Alice: Madness Returns

This game holds a special place in my heart. It is a fantastic title that deserved a sequel, and I am disappointed to learn the creator was denied the opportunity. Nonetheless, this game is truly stunning, from its tight fighting mechanics to the graceful movement and jumping. The character designs, whether for enemies or allies, are remarkably articulate and creative. The story is captivating, building to a wonderful, if revenge-fueled, ending that many players will find deeply satisfying.

The diverse worlds of Wonderland are beautifully rendered, with a vibrant, colorful palette seamlessly blending with the game's spooky, grotesque visual elements. The sound effects are equally impressive, complementing the overall twisted yet beautiful aesthetic. In my view, this is a 10/10 experience that any alice and wonderland fan should not miss.

excellent art and style. Meaningful story. Art.

best old game with occasional crashes but that could be my own laptop's issue

Very, very good game, especially for its age! Unique concepts, and so many interesting ideas all at once. Only downside is that the port is very unstable and keeps crashing. In order to keep the game running and optimize it, users will have to tinker the .ini files a bit. Not too much to handle, but definitely sad, as it shows how little EA cares. Nonetheless, an amazing game!

i love the game its really fun cant wait to finish the game the game did crazy and was a little buggy but i guess you would existed that from an old game so yeah but other than that its a a really good game so far.

Wonderful!!

This game is incredible and one of my favorites, I had already played this masterpiece on the console but bought it again on Steam because of the good price on sale, going back to it is really fun, the only problem is that the Steam version is crashing a lot on me every time I enter the game.

ps: better on controller

Honestly, for nostalgia, absolutely love this game. I can play it over and over again, and NEVER get tired of it. I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys a fighting, action adventure platformer!

Seriously, get this game.

Thanks EA for deciding to sit on American Mcgee's Alice IP forever!

We really love y'all for ending a very talented man's career in the video game industry because ''oH wE doNT tHInK ThiS wiLL MaKe uS MoNEY, BuT aLSO No YoU cANt HaVE It BaCk''
EA is a terrible company and I wish people would stop supporting them, we can't keep letting them get away with this.

Before someone gets mad, I know that he has since moved on, but it is really sad to see EA ending so many talented people's careers because of GREED.

Super imaginative, love the way it twists what we know but still ultimately staying true to the core themes of the story and different retellings. I love the little occult and esoteric references that are sprinkled throughout. Overall if you are looking for a fun action platformer this isn’t a bad choice, I recommend using a controller though. But if you want to use KB&M controls it should work pretty well.

My absolute favorite play, the perfect picture of the horror side of Alice in Wonderland. Good flow of story and amazing levels.

It's ass but I did like the story recap I watched on YouTube

Amazing game, glitches a bit from time to time but nothing major. Definitely worth playing

There is a bug on the umbrella scene that it wont work and even the coding have smth wrong with it. I tried to re-write the coding and its still didnt work. But overall I gave the game play 8/10 because some of the side character doesnt have a sub title. But the game play and the scene were actually really good. Ill probably give this a good rate if they fix the bug

I got a steam card from a friend who has no idea what steam even is and got a bunch of games. Fun, brainless stuff on a budget. And Mass Effect (never played it and it was 8 bucks, what a thing *that* is). However- This has got to be the best dollar I've spent hands down. Incredibly fun gameplay. The weapons feel great once you get used to them (I play on controller). Solid platforming. Not very difficult, but definitely just challenging enough so you can play it or noodle around while you are listening to a podcast or something. Really visually stunning. The art style and palette really make it fun to look at as you jump around a clever and shifting steampunk puzzlescape or engage in really fun fights where teapots somehow bleed when injured and the tar monster that killed Tasha Yar got a couple of creepy baby masks and is coming for you. One other thing- Triple jumping. The most absurd game mechanic ever conceived of is tripled down on here. It's glorious and holding the jump button in air slows her fall in a cloud of blue butterflies. The game is tons of fun to look at and a total trip.

