Alice Pressed Against the Wall: A Review of Alice: Madness Returns

It's been too long since I've had the pleasure of playing a game not only about the strange things that I find interesting, but also one that has only recently been released. Alas, the planets have aligned and now I find myself fully reviewing a game, almost like the big boys, except of course I got my copy after release and refused to unfairly speed though it for the sake of a timely review. All in all, I must say I have rather enjoyed the experience.

Before getting on with the review, I would like to mention that I've been using Lewis Carroll references throughout this blog since I began writing it. But now that there finally comes a time in which it would actually be fitting, I refuse to quote anything from The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland because that would be expected and I am a very petty person. Notice the title? That's the first non-Carrollinian thing I thought of with the name “Alice” in it, which is the first line of a Sisters of Mercy song, unsurprisingly entitled “Alice”. Proof that I too can make a sporadic decision about something without giving it much thought, and I actually frequently do... well I guess I couldn't survive for very long without that ability... Anyway, moot point, carrying on now!

I lied. I actually chose the line because Alice being “pressed against the wall” reflects the scrutinizing nature of the reviewing process. I thought about this for a very long time. :<

Considering how I have a few additional readers since my last review, I thought I would briefly reiterate the method in which I review video games (skip if you already read my Resident Evil review or if you just don't give a damn). Generally I begin with the theme of the game, it's ultimate raison d'etre and developer's intentions the same way one would begin evaluating any other type of art. I critique this by how the experiential elements of the game are presented. Such examples of a game's experience would be: story, music, atmosphere, art style, environment, characters, sound, pacing, etc. Then I evaluate whether the challenge factor supports or dissolves the experiential expression of the game. Game challenge may include things like: difficulty (always on “normal” for reviews), combat, boss fights, gameplay/mechanics, level design, mini-challenges (puzzles, minigames, vehicles, etc.), secondary content (hidden items, sidequests, unlockables, etc.), and so on... I think you get the picture.

Now, it's in the nature of this blog to be focused on creative and unique games, otherwise the theme and my review method would be futile. So, with that in consideration, realize that it's entirely likely that I will only be reviewing creative and unique games. This means that the games will be measured mostly within the narrow spectrum of other artistic games, rather than the much broader horizon of games in general. That way, I can favor games with creative merit without artificially praising them against the wide world of games that don't have any interest in taking artistic risks; think of it like choosing to remain within a particular genre, because the qualities you're interested in largely don't exist in other genres. This, I believe, will be the best method for keeping my reviews as objective and fair as possible within a frame that obviously favors subjectivity (also keep in mind, this is an extra precaution that I typically reserve for “new releases”). Well, here's to hoping this will actually be the last time I feel I need to preface an entry with the same old stuff, so without further ado...

My review of Alice: Madness Returns

Growing up a gamer, I have been conditioned to be wary of any game with an excessive development time. As mentioned in a previous entry, I was a huge fan of American McGee's Alice, but chose to largely ignore the sequel and all of it's updates during creation. Maybe it was because of the long rumored Alice film that was completely dashed by the Disney/Burton version of Wonderland that utilized similar, yet much lighter themes in it's presentation. Or maybe it was just that I didn't want to be disappointed by a beloved series yet again. Despite it's predecessor gracing our lives in 2000, this game has only taken around two years to develop, and thus largely escapes much of my initial dread. Also, as a worthy sidenote, this is the first (or one of the first) games created by a Chinese design team for a foreign audience. Definitely an interesting cultural milestone, even if the game was conceived by American McGee. So, had I payed attention pre-launch I would have found much evidence contesting my theory that I was bound to be disappointed on all accounts.

