I wish I could sit here and tell you all about how much I love the original books by lewis carroll but I can't.In fact I had to look up who wrote it.I wish I could say that the disney movie was a massive inspiration to me as a child,but I have yet to actually see it to my recollection.I wish I could say that after the tim burton movie I felt completly ripped off......alright that one is actually true but nonetheless I've never had a massive connection to the alice in wonderland franchise but for some reason I've always loved the characters and places of this series and I really do think it's genius.I know that sounds odd but I love the setting,the characters and yet for some reason I never really set out to look up stuff or watch the movies or read the books even though I love the characters.Even being a huge batman fan the villain mad hatter was always kind of just there.Like I knew he was obsessed with alice in wonderland and I thought it was cool but it never really attached myself to him like I did scarecrow or even riddler.
Why did they make a rabid wonderland fanboy a villain anyway?
Where was I? Oh yes,I've always known about a game made years ago called "American mcgee's alice" and that people loved it for it's creepy atomosphere and very deranged approach to the fairy tale.And after recently playing it I will say that it's certainly got those two things but I will say due to the very......rough controls I'm not a huge fan.It's not bad by any means just kind of hard to control being a bit archaic or old in control style.Not helping it was made for the PC and I've been playing the ps3 port but again I'm getting sidetracked.But a few years ago a sequel was finally released.I just recently got to playing it and I've got to say I really enjoy this game but let me explain.
The main story of the two games is that years after the second book through the looking glass alice is placed in a mental asylum after her family dies in a fire and she survives,and once again is sent to wonderland which has become alot more warped and chaotic due to her mental damage.She had to confront the red queen to cure her mental damage.It makes more sense if you just play the first game trust me on this.
Wrong red queen.....Oh shit why'd I remind myself of this stupid movie
Years afterwards Alice liddel (yes she does in fact have a last name) is out of the asylum and trying to make a living for herself as well as forget the deaths of her family that have still been bothering her even after the events of the first game.And of course she travels back to wonderland to discover that a train has been going around wonderland causing massive damage and releasing creatures known as ruin.I have to say while maybe simple the plot is pretty good for what it is.There are a few odd parts like how between the second and third worlds for some reason she really wants to find her old stuffed rabbit and goes to her old therapist from the asylum to get it back.I'm not really sure why is the issue.But one thing I do like is how if you find memories(Read collectables) that give some hints at what is causing all of this.It's a fairly obvious near the 4th world via a flashback you get there but a pretty good twist that honestly gets pretty dark.It's a bit morbid but handled well.
So the story is pretty good how about the graphics.Well I think let's player helloween 4545 said it best.You could take a snapshot of any scene in the game and make it an awesome desktop wallpaper.The game is incredible looking and it adds so much to the style and the overall presentation.Going from beautiful in the first part to dark and sinister in the second to a steampunk factory all in the same chapter.The game is both beautiful and disturbing.In fact later on in the game there is an area that goes from creepy to "Oh god my eyes,my eyes.The goggles they do nothing!" Levels of horror.To give you an idea I've played through all of "Dante's inferno" a game in which you travel through hell and the final area of madness returns out freaks me by a landslide.
First off this is not I repeat NOT the creepy part of the final stage and second yes this does look like someone took the doctor who episode "Night terrors" and gave it crystal meth.
Now the gameplay is where fans start getting divided by this game.While most of the people I've heard talk about this game will generally say that the atomosphere is just slightly less impressive then the original (Something I do disagree with.I find this game is slightly more atomospheric then the original) most fans of the first game will immediatly turn on the gameplay saying it's bland or "Just another beat 'em up" I can't fully disagree in the sense that the gameplay is more generic then the first game.However this is a case of uniqueness vs playability.While the original has more unique gameplay to itself and some interesting platforming situations but my god it is stiff.That combined with the decent combat at best and it's only okay in terms of gameplay.While madness returns has basic combat that could be found in any given beat 'em up this gen and the same with platforming.However the gameplay feels so much less stiff and the combat is so much less hit or miss that it just feels alot better.So it's uniqueness at the cost of fluid gameplay or solid feeling gameplay at the cost of originality.It's a debate but to me I enjoy madness returns more in terms of base gameplay
One of the major differences though is the use of mini games and this is another point of fracture for the fanbase and this one I'm more or less agreeing with.Anywhere from a weird shooter segments with the mock turtles new boat or the really terrible slider puzzles that haunt a couple of levels.Some like the shooter segement are mandatory but you can actually skip the slider puzzles and the melody guitar hero style rhythm parts and all I can think of is "Why did this need to be here?" this is probably the weakest point of the game and it just serves no purpose all in all.It feels very forced though two of these I will defend.namely the slide sections cause those are actually quite fun and the giant segments in queensland which again are quite fine.
One other thing is that the 3rd level for it's enemies,and iffy level design all in all can drag quite a lot compared to the varied second level and very fun fourth level.It's a minor thing but even then I prefer it to the veil of tears level in the original.
Finally the collectables are ripe and are everywhere between the pig snouts,bottles of.....I have no idea but for some reason I assume piss,Memories,and radula rooms which you get heart pieces from and yes you get four you get another heart added to your total.
So in the end how is it? Well the style is out in full and the graphics are amazing but you may have issues with the gameplay being fairly bland and the constant minigames that are few and far between for actually good ones.But all in all I say at least rent it for the story and style.This game can easily be a good playthrough but just know what you're getting into with the gameplay.It's far from bad just not anything special.
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