Warning- It crashes on me (QTD) the first time I try to load a save every time I play. I fire it up again, and instead of using the controller, I use the mouse to navigate my way until actual play begins. It seemed to crash more often when I used the controller. With the mouse it always loads on the second attempt. It is stable during gameplay using the controller in case you're worried about that.

I'm pretty sure you'll love this little underrated gem. It's a buck. You cannot go wrong.

UNDERRATED GEM

Such a gem! Don't let this game pass you by!

I've played this game a million and one times across multiple platforms. It is one of my all time favorite games! but screw EA for not letting American McGee finish the franchise off with Alice Asylum, thinking that the game wouldn't sell and that it was no longer relevant. But I would recommend this and the first Alice to anyone that loves Alice in Wonderland with a sick twist.

One of the best art direction till this day. Fuck EA for cancelling Alice Asylum

Great artstyle and narrative, combat feels rather clunky in todays perspective.

Would recommend putting PhysX on low (most newer GPUs, especially AMDs dont run PhysX well anymore). And change the FPS to 60 in the Ini. Dont put anything above 60 tho, since that will make a few things behave weirdly. The pig-snout hitboxes are especially buggy with 144 FPS.

Would def recommend buying and playing the game, especially since its only a Euro on sale.
A shame that EA killed Alice Asylum.

sadly does not have steam achievements (I wish that to be possible)
Beautiful game considering it's year 2011.
Made a huge difference playing these days on 4K locked at 60fps, comparing when I was playing 1st time as a kid with dual core 2 and gt460, overall a really great experience, ONLY if you put time on this game to run well on W11, steam community is offering great tweaks and bug fixes in order to properly enjoy the game

7/10

reasons for reduction

- Game have total 6 chapters ( 5 chapters actually where the last chapter is all about confronting everyone from wonderland and a stupid boss fight )


- Every chapter is divided into 2 phases where the first phaase is exciting and 2nd phase is like someone is forcing this chapter to be big for no reason

- Lack of boss fights , as i said each chapter is divided into 2 phases where the 2nd phase is boring as hell however this could turn good if the 2nd phase had boss fight for example all of the past bosses trying to take revenge from alice for the past incidents

- Game is 30 fps lock by default

- i would have like to explore more about family background of alice for example her aunt then the lawyer and more

good game, very broken tho, tried on 2 diff pcs and its just nonworking half of the time

Got the box copy of this when it first released and finally got the Steam version recently.

Amazing characterization, voice acting, world building, story telling, and gameplay variety all set back by worst camera focus and clunkiest combat mechanics in gaming history.

Several fight sequences are designed in ways to punish the player repeatedly with a broken camera system while trying to fight very difficult combination of enemies, the worst of them being the utterly useless camera and enemy focus system: not being able to land any hits on nearby enemies if focused on the wrong enemy in a huge group of enemies. Not being able to responsively exit focus lock to dodge mobs properly.

Game then resets the player back a few ways, forcing repeated platforming and backtracking to pick up already collected collectables. This also occurs after constant in-game crashes, so be prepared to replay sequences and bosses over and over and over again because of unforgiving bugs.

This game is amazing and so fun the hair graphics are a bit behind and she has a case of spaghetti head but overall the story is immaculate

Follow a Guide to get 60fps and the game is much better.
Its a platformer I don't play many of these. But I like this one.
Story is dark.
Love the Aesthetic
Because the graphics are stylised while its aged , it doesn't feel like its aged badly .
Got it for like 1.49 CND solid deal for an oldie I probably wouldn't have played normally.

The sad thing about this game is it feels like its got mixed messages on the Story/Gameplay age demographic.
Some things make it feel E for everyone some things I heard in the story are definitely M and its probably why they stopped making these sadly.
But one thing is for sure its Unique.

HOLY HELL. It's such an underrated gem. Good platforming, very cool art style and a unique horror story. The game deserves its Very Positive rating.