What I can tell about American McGee is that he has made it his goal to put the dark and creepy back into fairy tales. Whether he's looking to freak out a large audience through the subversion of childhood familiarity, or instead looking to appease a much neglected horror and goth-minded gamer fanbase, he is successful on both accounts. Much like it's predecessor, Alice: Madness Return strives first and foremost to immerse the player into the imagination of a grown up Alice who has had her innocent mind wracked by severe emotional trauma. That's the key, right there, to completely envelop one into another reality through sights and sounds. American McGee and the team at Spicy Horse want you to gaze around at Alice's surroundings, a twisted, yet often beautiful world, while being lost to the real one. The player is to be absorbed into the corrupted tale, a feeling of dread mixed with whimsy reflecting an inverse of a child being transfixed in the fantastic world of the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. That is the theme, to return you to the place you grew out of, the place you explored hand-in-hand with your old storybook friend Alice.

Look at that face, trouble ahead I tells ya.

The heart and soul of this game are the visuals, which I believe to be the major selling points. Wonderland is painted in the same stylized aesthetic that made the first game so intriguing, everything is very dark, grim and bloody. But it's not just dark for the sake of being edgy, it has that same special gorgeously mysterious vibe that would make it worthy of comparison to the styles of Burton, del Toro, and perhaps even Johnen Vasquez (yes, the 90's goth cliches are still present). Characters and locales are rendered in a way that gives a nod to the illustrations of John Tenniel, while modifying them enough to be considered entirely original. Every little detail in the world, no matter how disturbing, was quite the treat. Yes, it can easily be said that people slaved over this eye candy, and it shows.

All the environments are all breathtaking, exceptionally detailed, and also highly varied, so you never return to the same place more than once. The exception to that would be the areas in Victorian London, which constitute Alice's reality. These areas are drab and yet extremely interesting, but this may be due to the fact that I'm obsessed with that particular historical era. Let me put it this way, I've played many games set in surreal dreamscapes, but I can't think of too many that take place not long after the Baroque period. Unfortunately, the history nerd in me wishes the scenes taking place in reality were much longer and equipped with more game content, which has to be one of my biggest complaints, but obviously that's entirely based merely on my own preference. But because these London streets are so dreary, they do present a lovely chiaroscuro contrast with Wonderland, which is of course being once again corrupted by Alice's dwindling sanity, so the fairy tale radiance alternates with a hellish perversion of itself. Since Wonderland is no longer the beautiful escape that we all want it to be, it truly becomes an inspiration to want to guide Alice to successfully restoring the magical land to it's former glory.

Symbols are a very important part of the visual aspect of the game. The strange primal runes and all the curious details implemented into the friends, enemies and scenery all carry not only an artistic appeal, but also a deeper meaning in the narrative. One of my favorite things to do when I read a good book is to take notes of all the coinciding elements throughout, and this is one of the few games in which I was able to do that while playing. But, fortunately or unfortunately (depending on your perspective), this is a video game and the symbolism and metaphors don't verge into Gestalt complexity (unless some of them went over my head), but are largely identifiable by an astute observer with perhaps an intro course in Psychology or Art under his or her belt. Still, quite enjoyable for those reasons alone.

If the visuals are the heart, then the sound is the soul of Alice. The effects and the ambiance are both spot on, as enemies sound appropriately lively and devilish, while weapons produce satisfying noises that successfully augment their killing power. There were many occasions in which a background sounds were eerie enough to be unnerving and sound as if they were actually in my head or in the room with me. To my disappointment however, these moments were few and far between, which I felt might have mitigated the horror in the general atmosphere; inversely, that infrequency causes the really creepy moments in the game to be emphasized for grisly effect.

