!tigereins

Ok, I got annoyed with my bawwemo post, so I thought I would tell you guys of the best game this year: Alice: Madness Returns. Those who are fans like I am know what I am talking about. For those who have only played the original or haven't played either, this game is something you must experience, even if rented or borrowed. Let's start with who's behind the game: American McGee and the team at Spicy Horse. American is a genius who has made a couple of games based on a dark, gloomy version of various tales, but none are as well known as Alice. Released in the early 2000s, it used the Quake 3 engine to deliver amazing graphics and gameplay for the time, and the unique visual style, along with the chilling music and simply amazing voice acting, created a spellbinding universe of fear, sorrow and anger. Fast forward to 2011. American, along with the creative team at Spicy Horse, have carried on that world, only this time painting a landscape that has gone from beautiful haven to hellish trap in a short matter of time (read the little prologue about Alice's 'recovery' to understand that part). It also goes back and forth between Wonderland and London, but never in a way that distracts you and confuses you. The story all flows and the unmatched 2D cutscenes just add an incredible layer of icing to the artistic flare that is present. The music heightens the atmosphere and the voice acting, whilst sometimes flat, is miles apart from most games (it also bears mentioning that the original voicecast is back for the sequel, all these years later!) Now comes the less than groundbreaking part: the gameplay. Pretty much nothing here is new except for the shrinking, and the types of puzzles are reused a lot. However, even though the elements aren't anything new, they are VERY solid. The combat is fast and dangerous, the platforming is 90% accurate (the 10% is usually due to camera, which is typical of third person). There is also plenty of stuff to collect, most of which add a lot to the story, as well as a well implemented weapon upgrade system that not only increases power, but also changes the look of the weapon! And if this isn't enough, they even included the full original game, which is outdated but still a fun if hard experience (and is also a great value, since copies of the PC exclusive original go for about $60 on eBay). All in all, if you can look past the few flaws and/or a fan of a great story, try it out! If it doesn't sound like your thing, give it a try anyway. It's a great game that you might like in the end!