Alice: Madness Returns
Encyclopedia
Alice: Madness Returns is a video game for Microsoft Windows
, PlayStation 3
, and Xbox 360
released on June 14, 2011, in North America, June 16, 2011, in Europe and June 17, 2011, in the United Kingdom
. It is the sequel to the 2000 Windows and Mac
video game American McGee's Alice
. McGee
, who designed the original game, returns to design the sequel after EA
partnered with McGee's studio Spicy Horse
. On April 20, 2011, Electronic Arts confirmed reports that new copies of Alice: Madness Returns on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 will contain a one-time-use download code for a copy of the original American McGee's Alice, originally released on PC in 2000, playable on their console if purchased through EA. Those who do not have the code can purchase the game through Madness Returns main menu for 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live or $9.99 on PlayStation Network. The Alice: Madness Returns game disc will be required in order to access American McGee's Alice.
. The player controls Alice for the entirety of the game for running, jumping, dodging and attacking.
In combat, Alice gains a small number of weapons that can be utilized in several ways. Her primary weapon is a vorpal blade, but she can also use a pepper grinder to rapidly hit a target from afar, a teapot cannon to launch an area attack, a hobby horse that can be used for powerful strikes or breaking down fragile walls, and a clockwork bomb that attracts enemies or can be used as counterweight for various puzzles. By collecting teeth that are dropped by foes or found scattered about the levels, the player can upgrade some of these items to more powerful versions. Alice's health is tracked by a number of rose petals. Should Alice's health fall to zero during game play, the player will be forced to start at the most recent checkpoint. Falling off platforms into bottomless pits or dangerous liquids will not damage Alice but restart her at a nearby platform.
While working each level, the player can discover various secrets. A primary mechanic is to use Alice's shrinking potion to reduce in size, allowing her to walk through small spaces like keyholes, but also reveals invisible platforms and surfaces; after returning to normal size, these platforms will slowly fade back to invisibility, requiring the player to remember their location. Pig's snouts, which make noise when the player is close, can be struck with the pepper sprayer to reveal new paths. Radula rooms provide a short challenge to the player, which on completion grants a jar of paint; obtaining four jars earns the player another rose for Alice's health. Memories can be picked up that provide voiceovers revealing parts of the game's backstory.
Upon completion, the player can start a new game plus
, letting them play through the game again but keeping all their weapons and upgrades from the previous attempt. From the menu, the player can also review the memories that they have found within the game.
. While held at Rutledge Asylum for treatment, Alice was able to conquer her doubts, and eventually was released from the ward. In Alice: Madness Returns, a year has passed since Alice's release. She now resides at an orphanage in Victorian London under the care of Doctor Angus Bumby, a psychiatrist that uses hypnotism to help his child patients forget their memories. Though she believes herself cured of her madness, hallucinations of Wonderland continue to appear.
During an errand, Alice is struck by an hallucination and believes herself to be in Wonderland again. Though initially idyllic, the peaceful land quickly becomes corrupted by the Infernal Train that rampages through it, leaving behind the Ruin, a force that attempts to stop Alice. Alice meets with the Cheshire Cat
who affirms that it is some outside force, not Alice, that has caused this corruption, and urges her to seek out former friend and foe to discover the source of the Train. Throughout the rest of the game, the player witnesses periods where Alice briefly returns to reality between episodes occurring within Wonderland. In the real world, Alice learns from the family lawyer that her sister, Lizzie, was first to die in the fire, despite being the farthest from its source, and had been locked in her room.
Within the corrupted Wonderland, Alice attempts to learn more from Wonderland's various citizens, including the Mad Hatter, the Mock Turtle
, the Walrus and the Carpenter
, and the Caterpillar
. She is ultimately told that the Queen of Hearts
still lives despite her defeat at Alice's hands before, though in diminished capacity. At the Queen's castle, Alice discovers the Queen has taken on the appearance of Lizzie. The Queen reveals that an entity called the Doll Maker has taken over the Infernal Train and is corrupting Wonderland.
