Alice Is Full Of Muchness

Gameplay - 7/10

Storyline - 8/10

Graphics - 9/10

Game Score : 24/30

Alice: Madness Returns is a platform genre video game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, released on June 14, 2011. It is the sequel to the 2000 Windows and Mac video game American McGee's Alice. McGee, who designed the original game, returns to design the sequel after EA partnered with McGee's studio Spicy Horse. Madness Returns takes place immediately after the events of its predecessor. Alice was released from Rutledge Asylum for the Wayward and Lost Souls at the end of the original game, and now lives at an orphanage in Victorian London under the care of a psychiatrist name Doctor Angus Bumby, where she is still traumatized with memories of her parents' deaths.

Alice is the main protagonist, once again braving the horrors of Wonderland, armed with several unique weapons including her trademark Vorpal Blade; the Gatling gun-like Pepper Grinder; the Hobby Horse, a heavy-hitting weapon; the explosive Clockwork Bomb, which can be placed or thrown and then detonated; and the grenade-launching Teapot Cannon. Gameplay footage has shown she can use an umbrella for defense. Alice can wear several dresses which are obtained in each new area of Wonderland. Alice is also now able to shrink at will, thanks to a soaking in a shower of Drink Me potion; shrinking shows her things like invisible platforms and graffiti, and opens access to certain areas she'd normally be too large to enter.

It felt really good playing this game; gave me a feeling of nostalgia from back in the day playing classic platform games like Contra and Bionic Commando. A platform game is a video game genre characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles (jumping puzzles). It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps. In this day and age of complicated over the top games its good to know that we can still return to our roots as gamers and enjoy the basic principles of varying elements of what makes video games great. Sadly the thing I love about this game is bound to be the biggest flaw for many others especially new gamers which is the repetitiveness of the puzzles and platforming. However the game tries to alleviate this by making the player collect certain items varying from teeth to memories to bottles as a means of keep the player engaged in various activities so that gameplay does not become too monotonous. All in all if you are a veteran gamer or relish a challenge then you should definitely take this game for a spin. Sorry for the bad audio; I am still working out the bugs on my audio recording for game play through.