As with the first game, the music is really the star just as much as Alice herself. Former Nine Inch Nails drummer, Chris Vrenna passes the baton of composer to Jason Tai, the new maestro of Wonderland. Much to my personal preference, much of the industrial-influence from the first has been toned down in favor of darkly classical instrumentation. That is to say that the industrial stuff isn't present, just that now the soundtrack as a whole has a much broader influence, balance, and maturity. I'm especially fond of the title theme, composed by Marshall Crutcher. It's a haunting track that greets the players and establishes the mood of eloquence and oppression; personally upon hearing it the first time combined with the antique wallpaper background of the title screen made me want to do that finger tip kissing thing that Italians do when they talk of good pizza. As a cellist myself, I am very appreciative of the frequent use of m'lady's voice throughout the game, cello being an instrument that never quite gets it's dues in the world of video games, though I'm being wretchedly biased. Even the battle tracks have a nack for combining the dark aesthetic of the theme with the bombastic combative energy one would expect from video game fight music. It's a bit of a let down that there are only two or three different songs used for the frequent standard encounters, and even more unpleasant that it's mostly the same one used most often; though there is nothing wrong with the particular BGM in question, just that it's overplayed due to combat repetition, and more variety would have helped. Overall, my one complaint about the soundtrack for A:MR is the same that I have for pretty much every game or movie ever, which is simply: Needs more harpsichord.

Throw in a wayward Victorian with pasties and maybe a chainsaw, and there you have what my brain looks like.

Perhaps you may find it a bit telling that I put visuals and aurals ahead of the story, after all, narrative is the key to my heart, no? Actually the reason for that is because, (yet again) much like it's forbear, A:MR is a game where style, presentation and concept is where the most artistic merit lies. In American McGee's Alice you play as a young adult Alice who's forays into Wonderland have been interpreted as a retreat into her subconscious, and after a traumatic house fire, she must venture through a now corrupted Wonderland to restore her damaged mind. I mean, that's a premise that writes itself entirely. Aside from that concept, the in-game progression of the story is a bit reminiscent of high fantasy, wherein Alice becomes the champion of the Free Peoples of Wonderland as she systematically eliminates the generals in the Queen's army before ultimately overthrowing her tyrannical reign and simultaneously confronting her own emotional demons. That's all very simple and predictable, yet it's all the original game really needed to get the point across. So, with that in mind, know that I wasn’t expecting much from the actual plot of Madness Returns. Essentially the narrative was built around the same premise, only that Alice was now no longer locked away despondent in an asylum, but instead out on the streets of London, trying to prevent an approaching emotional relapse. And indeed, I wasn't much taken by the story and it's progression... that is until near the end. While I have no intention of spoiling anything for you, just know that the rising action does become much more than what I had expected and for the most part, less cookie cutter.

There is only one element to the story that I find unforgivable, and it's a detail that the original is guilty of as well, so perhaps it was uncorrectable in the sequel. Carrollphiles will feel me on this one, it's the habit of many Wonderland reinterpretations to combine the Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen into one person. Okay, I'm sure non-Lewis Carroll obsessed players won't have a rat's ass to give about that one, but it is a big deal to me and my ilk. The Red Queen is a chess piece, the Queen of Hearts is a playing card... they have different personalities and represent different things entirely. So as Camp Counselor Ug would say, get it right or pay the price!

There is an interesting quality to the flow and presentation of the dialogue in the game, especially in the scenes taking place in Wonderland. The various strange characters have a habit of going on about something without making much sense, while Alice feigns detachment or otherwise suddenly succumbs to a sporadic anxiety attack. It's a very hard thing to describe, but it's noticeable when you actually play the game. For awhile, I was trying to decipher whether this was deliberate mystique, or instead just a sloppy presentation. But then it seemed too obvious, whether the writers meant to or not, the cutscenes and dialogue are some of the best interpretations of conversations in dreams that I have ever experienced in a video game. If while playing this game you get frustrated by how little sense the plot is making whilst in Wonderland, consider comparing it to some dreams you may have had in your life, or maybe even a David Lynch film. Given the whimsical and evasive nature of the characters from the original subject matter, and the omnipresent psychological themes, I don't think I'm too far off in giving the writers the benefit of the doubt. These moments of clarity-lacking uneasiness are compounded with the inexplicable way Alice enters and exits the real world, which are definite representations of actual symptoms known as dissociative fugue states. All of this leads me to believe that the writers put in a lot of effort into getting the mystery and psychological stuff right.