On return to London, Alice starts to recall her memories of the night of the fire, and realizes that Dr. Bumby was there. She comes to the conclusion that Dr. Bumby is attempting to erase the memories of the fire from her mind, and as he has done with other children, trying to leave her as a "blank toy" to be taken by child molesters for a price. Furious, Alice accosts both Dr. Bumby in the real world at the Moorgate station
train station and Dr. Bumby's Wonderland counterpart, the Doll Maker, in her fantasy. Dr. Bumby admits to his crime, and even attests to setting Alice's home on fire after Lizzie refused his advances, removing any witnesses. He continues to point out that by wiping out her Wonderland, she too will forget the events of that night, while he will continue to be seen as an upper-class member of society. Alice fights and defeats the Doll Maker in Wonderland, giving her the strength in the real world to push Dr. Bumby into the path of an oncoming train. As Alice leaves the station, she finds herself in a hybrid vision of London mixed with Wonderland. Alice wanders into the somewhat unknown "Londerland" terrain as the Cheshire Cat monologues that Alice's memories, though damaged, are safe for the time being.
rose in a remake of the game and work was started on a sequel. However, when the movie adaptation fell through, plans for a sequel were shelved, and remained so for nearly a decade.
At the February 2009 D.I.C.E. Summit
, EA announced a sequel, which at the time had the working title The Return of American McGee's Alice. Two pieces of concept art accompanied the announcement, along with the information that the original game's writer and executive producer would also return for the sequel. In November of that year, a fan-made trailer (with the title "The Return of Alice") was mistaken by gaming news outlets as an official teaser for the game, in which Alice is in therapy after a relapse
nine months following the events of the first game, and appears to hallucinate
an image of the Cheshire Cat
in place of her doctor.
At EA's Studio Showcase on July 20, 2010, more details about the game were shown, including its current title, Alice: Madness Returns. In addition to further pieces of concept art and actual, in-game screenshots, the first official teaser was released. Despite (or perhaps because of) the fan video eight months prior, it also portrays Alice in therapy: after being hypnotized
by her doctor in a bizarre office filled with dismembered arms hanging from the ceiling, as she opens her mouth to speak, large amounts of blood and teeth pour out. As the game title appears, a whispering voice is heard saying, "Alice... what have you done?"
During the 2010 Tokyo Game Show
, new assets, including a second trailer, were released. Alice is seen strolling through a London
street, and eventually approaches an area littered with toys and a toy store window, which contains a set depicting the Mad Hatter
, the Dormouse
and the March Hare
taking tea. Suddenly, she sees an image of her deceased parents in the window's reflection, but turns around to find no one there. The window begins to burn and the silhouette of the Queen of Hearts
appears before it explodes in flames, and the Queen's tentacles drag Alice into the inferno. Like the previous trailer, it ends with a voice saying "What have you done?"
On February 14, 2011, MSNBC
's "In-Game" website unveiled the third teaser trailer as well as a brief interview with American McGee regarding the game. The third teaser depicts Alice wandering around an initially beautiful Wonderland, eventually coming across the Caterpillar
, who transforms into a giant, menacing butterfly
as the landscape is attacked by fiery phoenix
es and turned into a nightmarish world reminiscent of the original game's landscapes. Alice finds herself sitting at a tea party with the Mad Hatter, March Hare
and Dormouse. The Hatter sends a robotic teapot to kill Alice, who in turns stabs it to death in the eye with the Vorpal Blade. She grins eerily as a voice asks "What have you done?"
A fourth trailer, showing gameplay footage for the first time and entitled "Beautiful Insanity", was released on March 4, 2011. The trailer featured possible gameplay in Victorian London, new costumes and weapons for Alice, the reprised roles of some of the voice cast from the first game, and the appearance of old and new characters including a resurrected Jabberwock and the Dodo
; after the trailer the Cheshire Cat says "Now it's time to put your blade to work". One can also hear Alice's Vorpal Blade being equipped as the title card comes up.
