7 Highlights of An Underrated Game - Alice: Madness Returns

Don't mind the blood stained knife ... It's probably fake for all we know ...

Out there, there are tons of games which are absolutely brilliant … but practically no one knows about them. Okay, maybe some people. And I’ve stumbled (randomly) upon a very, uh, lovely game by the name of Alice: Madness Returns. It is perhaps one of the greatest and most gripping reimagining of C.S Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Why? Well, it’s a game for starters … But anyway … So, because I’ve been so incredibly charmed by this game … I need to write about it. And praise it. A lot. So here we go!~

1.    Innovative reimagining

Like I said before, Alice: Madness Returns is possibly one of the greatest reimagining of Alice in Wonderland, and it genuinely reflects the original, though portrayed in a really dark light. Oh wait … that was contradictory, but yeah, whatever. Anyway, the dainty Wonderland along with its inhabitants become new as Madness Returns warps their personality and appearance. Dark themes jump all around, like murder, insanity, horror, some realistic themes, and just all ‘round creepiness – characters like the Cheshire Cat turn from whimsical bright-eyed weirdos into creepy, nearly malicious, and devilish monsters. And it is awesome. Because it’s handled so brilliantly.

2.    Thorough exploration/platforming

Madness Returns is a platformer than anything else. Well, there’s lots of action too … but the platforming. Like a cross between Zelda and Mario, added with lots of insanity!~ Anyway, you have the normal stuff; jumping, stuff to land on. And then you have gliding, and … twirling (yes, interesting name) and ironically, “shrinking.” Gliding is self-explanatory, but twirling … well, another name for double jumping. Just cooler. Butterflies!~ Ok, so back to business; the platforming is just fantastic – the jumping and gliding and twirling fits so seamlessly into the game and they just have this really great feel to them. Oh, and you can shrink too. After drowning yourself in purple stuff. And it’s really awesome. Shrinking allows you (obviously) to crawl into small spaces, and it even let’s you see … things. Like, weird drawings all over the place, which are actually hints, even invisible platforms for some extremely well-designed jumping. Anyway, the platforming and the exploration are definitely top-notch.

3.    Slick combat

You know, I thought the combat quite resembled Zelda, especially with weapon changing and Z-Targeting. But anyway, fighting is just a blast. Actually ... it’s more like a blood bath than anything else. A very satisfying one. Anyway, I should start talking about it, right? So basically, it’s a bit like a button masher, with six different weapons. It’s a mix and match kind of thing, so you can get really creative with your combos. Ranged attacks also come with precise aiming, for when auto-aim keeps targeting pesky grunts. And with this, comes dodging, manoeuvring, that kind of stuff. And plus, it all mashes together perfectly. Hacking and shooting, with these awesome little pauses in time before an enemy hits you for a quick dodge - nothing is too overpowered, or useless; it’s perfectly balanced and flows with the rest of the incredibly well designed world. It is awesome.

4.    Interesting story/continuation

Madness Returns features a storyline continuing from the previous Alice game; Alice is now no longer insane (er, well, that's debatable really...) and works at an asylum for kids. And it is creepy. But still, the tale folds out exceptionally well, and Alice's tale is actually interesting to hear. And it ends with that "ah-that-was-a-good-movie" kind of feeling. And you really wish it wasn't over.

5.    Collectibles galore

There is so much to collect in this game. Seriously. Teeth, bottles, "radula rooms", awesomely designed dresses, pig snouts (yes ... pig snouts), and memories. And it really makes the journey more fulfilling, especially with memories; they play interesting little clips about the world of Alice, and it fits with how Alice is trying to regain sanity and all that stuff.

6.    Beautiful art direction

The world of Wonderland is ... well, wonderful! ... Wonderfully creepy at least. But there is so much colour! At least, when you're not in Hysteria Mode ... but anyway, Wonderland has some great environments, and they're pulled off with style. Seriously, I have not seen a more beautifully insane world in a while... The art style alone is enough to catch your attention ... aside from the blood stains everywhere.

7.    Immersive universe

This one's a bit general, but once you fall into the world of Madness Returns ... you get stuck there. There are all of these characters and worlds to discover and weapons, dresses, everything! It's such a detailed world, and it's just brilliant to immerse yourself in such a fantastically realised reimagining of Alice in Wonderland!

Ok! I think that's enough waffling for now!~ But I have to admit, at first, I was a bit put off by the horror. But I still had some interest ... but now, I am very much in love with the world of Alice: Madness Returns. One of the many diamonds in the rough of the gaming world!~

Sums up Alice: Madness Returns.