Alice: Madness Returns (2011)

This title is a dark action-adventure platformer that prioritizes mood, symbolism, and visual storytelling over mechanical complexity. As a sequel to American McGee’s Alice, which I didn't even knew before playing this one, it continues the reimagining of Wonderland as a manifestation of Alice's damaged psyche. Set in Victorian London, it displays Wonderland not as a fairy-tale escape, but as a distorted mental environment shaped by trauma, guilt, and suppressed memories. This psychological angle immediately sets the tone and distinguishes the game from most action titles of its era. Thought it is not enough to hold back from its various outdated flaws, even at the time of its release.

Its art-style is definitely one of its biggest standouts, even for today's standards, each chapter introduces a wildly different place of the Wonderland world. It ranges from decaying toylands to grotesque organic realms and industrial nightmares. These locations are rich in metaphor, often reflecting Alice’s mental state and past experiences. The art direction is bold, blending beauty with horror in a way that feel games at the time, and even today, managed to achieve. The OST further enhances this atmosphere, using melancholic themes that reinforce the sense of isolation and emotional instability.

It presents a mature psychological narrative such as childhood trauma, denial, and identity, and it does so in a way that trusts you to interpret its symbolism. Much of the storytelling is indirect, delivered through environmental cues, character dialogue, and fragmented memories. Though in no way it is hard to follow the plot, you don't really need to try to read every bit of extra information the game trows at you. While this approach adds depth and encourages reflection, it also contributes to pacing issues. It has long stretches of gameplay can pass without development, and it doesn't particularly gas gameplay variety enough to keep everything interesting.

As for the gameplay, it is serviceable but clearly secondary to presentation and theme. Platforming is generally well-designed, with creative level layouts, though it re-uses a lot of the same mechanics, while under-using others presented late-game, or even just on a single section. As for the combat, it is a classic Hack'N Slash from its era, so you won't be having a lot of options besides a handful of melee and ranged upgradable weapons. Boss encounters are visually memorable but mechanically simple, emphasizing spectacle and presenting very little challenge, especially compared to similar titles of the same era.

Now, when it comes to the PC port, it is by far my biggest complaint. I had to find a patch in order to make the game run properly, otherwise it would not go beyond 30fps, with insanely unstable frame-rate. This is a product of its time and, PC ports of the same era all had similar issues, this is yet just another victim. Fortunately, the kind PC community released a patch recently that can fix the performance issues, not to mention it has a lot of QOL which the original developers never had the decency to account for. I highly recommend looking for it if your platform is the PC, it is called "MadnessPatch" by "Wemino". In the end, this title is best viewed as a cult classic, but I simply cannot recommend it, one of the most skippable games I can think of.

“I didn't come back here looking for a fight.” “Really? That’s a pity. One’s certainly looking for you.”

(4.5⭐️) A new all time favourite game oh my GODDDDD. This was truly exceptional. I have so much to say but i’m going to try and keep it brief :>

I like to write notes while i play games on the things that stuck out to me, and of course the top thing on that list were the domain designs. I felt like they just got more and more beautiful as the game went on.. but ESPECIALLY Queensland. Her classic and notorious red manifesting itself in blood and flesh and tendons, the squelchy sound everywhere you walk, the card enemies, THE SOUNDTRACK THEME, i could die. And do not even get me STARTED on Alice’s outfits, i need all of them immediately.

I know quite a few people who have complaints for the game are regarding its length/repetition, however i didn’t really find this to be an issue? With the constantly changing an evolving area’s and new enemies and puzzles specific to each domain, i never found it to be dull at all. The only time i felt this slightly was in The Dollhouse which was was my least favourite domain, but still enjoyable :>

I would highly recommend this, not just for the story but the gaming experience as a whole. Truly WONDERFUL :>

The graphics are genuinely gorgeous. The world, the creature designs, Alice (the hair physics!), the fact that her appearance and outfit changes depending on the chapter you're in to better match the area around you (a mermaid-esque dress for the Deluded Depths, a dark steampunk look for the Hatter's Domain, a soft floral outfit for the Mysterious East), it's all beautiful - even if that beauty is sometimes a very twisted brand of it. The additional outfits are wonderful, too - I personally love the Late But Lucky, Cheshire, and Hattress dresses (she has cogs for pupils!). The Vale of Tears is beautiful, especially in the moments before the game begins to pull out the darker stuff, and the Cardbridge genuinely took my breath away.

The game mostly focuses on Alice (who is great by herself - I've read a fair number of essays on how important her character and how her mental health/story was handled were), but there are some fascinating and well-conceptualised supporting characters too. The Cheshire Cat has always been a favourite, as has his appearance, the Carpenter is always fun to get to again on replays, and the Queen of Hearts is beautifully designed. The main antagonist is appropriately sinister and ominous.