Gamespot
released footage of a gameplay demo whilst interviewing an EA executive producer Joel Wade in April. In the video, numerous details about the game were revealed. Wade explained storywise after Alice left Rutledge Asylum, she is an orphan and now lives in an orphanage, and the home's director is helping her to escape her insanity. Gameplay showed Alice can unlock and use several weapons, which can be upgraded by collecting teeth throughout the game. Weapons including the Vorpal Blade, the Pepper Grinder which acts as a projectile machine gun
-like weapon, the Clockwork Bomb, the club-like Hobby Horse, and the explosive Teapot Cannon. Alice also collects "memories" that are part of her quest to recall forgotten memories from her past. Enemies are described as having "puzzle elements", namely their weak point which the player must figure out to defeat them.
On May 20, 2011, a prequel to Madness Returns, titled Alice: Madness Returns Interactive Story, was released as an "app" exclusively for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. A port for Android Phones is in development. The app plays as a book that requires you to interact with illustrations and at many times allows you to play mini-games. The story covers the events even before the original game all the way to the events directly before Alice: Madness Returns.
On June 3, 2011, a final launch trailer was released. This showed some bosses, Alice fighting enemies, The Cheshire Cat giving Alice hints, and more.
There is also a leaked trailer that is in fact a beta trailer and only used for technical service. There is many content and enemies removed the final content.
gave the title a score of 7 out of 10. The reviewer stated that "Playing Alice: Madness Returns isn't as exciting as looking at it, but you'll still enjoy getting lost in this twisted fantasy adventure." IGN
awarded the console versions of the title with a rating of 6.5/10. Stating that "On one hand, Alice: Madness Returns presents a fantastically imagined vision of Wonderland full of secrets, collectables, and wondrous areas of classic platforming to explore. But through questionable level design, graphical inconsistency, and repetitive gameplay, I was pulled out of the experience more than I would have liked. Alice: Madness Returns is a memorable peek through a flawed looking glass."
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
released on June 14, 2011, in North America, June 16, 2011, in Europe and June 17, 2011, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is the sequel to the 2000 Windows and Mac
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
video game American McGee's Alice
American McGee's Alice
American McGee's Alice is a third-person action game released for PC on October 6, 2000. The game, developed by Rogue Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts, is set in an alternative universe of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
. McGee
American McGee
-Career:McGee began his career at id Software, working on level design, music production, sound effects development, and programming in such games as Doom, Doom II, Quake, and Quake II. In 1998, he moved to Electronic Arts, where he worked as creative director on several projects, including...
, who designed the original game, returns to design the sequel after EA
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
partnered with McGee's studio Spicy Horse
Spicy Horse
Spicy Horse is a Shanghai-based independent, video game developer started by American McGee in 2007.-History:The studio was established in 2007. It was called a studio "leading the way" in episodic games. It is currently the largest independent Western developer in China.Spicy Horse employs more...
. On April 20, 2011, Electronic Arts confirmed reports that new copies of Alice: Madness Returns on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 will contain a one-time-use download code for a copy of the original American McGee's Alice, originally released on PC in 2000, playable on their console if purchased through EA. Those who do not have the code can purchase the game through Madness Returns main menu for 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live or $9.99 on PlayStation Network. The Alice: Madness Returns game disc will be required in order to access American McGee's Alice.
Gameplay
Alice: Madness Returns is a third-person action-adventure gameAction-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
. The player controls Alice for the entirety of the game for running, jumping, dodging and attacking.
In combat, Alice gains a small number of weapons that can be utilized in several ways. Her primary weapon is a vorpal blade, but she can also use a pepper grinder to rapidly hit a target from afar, a teapot cannon to launch an area attack, a hobby horse that can be used for powerful strikes or breaking down fragile walls, and a clockwork bomb that attracts enemies or can be used as counterweight for various puzzles. By collecting teeth that are dropped by foes or found scattered about the levels, the player can upgrade some of these items to more powerful versions. Alice's health is tracked by a number of rose petals. Should Alice's health fall to zero during game play, the player will be forced to start at the most recent checkpoint. Falling off platforms into bottomless pits or dangerous liquids will not damage Alice but restart her at a nearby platform.
