red screen & a looping scream. The next time I tried it, despite clearing the arena of all other enemies, no amount of damaging the Exectutioner would trigger his action of sending me through the floor. I had to restart the checkpoint again. Third time was fine though. In another section I hit a switch in one area, the camera panned to show me the path but I accidentally fell back down to the area I had climbed up from, only now the ledge was no longer elevating to get me back up, so that was another checkpoint restart. Similarly I fell from an invisible ledge in another Mad Hatter sequence & despite there being a block that I imagine was there to help me climb back up, I just could not make the jump.

On at least two evenings, I thought enough is enough & decided I wouldn't go any further. I was starting to feel resentful of the time that I had already put in & the time it appeared would be required to see it though. I didn't even reach that low on my way to completing some of the CoD games on Veteran! To be fair it was only on Chapter 4 that I finally worked out that I could jump, glide, jump, glide, rather than the jump, jump, glide actions I was trying for most of the time previously. Whether this was explained clearly in the game prior I don't recall but I'm willing to give the developers the benefit of the doubt there & assume I must have glazed over when it was mentioned.

I don't think the London sections of the game are really up to much. Very little is actually interactive here & for some reason the text box information provided when 'examining' anything is so small that it was a strain to read. Yes London is bleak & the tone of it all intrigues but I'd have probably preferred some well done cut-scenes.

Anyway apologies for the rambling post, I am now guilty in forum form of what has wound me up about this!! I have stuck at it though because crucially I'm genuinely intrigued by how it will all pan out. I'm working my way through Chapter 5 now & suspect I have between 1 and 2 & a half hours left before completion. Fingers crossed it proves to be worth it.

Wow. Thanks for the post. I have been on the fence with this game and its been good to read both sides of the argument. My conclusion is too many big games in the bank!

[SuperBeatBoy]

I'm struggling to get through this. Its an incredibly dull journey. Hopefully i'm near the end so i can be done with it.

Also the PC Version is pants, rushed port very glitchy,buggy & terrible performance issues.

5/10