Runs super rough on Steam Deck. I was really really looking forward to this one, but I was experiencing so much lag, that I could barely play through an hour. Here's hoping for a remaster of sorts.

I hope EA changes their mind about not developing the third game of Alice. This game is still a classic and would be cool to see under a new light with new technology. Other than that 10/10

The game is really good. I hope I can play the others games of Alice one day. Something that I don't understand is that the game crash for some reason. I know is not my pc. But overall, it's a very good game

it's a really cool and has an awesome game play and story, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't like anything dark like blood.

It’s goated

I remember so many lets players doing this one

Alice in wonderland but a bit more edgy

Fun abilities etc

I would like to finish this game

if only they made more

Bought this game as a joke because "haha I share names with the main character". And, after my annual burn-out on multiplayer games, I decided to sit down and play some single-player games from my library, this being one of them. And oh my god am I happy I did.. and depressed as EA killed off the sequel.

The game looks absolutely amazing even with modern standards thanks to the art style. Alice's design is cute and clearly inspired by Alice in Wonderland. She gets many new dresses throughout the game to fit the area she's in, and they all look stunning and detailed. Even the 'hysteria' mode has its own unique outfit, and though it cannot be changed, it is also amazing and connects directly to the story. Same goes for the environments, enemies, and even weapons. All of them play on dark surrealism, and it works really well with the story in mind.

The environments look absolutely amazing, at multiple points I stopped for a while just to gaze at all the detail and care that must have went into crafting the scenes. The music fits well for the most part, though there are some parts where the loop is too short and if you take your time trying to 100% every area, those parts might get on your nerves.

As for the combat, it's nothing extraordinary. However, keeping in mind that the game is mainly a platformer and puzzle game, it makes sense for the combat to not be Dark Souls material. And in all honesty, I kind of prefer it that way. I like puzzles and platformers, and the story really grabbed me, but I'm not much for combat or souls-like games.

And finally, the most important part of any game, the story. I played the games in order (there are two, you can get the first one with a mod patch) and honestly playing the first game before this made the story a lot more digestible. I won't get into spoilers, all I'll say is it plays heavily on mental health and psychosis. I enjoyed the story, as it touches on topics very near and dear to me. I honestly recognize a scary amount of myself and my own feelings in Alice, although for other reasons.

All in all, the game is absolutely amazing. Definitely worth 10 euro, I'd honestly pay more. And having picked it up on sale for just less than 1 euro feels criminal. 10/10, and I never rate games on a scale.

a gritty 3D Platformer with a more darker take on the alice in wonderland story.
there's plenty of variety to the levels and gameplay mostly consists of linear exploration.
everything from the art-style to the general layout has such a distinct gothic style!

Great game! Excited to be playing it! Just wish you could make your own saves so the game allows you to start when you exactly left off not 5 steps back from where you were. Getting to keep the memories you picked up before a fight so when you die you don't have keep repeating the actions needed to gather it in the first place. The issues with the controls alone is enough of a challenge(even with a sticky shift key).

this is one of the first games i ever played as a kid on my pc, although i never finished it, so getting back to this was very nostalgic to me. overall, despite its age, the game looks beautiful. absolutely love the different art styles it utilizes. i was also really surprised by the various gamemodes and mechanics as well as the enemy variety; i feel like i got good use out of all the weapons due to this! the story is naturally tragic and collecting all the various memories to help alice remember and resolve her past causes such a gut-wrenching feeling. i also think it's quite rare for games to handle topics like this well, but in my opinion this one does.

i did have certain issues with running the game at times, as well as certain keybinds not triggering, where i had to manually go into the game files and fix it; there are however several videos on this out there so it's not a difficult fix. there are then other small issues of alice moving on her own, but often those can be solved by just reloading the game (or in my case for this scenario, sometimes pressing 'C' would work).

it's also a shame the steam version doesn't have achievements, but i decided to 100% it anyway cause it's a really fun platformer.