While working each level, the player can discover various secrets. A primary mechanic is to use Alice's shrinking potion to reduce in size, allowing her to walk through small spaces like keyholes, but also reveals invisible platforms and surfaces; after returning to normal size, these platforms will slowly fade back to invisibility, requiring the player to remember their location. Pig's snouts, which make noise when the player is close, can be struck with the pepper sprayer to reveal new paths. Radula rooms provide a short challenge to the player, which on completion grants a jar of paint; obtaining four jars earns the player another rose for Alice's health. Memories can be picked up that provide voiceovers revealing parts of the game's backstory.
Upon completion, the player can start a new game plus
New Game Plus
A New Game Plus is an unlockable video game mode that allows the player to start a new game after they finish the game at least once, where certain aspects of the finished game, such as experience or items, affect the newly started game...
, letting them play through the game again but keeping all their weapons and upgrades from the previous attempt. From the menu, the player can also review the memories that they have found within the game.
Plot
Within events of the first game, Alice Liddell becomes insane, believing herself responsible for a fire that consumed her home and her family, escaping into a twisted version of WonderlandWonderland
-Literature:*Wonderland , the setting of Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland*Wonderland , a 1971 novel by Joyce Carol Oates...
. While held at Rutledge Asylum for treatment, Alice was able to conquer her doubts, and eventually was released from the ward. In Alice: Madness Returns, a year has passed since Alice's release. She now resides at an orphanage in Victorian London under the care of Doctor Angus Bumby, a psychiatrist that uses hypnotism to help his child patients forget their memories. Though she believes herself cured of her madness, hallucinations of Wonderland continue to appear.
During an errand, Alice is struck by an hallucination and believes herself to be in Wonderland again. Though initially idyllic, the peaceful land quickly becomes corrupted by the Infernal Train that rampages through it, leaving behind the Ruin, a force that attempts to stop Alice. Alice meets with the Cheshire Cat
Cheshire Cat
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll's depiction of it in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Known for his distinctive mischievous grin, the Cheshire Cat has had a notable impact on popular culture.-Origins:...
who affirms that it is some outside force, not Alice, that has caused this corruption, and urges her to seek out former friend and foe to discover the source of the Train. Throughout the rest of the game, the player witnesses periods where Alice briefly returns to reality between episodes occurring within Wonderland. In the real world, Alice learns from the family lawyer that her sister, Lizzie, was first to die in the fire, despite being the farthest from its source, and had been locked in her room.
Within the corrupted Wonderland, Alice attempts to learn more from Wonderland's various citizens, including the Mad Hatter, the Mock Turtle
Mock Turtle
The Mock Turtle is a fictional character devised by Lewis Carroll from his popular book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Its name is taken from a dish that was popular in the Victorian period, mock turtle soup....
, the Walrus and the Carpenter
The Walrus and the Carpenter
"The Walrus and the Carpenter" is a narrative poem by Lewis Carroll that appeared in his book Through the Looking-Glass, published in December 1871. The poem is recited in chapter four, by Tweedledum and Tweedledee to Alice. The poem is composed of 18 stanzas and contains 108 lines, in an...
, and the Caterpillar
Caterpillar (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
The Caterpillar is a fictional character appearing in Lewis Carroll's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.-Appearance in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:...
. She is ultimately told that the Queen of Hearts
Queen of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
The Queen of Hearts is a character from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by the writer and mathematician Lewis Carroll. She is a foul-tempered monarch, that Carroll himself pictured as "a blind fury", and who is quick to decree death sentences at the slightest offense...
still lives despite her defeat at Alice's hands before, though in diminished capacity. At the Queen's castle, Alice discovers the Queen has taken on the appearance of Lizzie. The Queen reveals that an entity called the Doll Maker has taken over the Infernal Train and is corrupting Wonderland.