I thought the voice acting was pretty good, and everyone's approaches to their lines fit well with the tone of the game. Alice's voice is sharp and she hits the emotional beats pretty well, and the Cheshire Cat and Bumby are stand-outs.

The plot is dark and potentially upsetting for younger players, but I got into this game at 11-12 and loved it, so your mileage may vary. It weaves between twisted and dreamlike while in Wonderland to depressingly realistic while in London or when confronting Alice's mental state.

Platformers aren't usually my thing, but I really enjoyed the platforming in this game. The different worlds keep everything varied and interesting, and there are always different things to keep you on your toes - you're platforming over dominoes in Vale of Tears, giant cogs and steam jets in Hatter's Domain, paper fans in the Mysterious East, floating playing cards in the Cardbridge, etc. The combat is fun enough, with a variety of different and interesting weapons to unlock along the way, and I found myself having to be pretty strategic about when to dodge and when to attack and when to back off, so it wasn't just mindless slashing.

If Lewis Carroll had a fever dream after a bad batch of mushrooms at a Brothers Grim party, Alice: Madness Returns would be the result. This game is a dark, visually stunning, and whimsical in the most mind screwing and disturbing way possible. You play as Alice, a troubled young woman with more emotional baggage than multiple trips on the Oregon trail could possibly provide. She is struggling with her shattered psyche, slicing and dicing her way through a nightmarish dreamscape with weapons that are as beautiful as they are brutal. Can there be such a thing as elegant carnage? I think the developers checked that box. I mean…A teapot that sprays scalding liquid death? Sure, why not?

The art direction is where Madness Returns shines—every chapter feels like stepping into a deranged, hand-painted nightmare. The steampunk cities (I love!) to dollhouse horror shows, (which really creeped me out), the game constantly surprises with its gothic beauty. However, the gameplay occasionally feels like an uninvited guest. Platforming can be floaty, combat is repetitive, and some sections wear out their welcome. There are times the camera will cut away to show you were to go, which is fine, except when it isn’t. There are sections that the timing must be spot on to make platform connections in a timed section to get across an area or gap and the camera cut away does not stop the clock.

That said, the story is grim, unraveling Alice’s tragic past is a fascinating story. The psychological horror elements hit hard, making you question whether Wonderland is Alice’s salvation or just another layer of her madness. My final Verdict: I ADORE Alice: Madness Returns. Don’t get me wrong, It’s flawed, but not in a bad way—like a shattered teacup still fit for drinking. If you love dark fantasy, twisted storytelling, and wielding whimsical deadly weapons, this is a ride worth taking. Just don’t expect a happy ending.

So, I have a major history with this game. I remember watching the teaser trailer a million times on youtube when I was 12 or 13 years old, just completely infatuated with the idea of a horror rendition of Alice in Wonderland. I was an edgy teen back then and I even wanted to dye my hair black like Alice in the game (though my mom didn't allow me to do that). I never got to play the game since I didn't have a gaming pc or PS3 as a kid all the way up until now. I finally decided to play it starting in 2023, and ending in 2024 due to being busy with life.

As I said before, the game's strongest suit lies in its aesthetics. the world and artstyle are dark, gory and often symbolize parts of the story. I was often genuinely creeped out or terrified by the monsters and enemies. The music is also awesome, though there could have been more songs made (especially with how long some chapters dragged on). And that's really the downfall of this game, the gameplay. Each chapter was WAY too long. I sometimes dreaded levels, feeling like ''this time it's truly finished and I move on the next chapter, right?'' Nope, here's 3 more hours of fighting the same enemies over and over, doing the same platforming schpiel I just did, and doing the same puzzles over and over. Don't get me wrong, some puzzles were fun and neatly designed, but they were recycled. The game also bugged out on me numerous times. During the final boss fight, I suddenly couldn't jump. I thought maybe it was part of the final fight (maybe jumping wasnt necessary anymore because there was no more platforming to be done?) but because of that, one move was unavoidable and I kept getting hit. After restarting it indeed turned out to be a bug. It's too bad, because with a bit more polish to remove some of the bugs and either making the levels shorter (which I wouldn't have minded at all) or giving them more variety, this game would have been perfect.

I'm also very sad that the sequel to this game (or I guess the third part) is officially cancelled because EA is being an ass about the IP of Alice. Anyways, if you're wondering about this playing this game, I'd say definitely give it a try and try to forgive the existing bugs and flaws of this game. You can still certainly have a fun time with this if you enjoy (psychological) horror and creepy looking designs and atmosphere. This game definitely has a special place in my heart <3

As a fan of American McGee's Alice, I had high hopes... and I struggle to express how immensely disappointing this follow-up is, balls to bones. It feels like a tribute game that a fan built in Unity - a bafflingly buggy, repetitive mess loaded with weak level design choices and a story that both retcons and makes irrelevant the original (and far better) story.