The dialogue itself is rather clever throughout, and rarely crossed too much into the realm of cheese as many games do when they are delving into “deep” subject matter. Again, I get the feeling that the writers really cared and were happy to get to work on a project that would let them flex their creative muscle. As for the presentation of that dialogue, i.e. the voice acting, well I'd have to say it's at where it needs to be for a video game. I was never blown away by it, but all the characters were interesting enough. Alice herself fluctuates from being a tad awkward at times, to very believable. The voices overall were above average for this era of gaming.

I already talked about character design, Alice deserves her own commentary. I really feel like Alice herself is actually an accurate estimation of what the Alice from the book would have been like all grown up. At times strong, fragile at others, and just obstinate enough to be admired. She's the only character in the game, both in London and Wonderland, designed to be at all pleasing to the eye. She's given a doll shaped body, heavily inspired by anime with the big head and matching eyes, but overall she is thankfully not sexualized to the extent of other video game females. You can unlock new dresses for her throughout the game (and a few in a DLC), many of which are just plain neat to look at and make me interested to see how many different Alice dresses I'll see being cosplayed at the next Dragon*Con. She seems a bit younger than she did in the first game, but I owe that to technological differences and wouldn't read too much into it. I actually felt myself growing more and more attached to her, sympathizing with her turmoil not only in her mind, but with the reality of Victorian England; which for the uninitiated, is not the best place to be an poor, orphaned girl with an unhinged mind. She's definitely a loveable protagonist with enough depth and dimension to be suiting for a game like this, if I could only get over those minor anachronistic flaws in her outfits... those boots man...

In video games, when it comes to protagonists, there is a slight moment between ceasing to move your character and the triggering of his or her idle animation that bugs me. I call it the “blank faced avatar”, where the character just stares straight ahead into nothingness, and is something I thought we could have developed past by now with dynamic facial expressions and whatnot. Alice has the same fault, but to her defense, it actually adds to her character. The stiffness of her posture and her vacant expression that simultaneously extrudes a tinge of repressed violence are the perfect augments to her characterization. It's a subtle thing I know, and it might not even be deliberate, but the little details are often the most impressing.

Unfortunately this review may seem a bit lopsided, because I have numerous words of praise for the presentation, but the actual gaming elements (what I call the challenge) are where the game is lacking. Unlike the first game, this one is not a third-person shooter, and instead more akin to an action adventure, so it's a bit more natural for play with a controller. Like many other games of this genre, it falls prey to a dodgy camera, which oddly feels much more wonky than the average poor camera. This is really unfortunate because looking around is what I want to do most in this game, but not only does the art demand it, but so do the frequent jumping challenges and combat. They all suffer from an issue that's as old as 3d gaming itself, which is a shame. However, though the controls aren't natural, they are adaptable to those who have the patience.

The main thing you will be doing in the game is jumping, which definitely is a bit strange. Alice is gifted with several ways to modify a jump, such as three additional airborne hops, the ability to float, and an aerial dodge maneuver. Often the hardest part of a jumping puzzle is first determining which combination of jumps will be necessary to reach the goal, as opposed to actually executing them. I wouldn't mind the occasional jumping challenge in areas that would aesthetically demand it, but that's just not the case. I can't think of any legitimate thematic reason why jumping around would be the major reoccurring challenge in the game, it doesn't relate to the narrative and it doesn't support what the experience of the game is trying to accomplish.

Combat is frequent in A:MR, and while it can be repetitive, is fun for the most part. As stated already, the camera can cause issues, and other than that the target lock has a habit of just not doing what you want it to do. These frustrations aside, I genuinely enjoyed the vast majority of encounters I faced. Throughout the game you will be dealing with one omnipresent variety of enemy that represents the overall corruption of Wonderland, but aside from them, each realm has it's own roster of baddies that match the theme of the locale. Each foe you run into has at least two methods you can use to dispatch them, meaning you can stave of the inevitable repetition by mixing it up a bit. Even though most of the monsters are quite aggressive, some manage to convey a sense of mortal fear in the face of Alice, which is only topped of by how often you hack away at them while they are in some sort of helpless or exposed state. It really adds to the rage and the sadistic nature of the emotionally damaged Alice.