Great platformer! Many different levels, story is interesting and gameplay quite good. Seeing Alice running around with a knife - priceless. Soundtrack is really cool and nice to listen to. I think it's one of those games that are worth checking out and playing even for the second time.

I absolutely agree with the high ratings and I'd absolutely recommend this. The art style is stunning - so much creativity and variation that makes every area feel unique and immersive. The story is dark, twisted, and gripping, perfectly capturing Alice's descent to madness. Combat feels fluid and satisfying, and the dialogues are quite cryptic and deep. If you love eerie aesthetics with a touch of psychological horror, this is a must-play :)

Such a unique and interesting game and concept. I love how it deals with topics such as abuse and manipulation.
Shame on EA for not letting the creator do a third and final entry.

Highly recommended!

I've been enjoying it. There are some glitches that can get annoying. For instance there is this one glitch which makes Alice run forward without input, but I can live with it because I found that I can attack a bunch and regain complete control. I don't know how it ends yet, but I'm getting there and I'm looking forward to it

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It's no wonder that Alice: Madness Returns has become a cult classic. It's one of the games with such a distinctely unique style it simply leaves a permanent impression. The gameplay is what you'd expect: there are platforming parts, fighting parts and a bunch of puzzles and mini games. You can upgrade your weapons and collect a bunch of collectible items. The story is based on the classic Lewis Carrol's 1865 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but with a more dark and sinister twist.

But what truly sets this game apart are the visuals. They are that uniquely perfect blend of picturesque beautiful and at the same time creepy and unsettling. As the game progresses and Alice's mind deteriorates, you will encounter more and more bizzare and disturbing images. If Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is the perfect representation of living, waking madness, then Alice: Madness Returns is the supressed, subconcious, sickly sweet chaos of insanity and childlike wonder.

Truly a masterpiece, unforgettable.

Goth girl with mental issues, hell yeah!
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BEWARE: You gotta do some shinenigans for the game to be complete and to be able to play the first game, search for Steam guides for: Unlocking the DLCs, Making DLC weapons work, Vorpal Fix and How to enable the First game on the Main Menu. Also both games have ass controls so might wanna use Steam Controller Overlay.
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STORY AND GAMEPLAY: You don't really need to play the first game before this one, but still worth it. 2nd game is better than the first in many aspects. Art is great and the story is very fckn aswesome and psychologically dense. Gameplay is nice, combat is fun but gets kinda repetitive after 3/4's of the games and enemies eventually become more annoying than fun, there's also only one or two "real" boss battles, instead you fight thousands of the same mini-bosses throughout the game. The First game has several boss battles tho.

Great game, there's just a lot of boss fighting. I'm terrible at fighting games as I just spam controls and hope I don't die! Anyway, this game is amazing, holds up well and graphics are decent despite being a pretty old game, and has great steampunk, victorian, and gothic aesthetics.

best game ever played, even tho its from 2011 this game literally kills all the other horror and all the
platformers the lore is a chef kiss

A Visual and Atmospheric Masterpiece Held Back by Repetition

Alice: Madness Returns is a game that excels in some areas while faltering in others. Here’s a breakdown of my experience with the game:

The Positives:

Stunning Art Style: The game's visuals are timeless, thanks to its artistic portrayal of a dark, twisted Wonderland. Even years after its release, the art style remains captivating. The character designs are equally impressive, perfectly complementing the eerie and surreal atmosphere.
Amazing Sound Design: The soundtrack is one of the standout aspects of this game. Its haunting melodies and unsettling sound effects add a layer of depth, amplifying the dark and oppressive atmosphere.
Narrative and Storytelling: The story, while not groundbreaking, is well-executed. It’s dark, disturbing, and twisted without feeling chaotic or random. The narrative is crafted in a way that keeps you engaged and curious about Alice’s journey and her fractured psyche.
The Negatives:

