Alice: Return to Madness

I think I have mentioned at some point that I like to play, xbox, playstation, pc, ds, wii U ... I'll pretty much play anything. I'm sure in a later blog I will tell you my top 10 games but today I'm going to talk about American Mcgees Alice: Return to Madness.


Its based on Alice in Wonderland, but a darker, scarier Alice. It really looks into the Mental part of it all. Really you have to play the first one to understand most of it but it does give you flashbacks and explains most of it anyway.


Basically Alice Liddell's family (Father, Mother and sister) were all killed in a fire that destroyed her family home. The first game is Alice blaming herself and having a psychotic break. She is put into a mental asylum where she is a prisoner in her own mind. Her wonderland has been turned into a pretty messed up world of evil and she has to battle her way through to regain her 'sanity' and come to the realisation it wasn't her fault with the help of her trusty Vorpal Blade. I won't spoil it for you. Too much.


The second game, I love it, is based a few years later. Alice is out of the asylum and in the orphanage for children with traumatic events, trying to forget said traumatic events with the help of Dr Angus Bumby. But something is happening in her Wonderland, things still aren't right and it turns out that there is something new trying to destroy her mind. She has to figure out what happened in her past to fix her future and her wonderland. With the help of her Vorpal Blade yet again and the eloquent Cheshire Cat.


This game is visually beautiful, compared to the first game they obviously had a lot more time and with it being in the xbox the graphics are so much better. The different scenery's are stunning and really help drag you back into the game. I'm not one for fashion but her outfits are incredibly detailed and there's a new one for each area you are in. On a whole I fell in love with it all, I could quite happily have just wondered around the game just to look at it all.
The music is also beautiful, really eerie and I downloaded them all as ringtones, really makes you think Victorian music. Each scene has the perfect soundtrack to match it as well as when you're battling.
You revisit old villains, most have 'changed their ways' others just can't be bothered to be beaten again (Alice is just that good). The new evil creatures are these strange black gloopy beasts with doll faces. There's small ones and there's big ones that gobble you up and spit you out (yum) plus a few others. Nice.


Your weapons are upgradeable and you can download some as well (also you can download some more outfits that all have different abilities with them) you have your Vorpal Blade which is best for your up close and personal combat and throughout you gain other weapons. The peppermill is for aiming at pig snouts (also if you don't want to get too close to a bad guy just shoot with this). You also get a hobby horse which is more powerful but slower. For defense against things being flung at you, you get a very beautiful umbrella that deflects the attacks or pings them right back at the attacker (very useful).


I won't tell you too much more as I really think it needs to be played to be fully appreciated for its beauty and its story. I love playing it and I'm sure you will too. You don't have to like scary games or the like just to appreciate the dark beauty of this game. It can be enjoyed by anyone and enjoy the story as it goes.


I hope you get to enjoy the game as much as I have and will!


Take it easy.


Ellie x