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Alice:
Madness Returns
Score: 7.0 / 10
You don’t need to be an English Literature
high school teacher to know that Alice in Wonderland is a pretty freaky
book. Often theorized to be the drug-induced writings of a madman
author, Lewis Carroll’s series of books inspired many disturbing
interpretations beyond Disney’s toned-down animated classic. Even their
recent Tim Burton re-imagining doesn’t hold a candle to American McGee’s
nightmarish PC adaption, which takes the bizarre but ultimately family
friendly story of the original
and turns Alice into a committed inmate in
an insane asylum who escapes into the twisted and violent Wonderland
inside her psyche in order to overcome the trauma of losing her family
in a fire.
The original PC game earned a strong cult following, which banned
together in angry protest when plans for a live movie adaption were
scrapped in favor
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of Disney’s less-gruesome adaption. While
McGee’s darker vision lost the chance to fill up Hot Topic, at least
it’s finally received a sequel eleven years later.
In Madness Returns, young Alice has been released from the asylum but is
no closer to overcoming her inner demons. Forced to live in a rundown
orphanage while receiving ineffective psychotherapy, a chance encounter
with a familiar white cat sends her spiralling back down the rabbit hole
and into Wonderland, which is slowly but surely being corrupted before
her very eyes. In her mad quest to discover the truth behind her
family’s murder (if one even exists), Alice must dive deeper into the
dark recesses of her mind, as well as the city around her, until the two
worlds slowly intersect into a dark and dreary spiral of madness.
Suffice to say, no other interpretation of the classic series comes
close to this ultraviolent (and ultra-depressing) reimagining.
Dark and depressing though it may be, it sure is pretty to look at. Like
most modern makeovers of the original books, Madness Returns features a
striking art style, combining the gothic look of Tim Burton with the
otherworldly horror of Clive Barker. Rarely has the Unreal engine been
used for such striking visuals, the closest contender in recent memory
belonging to Bioshock (which, incidentally, was another setting that
combined alternate history with macabre horror). There is an
otherworldly feel that is prevalent in both Wonderland and the real
world, with multi-colored psychedelics in the former and depressing
sepia-toned visuals in the latter. To really appreciate the intricate
details of the graphic engine, one need only look at Alice herself; the
gothic beauty undergoes several cosmetic changes in each part of
Wonderland she ventures into, from neon-patterned dresses to countless
strands of flowing hair. Enemies and {questionable) allies alike are
also diverse with individual designs and animations; you have your
familiar characters like the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, Walrus and
Carpenter along with the Silent Hill-inspired Ruinous, as well as many
other twisted creatures and common-folk alike wandering around. Despite
some texture pop-in during the real world segments, the consistently
gorgeous visuals and artwork make Alice Returns one of the best looking
titles this year.
Too bad the same couldn’t be said about the
gameplay. Fundamentally, both the platforming and action sequences
control quite competently; Right from the start, Alice has access to a
triple-jump that also allows her to momentarily glide with each hop,
which helps in making a precise landing on floating platforms;
Combat-wise, she starts off with a short-range vorpal knife and a
long-range pepper-grinder, as well as several other weapons obtained
throughout her adventure (which can then be upgraded in the main menu by
spending the game’s currency….teeth).
The problem lies in the pacing; while the aesthetics continue to
progress in innovation, you’ll have witnessed the core gameplay
mechanics within the first two hours. You’ll hop from floating platform
to floating platform, fight off enemies in set waves, pull a nearby
switch, hop on more floating platforms, shrink down to reveal hidden
platforms, pull more switches and fight more enemies. Consistent
gameplay is one thing, but each area will go through each mechanic like
a checklist for hours upon hours upon hours. It brings to mind the type
of platformers released on the Nintendo 64 that tried to cram as many
collectibles and repetitive gameplay then necessary.
And the more you keep experiencing the same mechanics, the more its
flaws become more apparent; targeting enemies during combat works well
enough with one or two opponents, but when the area is filled with five
or more, the camera struggles to keep them all within the player’s
visibility. Several of the instant-death traps (such as spikes or fire)
can result in some debatable deaths too due to collision detection,
which can also affect Alice from making a theoretically successful jump
from platform to platform. These would be minor quibbles if, again, the
game didn’t insist on repeating these mechanics over and over again.
Once in a while there will be a break in the monotony (such as a section
that turns the game into a 2D Paper Mario-inspired backdrop), but these
moments come few and far between.
If you have the zen-like patience to put up with the repetition,
however, the aesthetics become the real reward for playing; the story
progresses into darker and more disturbing territory, as both of Alice’s
worlds continue to crumble around her, while each new area (including an
undersea harbor filled with fish folk, a feudal Japan-like setting
filled with samurai insects, and a literal house of cards, to name a
few) becomes an impressive spectacle to behold. Collector enthusiasts
will especially partake of the hidden memories, concept artwork and
other extras to be found and earned throughout; early adopters will even
have access to the original PC version, re-released for consoles via a
free download.
Had Madness Returns cut its length by half and tossed in a few more
gameplay mechanics, it could have easily been one of the best titles
released this year. Pacing issues aside, however, the grim and gorgeous
art style and storyline keeps it within the “must play” line. Just be
certain you have the time and patience to jump into that rabbit hole,
because it’s going to be a long way down.