Repetitive Gameplay: Unfortunately, the gameplay doesn’t live up to the high standards set by the visuals and sound. Both the combat and platforming feel repetitive and monotonous after a while. There’s little variety to keep things fresh.
Overlong Experience: The game feels unnecessarily stretched. While the world is intriguing, the repetitive gameplay makes the lengthy runtime feel like a chore.
Lack of Boss Fights: Aside from the final boss, the game doesn’t offer any significant boss battles, which feels like a missed opportunity, especially in such a creatively designed world.
Cringeworthy Dialogue: Some of the dialogue feels awkward and out of place, which can detract from the immersion.
Unnecessary Collectibles: The game features numerous collectibles that feel more like filler than meaningful additions to the experience.
Similar Level Design: Despite the beautiful art style, the gameplay across levels feels almost identical, which further contributes to the sense of repetition.
Final Thoughts:
Alice: Madness Returns is an artistic triumph with stunning visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and a compelling atmosphere. However, its repetitive gameplay and lack of variety hold it back from being a truly great experience. If you’re someone who values art direction and atmosphere over gameplay mechanics, this game is worth checking out. For others, the repetition might outweigh the positives.

Rating: 6.5/10

I remember seeing this being shown in a TV show years ago and the memory of this game stuck for some reason. Only bought it just recently cuz I was going through my wishlist and it was on sale, and man I shoulda bought this sooner. I haven't been enamored w/ a game's aesthetic in a while, it had me stop in my tracks and made me just look around in awe(coupled w/ a lot of screenshotting). The dark and twisted fantasy visuals of Alice's wonderland is a really nice contrast to the somber and dreary visuals of the real world. The atmosphere of this game is also as impeccable as it's visuals, thanks to it's great sound design and OST. The story of Alice exploring and unraveling her memories through wonderland and it's writing pretty much got me hooked immediately.

Gameplay wise it's quite a fun action/platforming game but expect some jank going into this, mostly from old game design and cuz EA did a half assed job for this port. The combat is pretty straightforward, you have different weapons w/ a single combo and you'll have to switch to different weapons depending on the encounter(except the cannon, it's broken lol). I think the platforming sections dragged on for a bit too long honestly but it's not too bad and still pretty fun overall.

tl;dr 8.5/10 great game, a bit janky here and there but I'll forgive it for it's compelling story and gorgeous visuals.

Alice Madness Returns is a phenomenal game that still holds up today.

The overall game is one that is best seen through to the end, Its alice in wonderland But with a very dark twist. It is a one of a kind Cult classic amongst people, And as far as if you should play it, Do it. I promise it will not disappoint, It may be a lil dated and on the steam version you need to tweak the engine file to make it properly have 60fps and higher resolutions But beyond that it is phenomenal. Tho if it was up to me, Find the complete collection and redeem it through EA app for the extra DLC weapons and costumes that can make you an absolute monster in the game.

The story is solid, tho can be very dark. The combat is solid and movement, tho can be slightly janky but adaptable and completely playable.

I have this game on every single platform it is available on and beaten it countless times across the different platforms, so dont let my Playtime fool you. I believe it is very stylized and still holds up today even for it to be a PS3/360 era of a game and def worth the playthrough.

Why wait, play it today and see what all the fuss is about :)

ive loved this game, i played it back in 2022, and finally bought it again! it tests my brain, and i love the story line :D beautiful art style as well. i will always come back and play this game.

The filler bits are a little ridiculous, but this has some of the best art direction in any videogame.

im not very good at parcour but it's enjoyable so far and it looks beautiful. the umbrella block doesnt seem to work though, alot of times!

this game has a wonder concept and story. the artwork is phenomenal. but why wouldn’t i recommend it? it plays like absolute dog sh*t. constant bugs weird buggy mechanics. overall just an awful experience. ea does what ea does best, not taking care of their games. wish i could give it a better review bc i rlly love everything else about it but honestly don’t bother trying to play it. just watch a play through.