The world design of Wonderland is by far the best element, but it also draws unfair comparison to Psychonauts, which this game desperately wishes it was. There's even a hidden Raz corpse in the game; all too accurate as playing this feels like the programming leads at Double Fine died halfway through development. All the characters now have bloated bubble heads and the children in particular occupy a deep, dark pit in the uncanny valley.

The camera is the only real element of madness, sporting a targeting system that feels pre-Ocarina Of Time in its sheer inability to keep you locked into combat. The platforming, complicated by a secret-revealing system that involves crouching of all things, is abysmal. They've thrown in a quad-jump and float mechanic that does nothing to make up for the failure to implement a working double jump and actual fun. Chuck in a frustrating checkpoint system for good measure, while you're at it.

Adding insult to injury is just how self-serious the game is, including a truly half-baked murder/gaslighting plot and - I'm not kidding, spoiler/content warning - child trafficking and molestation. The various nods towards Victorian psychological treatments are trite and grotesque, and there's a thread of Orientalism running through Chapter 3 that feels... really ugly for 2011, if I'm honest. The writing and voice acting have plummeted in quality, and it's a true shame.

If you haven't played American McGee's Alice, I'd highly recommend it. It's dated significantly of course, and has its flaws, but its seriously charming. Its world design, story and vocals are genuinely memorable. This game, however, begs to be forgotten.

Look, I can see why people praise this game. The imagery, aesthetics, atmosphere, puzzles, weapon variety and a creepy take on Alice's tale. Supposedly, it's all there but... it's definitely not for me.

I enjoyed the first level of this game and that's it. I didn't have fun at all with everything else. Combat is annoying, puzzles are tiresome, music feels superficial, platforming goes on forever and the story just isn't well told. I liked the ending, but the road towards it was the worst.

What absolutely killed this game was how tedious it is. Levels are unnecessarily HUGE, padded and bloated. Combat may have some cool weapons, but fighting is boring as hell. Not to mention the excessive use of the same puzzles, gimmicks, platforming tricks etc over and over again.

Alice Madness Returns, in my experience, is a game that takes forever and amounts to nothing. It's better than the first one, yes, but that doesn't mean much. A waste of time, after all.

Finally, after all this years I was able to play and finish this game. I have to say my expectations grew to (six) impossible standards in my head, but it somehow was up to my wildest dreams.

I mean, it's a really janky game. The combat camera is absolutely terrible and locking on an enemy was a sureway to getting killed. It also overstays its welcome a little and every chapter could have been at least 30 minutes shorter and be better for it.

The narration is also kinda "choppy" and the cutscenes could have been better implemented in the game. Some voice actor are wonderful, but others are terrible.

But good lord what a game! What assault to the senses! As an ex-goth kid, I just loved the aesthetics and music. I stopped at every new section just to appreaciate the details on the levels, enemy designs and costumes. Even with the camera problems, combat was fun and the platforming puzles very satisfying, at least until they star repeating the same gimmicks.

The plot was really good too. I was expecting it to be dark and cruel, but not this dark and cruel! OMG! It goes to places where AAA and AA games don't usually go. This is the territory of itch.io indie games that go head-on on abuse themes.

At first, I didn't understood why there were so many doll heads in the enemies and levels, once you understand what they represent you get horrified.

In other time, I would have restarted inmediatly this game and even try to get 100% items and secrets. I no longer have the patience for that in a game like this (its about 15 hours and it should be at least 4 shorter), but I'm already downloading the artbook so I can experience its magnificent and disturbing aesthetics again.

I’m a sucker for twisted tales and dark atmospheres, and based on the little I had seen this game seemed to fit the bill. In this sense, not only did Alice: Madness Returns not disappoint, it actually surpassed my expectations. There is much to praise here, but the visual and sound design needs to take centerstage. This is likely the best realisation of a dark fairytale I’ve ever seen in any game, and the perfect showcase of how a strong aesthetic sense can completely overshadow poor texture quality (the game clearly shows its age in that regard). AMR is the stuff of beautiful nightmares. There is a haunting, magical, Tim Burtonesque vibe permeating it from start to finish poured into its dreamlike visuals but also into its hypnotic music. In fact the audio work is quite impressive as a whole, with top notch voice acting and the perfectly timed dialogue lines in the moments where characters interrupt each other (why is it that so many games still struggle with this?). The world is so unique, alluring and actively rewarding that you keep wanting to explore every nook and cranny, find every secret, every memory, even bottle, every Radula Room. This is, bar none, AMR’s greatest achievement, and the game fully deserves to be experienced for that alone.

