Monday, July 11, 2011
Cody
Please note that this Review pertains specifically to the PC version of the game. However, much of the information may be relevant to other versions.
Opening
A decade ago, EA published American Mcgee’s Alice. I had my first encounter with this game several years after its initial release and, although the graphics and gameplay mechanics were extremely outdated by that time, I absolutely loved it. American Mcgee had taken a story that we all know and turned it on its head; creating an absolutely twisted, but undeniably fantastic, version of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland stories.
Fast forward to the present and the sequel that no one expected has been released. I probably speak for many when I express how excited I was when I first found out that this game was in development, and I had eagerly devoured and digested every bit of media released for it as I awaited the release. Every screenshot and video released seemed more impressive than the last, and it appeared that this was going to be one Hell of an amazing sequel; and it looked like it could even outdo the sheer genius of the original.
Unfortunately, the bad thing about building such anticipation over something is that expectations can become too high to satisfy. Or, even worse, you might get a product that has no chance of pleasing any level of expectation. Sadly, this is the case for Alice: Madness Returns. Not only failing to live up to my hype, this game is actually heartbreaking to play.
Before you read any more, I want you to know that I do think this game has the potential to be amazing, and it may even be salvageable. With some well thought out patching, this game could definitely be saved. However, I am not reviewing the game that this could be, or the game that I want it to be. I am reviewing the game that it is.
So, what went wrong? Well, read on to find out.
Story and Presentation
This is a tough one, as Story and Presentation make up both the best and worst parts of this game. In one hand, you have a very mature, gothic take on a timeless classic. In the other, you have a game that lacks so much polish that you’ll wonder if they even tested it before release.
Let’s start with the positive. The story in this game is very good, and is actually even more fleshed out than the story in the original. It takes place pretty much immediately after the events of the first game and has Alice living in an orphanage in Victorian London under the care of a psychiatrist by the name of Angus Bumby, who uses hypnotism to help patients forget terrible events.
Still haunted by the events that lead to the death of her parents ten years earlier, Alice’s mind continues to be shattered. Throughout the course of the game, she constantly bounces in and out of reality; with her hallucinations taking her to a disturbingly distorted Wonderland. On her first revisiting of her imaginary world, she’s told by the Cheshire Cat that wonderland has become corrupted under a new law that rules it. Like in the original game, Alice believes that the only way she can save herself is to save Wonderland.
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| Alice is f***ing nuts! |
