Alice: Madness Returns

 PC
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
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  1. GameStar
    Jun 17, 2011
    71
    The creativity put into this game is more than enough for three games, but behind the art there's not much diversity. But we still wanted to know how the story ends.
  2. 3DJuegos
    Jun 17, 2011
    71
    While Alice: Madness Returns has a number of problems, its artistic side and its genuine concept calls off the bad. This is a game that truly could have outshined American McGee's Alice with its interesting production values, but instead it leaves us slightly disappointed.
  3. Armchair Empire
    Oct 17, 2011
    70
    All in all, Alice: Madness Returns delivers a good sequel. Not superlative, but not a cheap knockoff. If topsy-turvy architecture, steampunk menaces, and Victorian psychotherapy tickle your geek itch, this is a title well worth playing.
  5. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 30, 2011
    70
    Beautiful and rich fairy world is full of imaginative tasks and minigames. Excellent sound and visuals are spoiled by camera positioning and a weird checkpoint system but it should not discourage you from this interesting game. [July 2011]
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  6. GamingXP
    Jun 27, 2011
    70
    A lot of jumping and a repetitive gameplay does not make only Alice go crazy.
  7. GameSpot
    Jun 14, 2011
    70
    Playing Alice: Madness Returns isn't as exciting as looking at it, but you'll still enjoy getting lost in this twisted fantasy adventure.
  8. VideoGamer
    Jun 14, 2011
    70
    I'd have liked the adventure to have been trimmed of fat, the combat is at times extremely irritating, and the art design far exceeds the technical prowess on show, but at its core Alice: Madness Returns is an imaginative romp through a world that's clearly been designed by some incredibly creative minds.
  9. Game Informer
    Jun 16, 2011
    68
    What starts out as a promising romp through a demented Wonderland devolves into a few good ideas stretched across redundant gameplay. [July 2011, p.85]
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  10. SpazioGames
    Jul 11, 2011
    65
    A game that could have been a masterpiece, has some amazing and imaginative visuals, as well as a boring and repetitive gameplay. A pity.
  11. AusGamers
    Jul 1, 2011
    65
    For a story that talks of falling into lunacy, it's interesting that the game's quality matches the mind of its antagonist; Alice is a cracked mirror; you can see what it could have been, but you're stuck with what it is.
  12. IGN
    Jun 16, 2011
    65
    Through questionable level design, graphical inconsistency, and repetitive gameplay, I was pulled out of the experience more than I would have liked. Alice: Madness Returns is a memorable peek through a flawed looking glass.
  13. PC Format
    Aug 8, 2011
    64
    Despite its fantastic visualisation of Wonderland, repetitive gameplay means it fails to muster a chortle. [Sept 2011, p.100]
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Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Best PC Game of 2011
37
#37 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
22
#22 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

User Reviews

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User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 753 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 577 out of 753
  2. Mixed: 140 out of 753
  3. Negative: 36 out of 753
  1. AeddGynvael
    Jun 15, 2011
    10
    If there's one thing I expected with the second game, it was not to be disappointed.
    And it delivered.
    It delivered oh so well. Where do I    If there's one thing I expected with the second game, it was not to be disappointed.
    And it delivered.
    It delivered oh so well.
    Where do I even begin?

    This new iteration of Alice appears to be bigger and better in every way.
    There is a plethora of collectibles, bonus objectives, the so-called "memories", etc., but none of them are boring or tedious to get.There is a huge variety of clothing for Alice as well.
    The intro cinematic is macabre, moody, dark, pulls you in the moment it starts and sets the mood perfectly.

    The music..Let's just say that while I was disappointed at first that Chris Vrenna is only doing one track for the new game, the new composer nails it perfectly and does a fantastic job. Most of the pieces are outstanding in their own, like the main theme, some of the battle music.They do a flawless job of enhancing the atmosphere without being intrusive.
    They're errie yet beautiful.They juggle your mood from sadness to hope.The style of music itself is somewhat different from the original game, but the QUALITY is in no way worse.

