Alice Madness Returns Review

In 2010, legendary game maker American McGee announced an expansion to his highly successful game, American McGee's Alice. Fans were eager to yank copies off the shelves as they would journey back down the rabbit hole once again.

In the game, you play Alice Liddel, a young girl haunted by her past. Years ago, her family died in a blazing fire, and since the tragedy, she has gone insane. She is aided by her psyciatrist, Dr. Bumby, in the heart of gray London.

Much has changed in Wonderland for Alice. When she was younger, Wonderland was an escape from the real world. But now, things have changed. The more corrupt her mind is, the more corrupt Wonderland becomes.

You start the game out in London, a weary town with little color and excitement. Children are restless and weary and adults are downcast.

Then, there's Wonderland, the real deal. The first place you journey through is the Veil of Tears, a beautiful landscape floating in the air. Dice-like platforms make Alice's travels a breeze. Bright flowers are scattered among the lush green grass. This is what's left of Alice's happiness in Wonderland.

After a long trip in the Veil of Tears, you encounter the Mad Hatter, a bonkers man with an obsession over tea. His design was PERFECT but had a little tweaking that made him stand out from the crowd.

There are more parts of Wonderland that are yet to be discovered: The Dollhouse Domain, Queensland, Deluded Depths, and many other twisted worlds for you to explore.

The game has very polished and flawless combat. Unlike the first game, you have less weapons. You equip them during the course of the game as you get further and further into Wonderland. The Vorpal Blade, a favorite of many fans, the Teapot Cannon, a grenade launcher-type weapon, the Hobby Horse, a hammer, and the Pepper Grinder, a machine gun-like weapon. Each weapon is designed perfectly and fits well with the atmosphere. As well, there's a dodge feature where Alice can disappear into a shroud of blue butterflies for a quick second to dodge enemy attacks, which is very effective in a fight.

American McGee also stated that he wanted Alice's look to change in this sequel. In each domain, the character equips a new dress. For example, in the Queensland domain, Alice sports a red dress with a card-like pattern near the apron. Each dress is amazing in my opinion.

Last but not least, there's DLC. I know it's for Xbox and PS3 for sure, but I don't know about PC. The DLC is amazing. It consists of many dresses for Alice to wear during the course of the game and new weapon skins. Every dress has amazing detail and they're all beautiful.

Overall, I give this game a 9/10, only because I wish the game was longer. But I don't think Alice's adventures in Wonderland are going to end here...