Alice: Madness Returns – A Halloween Review

So tonight, on the great Hallow’s Eve, I decided to play a bit of Alice: Madness Returns, and I forgot how creepy this game truly is! It’s not so terrible that you wouldn’t want to play it with your children, but it does get a bit creepy at times. It made for a great Halloween game.

Gameplay

Alice: Madness Returns is much better than its prequel, American McGee’s Alice. I remember playing the first game on the PC when it came out, and the controls were difficult for me to maneuver. When playing Alice: Madness Returns, I was playing with a Logitech Controller and found it much better than the ASWD or arrow keys.

Aside from the controls, the game has much better graphics and less glitches than the earlier one which I found very refreshing. Not only has the game been improved, but I believe it flows much better than the earlier game, which left me wondering in the beginning.

Storyline

I might have been a bit too young for the first one, but I don’t remember such a vivid story that Madness Returns delivers to the gamer.

*Spoiler Alert*

The beginning of the game discusses how the house where Alice and her family lived burned down in a fire, and left her very traumatized. This sets Alice in the Rutledge Asylum, where she seeps back into the world of Wonderland to face her psychological burden.

I believe this storyline gives much more to the gamer than just playing the game. You start to feel for the main character, which not only bonds the gamer to the character, but also the game.

Finally, Alice’s Outfits

A great feature found in this game and not the earlier one would be Alice’s different outfits. She has many different clothing designs that allows the player to sort of customize Alice, in a game that doesn’t offer many customizations.

As a final result, I would say this game is perfect for someone who doesn’t read to much into games, and understands that a game is a game. I would gladly play this game with my nephew when he’s a tad older. 

If you feel up for getting Alice: Madness Returns, it’s currently available on Steam for 75% off for only $4.99 (normally $19.99) until November 1st (tomorrow!). I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween, and enjoys a scary game of their own. If you’re up for Alice, I bet you’ll enjoy it for many hours to come.