    The controls are fluid and require little getting used to, they just seem natural and aren't that hard to master.The camera is great, rotation is very helpful and the ability to go intro first person is a great touch.Alice's movements are great, her motion capture is very well done, her facial expressions are great.

    Mostly every NPc you encounter actually has something to say - not random gibberish, mind you.And Alice often responds.

    Which brings us to the next major strong point of the game - the vocie acting and dialogue.
    I'd lie through my teeth if I said I didn't expect both to be top-notch, but I was still very, very pleased with what they did.
    The dialogue is witty, doesn't feel forced, lines are often cryptic and metaphoric, they perfectly fit with the dark tone the game sets by shrouding a lot of what is said in mystery. The vocie acting..It's just perfect, I can't say much about that.There are fcew NPCs that aren't on par, but the ones who stand out the most are Alice and Dr. Bumby (for me, at least.)

    The game has a great variety of characters, all unique, all interesting, all with their separate personalities and you're often left wondering what are their real intentions.

    Combat has been flawless so far. I loved how McGee and his team preserved the core original style, but brought much innovation into the sequel's.Weapons are over-the-top, extremely fun to use and original.
    What I love even more is that fighting requires tactic - you can't win by just sitting and spamming one attack in one place. The game knows the player wants a challenge and rightfully delivers.
    Every weapon, naturally, has its own tactics, much like in the original game.

    The graphics, while not being exactly groundbreaking (but who said they have to be?) are quite something - Alice herself, the locations, enemies all look gorgeous and there is extreme attention to detail in a lot of departments. Of course, there are the occasional blurry textures absolutely every game has, but that is is no way adetriment to the enjoyment of how good the twisted, yet beautiful Wonderland and its inhabitants look.Alice in particular is quite detailed, her hair flows around very naturally while jumping/running and her movements are believable and more or less realistic. The game utilizes the Unreal engine and does a very good job at using its potential.

    The gameplay is everything I expected and much, much more.
    A platforming game in a gorgeous setting with detailed environments and interesting puzzles that seem to find the perfect balance - as in, they're not that hard to figure out, but the game won't spoonfeed you what to do, either. And I love that. And finally, the storyline.
    It's just fantastic.Deep, immersive, gritty, macabre, enchanting, depressing.
    It's flawlessly paced, flawlessly told and perfectly presented.
    Helping Alice overcome her sorrow, guilt and escape from the depths of her madness is something you truly take to heart if you let the world of the game suck you in (which it has no trouble doing.)
    In the spirit of keeping this spoiler-free, let's just say that the game offers everything the original did and much more, and does an even better job at doing it.

    Overall, this game is more or less a shining gem that every fan of platforming adventure, mingled with tactical combat needs to try out.
    It's beautiful, dark, thrilling, and a stunning journey to the depths of insanity.
    Perfect score for being a perfect game.    … Full Review »
  2. Fuz
    Jun 20, 2011
    2
    Black bars on a 4:3 are an abomination, and the terrible mouse controls are VERY uncomfortable and make me feel ill at the point that I can'tBlack bars on a 4:3 are an abomination, and the terrible mouse controls are VERY uncomfortable and make me feel ill at the point that I can't play this game at all.
    Too bad, the art direction seemed very good, so dear devs, please learn how to program a decent control system.    … Full Review »
  3. ciuchina82
    Jun 16, 2011
    5
    Alice: MR remains a mediocre game: the graphics is hardly fair, with texture problems and not satisfying details, the gameplay leads to veryAlice: MR remains a mediocre game: the graphics is hardly fair, with texture problems and not satisfying details, the gameplay leads to very frequent boring spots, puzzles are wearisome and useless. Moreover, the game looks unfinished and unpolished, they shouldn't have put it on the marketplace so early. Just rent it for a couple of days, but I won't suggest you to buy it at all.… Full Review »
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