Alice: Madness Returns Review: Is It Worth Playing?

What is Alice: Madness Returns?

Alice: Madness Returns is a third-person action-platformer developed by Spicy Horse and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the 2000 cult classic American McGee's Alice.

The game continues the dark, twisted reimagining of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, framed through the traumatised psyche of its protagonist. Alice Liddell lives in a Victorian London asylum, struggling with fragmented memories of the fire that killed her family.

As her sanity fractures, she retreats into a Wonderland that has become a corrupted, violent reflection of her inner turmoil. The core journey is one of psychological horror and discovery, as players navigate surreal landscapes to uncover the truth behind Alice's past.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Alice: Madness Returns is a distinct, at times uneven, blend of several genres. The core loop cycles between combat, platforming, and light puzzle-solving.

Combat

Combat is a straightforward hack-and-slash system. Alice wields her iconic Vorpal Blade for close-quarters combat, supplemented by unlockable secondary weapons like the Pepper Grinder (ranged) and the Hobby Horse (heavy hammer).

While enemy designs are creatively grotesque, the combat mechanics lack depth. Encounters often devolve into repetitive button-mashing, with limited combo variety and an essential but simplistic dodge mechanic. The lack of a true lock-on system makes targeting specific foes in a crowd frustrating.

Platforming

Platforming forms the substantial backbone of the experience. Alice can jump, double-jump, float gently with her dress, and later use a teapot cannon for propulsion. The levels are elaborate, multi-tiered obstacle courses.

Precision is required, but the controls feel slightly imprecise, leading to occasional cheap falls. The game frequently introduces one-off mechanics, such as rolling a giant dice or manipulating perspective, but these are rarely explored in meaningful depth before the game moves on.

Puzzles

Puzzle elements are generally light, involving memory matching, simple sliding block puzzles, or a "shrinking" ability to reveal hidden clues and platforms. These sections provide a change of pace but are seldom challenging.

The learning curve is gentle, perhaps too much so for players seeking complexity. The gameplay's strength lies not in mechanical innovation but in its atmospheric presentation; moving through the morbidly beautiful world is often more compelling than the act of playing within it.

Who is Alice: Madness Returns for?

Alice: Madness Returns is a strictly single-player experience aimed at a specific audience. It suits players who prioritise unique art direction and a dark narrative over polished, deep gameplay.

The game shares DNA with classic 3D platformers of the PlayStation 2 era, particularly in its themed worlds filled with collectibles and simple challenges. It also resembles darker action-adventure titles like the older Legacy of Kain games, where atmosphere and story carry significant weight.

This is not a game for hardcore action enthusiasts seeking the nuance of Devil May Cry, nor for platforming purists who demand the tight responsiveness of a Super Mario title. It is a game for the patient, atmospheric gamer.

• Fans of the original American McGee's Alice will find a direct continuation of its style and story.
• Fans of Gothic horror and dark fantasy will appreciate its aesthetic.
• Players interested in unconventional narrative interpretations of classic literature will find much to enjoy.
• Casual players may find the gameplay accessible, though its considerable length may test their patience.

Graphics and performance

The visual style is the game's most consistent achievement. The art direction is spectacularly macabre, transitioning from a grimy, oppressive London to wildly imaginative realms of Wonderland. One moment you are in a twisted dollhouse made of flesh and porcelain, the next in a gloomy undersea grotto or a chaotic landscape built from playing cards.

Character and enemy designs are inventively disturbing, creating a powerful sense of a world born from psychosis.

Technically, the presentation has notable flaws, especially on PC. The original release was plagued with performance issues, poor porting choices like a locked frame rate, and limited graphics options. Community patches and updates have alleviated some problems, but the experience can still feel dated and occasionally unstable.

Texture quality is variable, and some animations appear stiff by modern standards. The artistic vision shines through the technical shortcomings, but players should expect a game that looks and runs like a product of its early-2010s era.

The art direction is breathtaking, but the technical presentation is dated. Expect a game that looks and runs like its era.

Value for money

Alice: Madness Returns is a surprisingly lengthy game. A single playthrough with moderate exploration for collectible memories and hidden bottles can easily span 15 to 20 hours. The critical path alone is substantial.

The game is frequently sold at a significant discount on digital storefronts, often well below its original release point.

The value proposition hinges entirely on what the player seeks. For those captivated by its unique world and story, the content is generous, offering a long, immersive descent into its bizarre universe. For players who find the core gameplay repetitive, the experience can feel padded and overlong.

The included bonus of the original American McGee's Alice game with some purchases adds considerable historical value for newcomers. At a low sale price, it represents a fair investment for the curious, but the full asking price is harder to justify given the gameplay inconsistencies.

Verdict

Alice: Madness Returns is a flawed but fascinating artefact. It is a game of stark contrasts: breathtaking art direction paired with serviceable-at-best gameplay, a compelling dark narrative wrapped around repetitive combat and platforming, and immense creative ambition hampered by technical limitations.

We recommend it primarily to two groups:

• Devoted fans of the original game who wish to see Alice's story continue.
• Players who value distinctive atmospheric worlds above all else.

If you approach it as an interactive piece of Gothic art or a psychological horror adventure, its strengths can outweigh its mechanical weaknesses.

We cannot recommend it to players for whom tight, responsive controls and deep combat systems are non-negotiable. The mixed Steam user score of 3.6/10, while perhaps harsh, reflects genuine frustration with the port quality and repetitive design. The critical Metascore of 72 feels accurate; it is a game with clear merits and obvious flaws.

An unforgettable journey, but not always for the reasons intended. Style and setting carry the experience, even when the underlying substance struggles to keep pace.