Not on the same level, but still quite remarkable are the creative and, for the most part, well realised mechanics. There is a ton of variety here that cuts across genres in a way I didn’t expect. You get solid iterations of 2D and especially 3D platforming, side-scrolling sub-levels, rhythmic mini-games, fast slide segments, different kinds of puzzles, shrinking mechanics, an awesome giant sequence and a satisfying, punchy combat and weapon system that offers a mix of hack and slash and shooter mechanics with butterfly dodge and a deflection umbrella to boot. Most of this is very accomplished, but some also highlight the fact that, at times, the game is too creative for its own good. For all its originality and uniqueness, AMR is also very much a product of its time, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the lack of polish affecting some of these mechanics. The game still feels overall great to play in 2022, but there is a bit of jank to the combat, camera angles are often unhelpful, and a couple of its creative segments simply don’t have the necessary technical refinement to make them enjoyable (the baby head platforming is particularly infuriating in this regard). Personally, I feel more would’ve been gained by doing away with its mechanically rougher segments rather than what was gained by their inclusion. Aside from all this, another thing worth mentioning is the story, or at least the imagery of it, which is delightfully twisted and bonkers. More so, I’m assuming, if like myself you’ve never played the first game and have very little knowledge of the Wonderland lore.

My main gripe with the AMR is its unnecessary length. The game is so self-indulgent in this way that it’s almost impossible for me to understand the reasoning behind it. All levels feel longer than they needed to be, a couple of them considerably so, which means they often end up feeling too repetitive and, ultimately, less engaging as a result. But chapter 5 was absurdly, painfully, hideously long, to the point where, by the time I got to the much shorter chapter 6, I just wanted to be done with the damn thing. A disappointment and a true shame, and I can’t remember the last time I felt this in a game, where my very positive impressions of its first 2 thirds felt so at odds with my impression of its final act. Couple it with the fact that, every so often, you’d get permanently locked out of an area you hadn’t fully explored yet, without any previous indication of which part to explore first, and it’s fair to say that the level design is the game’s greatest blunder.

I still had genuine fun with Madness Returns when all was said and done. On top of all its creative blend of genres, there is a magnificent, visceral, weird and gripping tone to its world building that makes it stand out from anything that came out from that era. This is a horror story that frankly feels fresh even with you hold it against most horror games of today. The consistent quality in aesthetics and creative offerings is undeniably there. I just wish the pacing and level design had been catered to in the same way. 7.5

CONTAINS SPOILERS

I know a lot of people love this game and I understand why. But to me, this game was bad, really bad. I quit playing during chapter 2 and watched a compilation of all the cutscenes on YT after that. My following lists are based on my "short"* gameplay and all the cutscenes. Ironically a lot of the stuff I disliked I liked at first. I understand this review comes off as whiny but I honestly don't care.

Stuff I liked

-The music

-The artstyle

-The mainstory

-Alice's outfit changes

-Alice pushing the doctor in front of the train!!!!!

-How the game sheds light on child abuse

-Floating in the air. I know this is random AF but I really loved it lol.

-The overall creepiness

Stuff I disliked

-The root of it all, why I quit playing: The gameplay is SO DAMN repetitive. I liked it at first, but after a while it bored me.

-The stories in Wonderland. Maybe it's because English isn't my first language and I have a hard time concentrating in general or maybe it's the game itself, but I didn't understand most of the plot IN Wonderland. Nothing what was happening made sense to me. I know that's kinda the point of the story of Alice In Wonderland in general but still.. it annoyed me a lot.

-The weird, random characters in Wonderland. Again, I liked and appreciated them at first but after a while the weirdness got old.

-*Chapter one was way too long and I've read from other reviews the other chapters are the same.

A solid but far from perfect (camera can be clunky and the lack of real bosses to mention a few flaws) 3d action-puzzle platformer with a very twisted and dark narrative

The closest you'll ever get from being protagonist in a Tim Burton screenplay

I would love to resume the story line in a couple of paragraphs, but it would spoil the fun. One thing for sure, as a book it would be extremely disturbing as it involves mental disorders, murders, sex trafficking and pedophilia.

Too bad the dev studio is no-more.

Beautifully crafted, atmospheric and very fun to play.

4/5 (bad) LSD Tablets ☯️☯️☯️☯️

Played it for about 15 hours, finished chapter 4, but then decided to watch the last two chapters on youtube. And it was a great decision.

I really liked the game at first, because the platforming and combat are solid. The story and art style are incredibly original and nuanced, they are definitely the highlights of the game. But this game’s issue is the length of its levels and consequently its repetition. The levels are way too long! Chapter 5 was probably 3-4 hours of repetitive platforming, just for about 10 minutes of cutscenes. I decided to skip it (life's too short for playing games that bore you) and I’m happy I saved the time because it just wasn’t fun anymore.

The ending is great and the villain well done. I love the ambiguity of the ending.