On return to London, Alice starts to recall her memories of the night of the fire, and realizes that Dr. Bumby was there. She comes to the conclusion that Dr. Bumby is attempting to erase the memories of the fire from her mind, and as he has done with other children, trying to leave her as a "blank toy" to be taken by child molesters for a price. Furious, Alice accosts both Dr. Bumby in the real world at the Moorgate station
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
train station and Dr. Bumby's Wonderland counterpart, the Doll Maker, in her fantasy. Dr. Bumby admits to his crime, and even attests to setting Alice's home on fire after Lizzie refused his advances, removing any witnesses. He continues to point out that by wiping out her Wonderland, she too will forget the events of that night, while he will continue to be seen as an upper-class member of society. Alice fights and defeats the Doll Maker in Wonderland, giving her the strength in the real world to push Dr. Bumby into the path of an oncoming train. As Alice leaves the station, she finds herself in a hybrid vision of London mixed with Wonderland. Alice wanders into the somewhat unknown "Londerland" terrain as the Cheshire Cat monologues that Alice's memories, though damaged, are safe for the time being.
Development
Rumors of a sequel to Alice first developed shortly after the original game was released to critical and commercial success, though at that time, the development team behind the original were working on the ultimately-cancelled spin-off, American McGee's Oz. With a movie adaptation of American McGee's Alice in development at the time, interest at Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
rose in a remake of the game and work was started on a sequel. However, when the movie adaptation fell through, plans for a sequel were shelved, and remained so for nearly a decade.
At the February 2009 D.I.C.E. Summit
D.I.C.E. Summit
D.I.C.E. Summit is an annual multi-day gathering of video game executives held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Established in 2002 by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the conference is host to the annual Entertainment Software Association's Interactive Achievement Awards...
, EA announced a sequel, which at the time had the working title The Return of American McGee's Alice. Two pieces of concept art accompanied the announcement, along with the information that the original game's writer and executive producer would also return for the sequel. In November of that year, a fan-made trailer (with the title "The Return of Alice") was mistaken by gaming news outlets as an official teaser for the game, in which Alice is in therapy after a relapse
Relapse
Relapse, in relation to drug misuse, is resuming the use of a drug or a dependent substance after one or more periods of abstinence. The term is a landmark feature of both substance dependence and substance abuse, which are learned behaviors, and is maintained by neuronal adaptations that mediate...
nine months following the events of the first game, and appears to hallucinate
Hallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
an image of the Cheshire Cat
Cheshire Cat
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll's depiction of it in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Known for his distinctive mischievous grin, the Cheshire Cat has had a notable impact on popular culture.-Origins:...
in place of her doctor.
At EA's Studio Showcase on July 20, 2010, more details about the game were shown, including its current title, Alice: Madness Returns. In addition to further pieces of concept art and actual, in-game screenshots, the first official teaser was released. Despite (or perhaps because of) the fan video eight months prior, it also portrays Alice in therapy: after being hypnotized
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
by her doctor in a bizarre office filled with dismembered arms hanging from the ceiling, as she opens her mouth to speak, large amounts of blood and teeth pour out. As the game title appears, a whispering voice is heard saying, "Alice... what have you done?"
During the 2010 Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
, new assets, including a second trailer, were released. Alice is seen strolling through a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
street, and eventually approaches an area littered with toys and a toy store window, which contains a set depicting the Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter
Hatta, the Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the story's sequel, Through the Looking-Glass. He is often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll...
, the Dormouse
Dormouse (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
The Dormouse is a character in "A Mad Tea-Party", Chapter VII from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. He sat between the March Hare and the Hatter...
and the March Hare
March Hare
Haigha, the March Hare is a character most famous for appearing in the tea party scene in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.The main character, Alice, hypothesises,...
taking tea. Suddenly, she sees an image of her deceased parents in the window's reflection, but turns around to find no one there. The window begins to burn and the silhouette of the Queen of Hearts
Queen of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
The Queen of Hearts is a character from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by the writer and mathematician Lewis Carroll. She is a foul-tempered monarch, that Carroll himself pictured as "a blind fury", and who is quick to decree death sentences at the slightest offense...
appears before it explodes in flames, and the Queen's tentacles drag Alice into the inferno. Like the previous trailer, it ends with a voice saying "What have you done?"
On February 14, 2011, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
's "In-Game" website unveiled the third teaser trailer as well as a brief interview with American McGee regarding the game. The third teaser depicts Alice wandering around an initially beautiful Wonderland, eventually coming across the Caterpillar
Caterpillar (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
The Caterpillar is a fictional character appearing in Lewis Carroll's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.-Appearance in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:...
, who transforms into a giant, menacing butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
as the landscape is attacked by fiery phoenix
Phoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
es and turned into a nightmarish world reminiscent of the original game's landscapes. Alice finds herself sitting at a tea party with the Mad Hatter, March Hare
March Hare
Haigha, the March Hare is a character most famous for appearing in the tea party scene in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.The main character, Alice, hypothesises,...
and Dormouse. The Hatter sends a robotic teapot to kill Alice, who in turns stabs it to death in the eye with the Vorpal Blade. She grins eerily as a voice asks "What have you done?"
A fourth trailer, showing gameplay footage for the first time and entitled "Beautiful Insanity", was released on March 4, 2011. The trailer featured possible gameplay in Victorian London, new costumes and weapons for Alice, the reprised roles of some of the voice cast from the first game, and the appearance of old and new characters including a resurrected Jabberwock and the Dodo
Dodo (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
-Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland version:The Dodo, who in this adaptation of the book is named Uilleam and is portrayed by Michael Gough, bears a down of brilliant blue and is one of Alice's advisers, who also took first note of her identity as the true Alice. Mysteriously, the dodo vanishes...
; after the trailer the Cheshire Cat says "Now it's time to put your blade to work". One can also hear Alice's Vorpal Blade being equipped as the title card comes up.
Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
released footage of a gameplay demo whilst interviewing an EA executive producer Joel Wade in April. In the video, numerous details about the game were revealed. Wade explained storywise after Alice left Rutledge Asylum, she is an orphan and now lives in an orphanage, and the home's director is helping her to escape her insanity. Gameplay showed Alice can unlock and use several weapons, which can be upgraded by collecting teeth throughout the game. Weapons including the Vorpal Blade, the Pepper Grinder which acts as a projectile machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
-like weapon, the Clockwork Bomb, the club-like Hobby Horse, and the explosive Teapot Cannon. Alice also collects "memories" that are part of her quest to recall forgotten memories from her past. Enemies are described as having "puzzle elements", namely their weak point which the player must figure out to defeat them.
On May 20, 2011, a prequel to Madness Returns, titled Alice: Madness Returns Interactive Story, was released as an "app" exclusively for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. A port for Android Phones is in development. The app plays as a book that requires you to interact with illustrations and at many times allows you to play mini-games. The story covers the events even before the original game all the way to the events directly before Alice: Madness Returns.
On June 3, 2011, a final launch trailer was released. This showed some bosses, Alice fighting enemies, The Cheshire Cat giving Alice hints, and more.
There is also a leaked trailer that is in fact a beta trailer and only used for technical service. There is many content and enemies removed the final content.
Reception
Alice: Madness Returns has received mixed to positive reviews from critics with the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions getting 69 and 68 out of 100 on Metacritic respectively. The PC version has a rating of 78 on GameRankings and 79 on Metacritic. GamespotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the title a score of 7 out of 10. The reviewer stated that "Playing Alice: Madness Returns isn't as exciting as looking at it, but you'll still enjoy getting lost in this twisted fantasy adventure." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
awarded the console versions of the title with a rating of 6.5/10. Stating that "On one hand, Alice: Madness Returns presents a fantastically imagined vision of Wonderland full of secrets, collectables, and wondrous areas of classic platforming to explore. But through questionable level design, graphical inconsistency, and repetitive gameplay, I was pulled out of the experience more than I would have liked. Alice: Madness Returns is a memorable peek through a flawed looking glass."