This sadistic nature, in particular.

The weapons are all really fun, but the selection is much limited in comparison to the first game; though what you are given is more than adequate to reach the end, it would have been fun seeing what else the developers could have come up with. When it comes to choosing my video game arsenal, I tend to swing more edged weapons than Raven McCoy, so as you can imagine I loved the vorpal blade and it's re-imagining as the horror-trope kitchen knife. To my glee, a bit of in-game dialogue references that young Alice had a habit of playing with a kitchen knife, thus establishing that her memory hybridized the piece of cutlery with the legendary vorpal enchantment. The other weapons are also benign everyday objects Alice has encountered, and you can imagine her life experiences that would have led her to incorporate them into her Wonderland arsenal. She uses a pepper cannon as a machine gun, so maybe she's had the misfortune of having pepper blown into her eyes or nose? Again, I would have liked to see more, but I think they were very thoughtful decisions for Alice's weaponry. Also, this is the only game I can think of that utilizes the raw killing power of tea.

Scattered throughout the worlds are brief minigames, the majority of which seem really pointless. There was one or two that I liked for a few minutes, mostly the 2D platformer, but overall they felt awkward and unnecessary amidst the rest of the game. There are puzzles, but they are few and far between, and they don't offer much of a challenge. By far, I would say that I wish there were many more, to the point where I think it would have made more sense compared to the source material if the game was evenly balanced between puzzles and action. There are hidden bonus rooms throughout that offer combat challenges and a revisit to many of the puzzles and minigames, completion of which reward a piece of heart. Very rarely, these rooms merely pose the player with a riddle, and surprisingly, these short moments were some of my favorite parts. I mean it's a no-brainer, and I really would have loved to see more. The game is about Wonderland, the whole joint is comprised of a series of riddles and puzzles, why are they so rare to find?

One of the biggest flaws of the game has to be the poor level design. No, I don't mean the level style, but the flow of the level from a challenge perspective. They are so long and repetitive, basically it consists of: jump around, find hidden stuff, fight enemies, solve a puzzle (if you're lucky), and then repeat. Fortunately, the levels and all their details are just gorgeous, so really does that mean that the level designers dodged a bullet, or did they instead just condition the player to not appreciate the beauty of the game just from overexposure? Tough call, and I would change my answer based on every level, some of which are far more tedious than others. Spicy Horse would have been wise to decrease the time spent platforming and space the combat out with additional puzzles and maybe even interactive cut scenes; but alas, it seems to be one of those cases where the level is forcibly lengthened with repetitive crap, and thus the game time is artificially increased.

As mentioned, there are plenty of hidden things to find and collect. Most of which can be arduous, but occasionally they support the experience of the game by exposing you to additional artistic details you may otherwise look over. Recovering Alice's memories is especially rewarding because they unlock a snippet of dialogue from one of her relations, which can entertain astute players like myself who are looking for all the details to piece together Alice's past. You also collect a sort of currency in the from of teeth, which aside from that being a bit unnerving, allows to to upgrade your various weapons. Hard to tell whether the collectibles contribute or distract from the overall experience, but I didn't mind spending additional time tracking them down.

Another big issue I have is the lack of boss fights. When I reached the end of the first level, I actually went to look up online whether I was supposed to fight a boss when it seemed like I was cheated out of one. All the big bads are there, you just never actually fight them, which is incredibly absurd. So much is lost by the fact that the player never gets to dispatch each realm's nemesis, it's hard to forgive. There are so many fodder enemies, yet they deprive the player of what should be the best moments in the game. It really makes no sense, and I can only guess that Spicy Horse had meant to put bosses in the game, but couldn't get around to it. Which reminds me, the unlockable list of characters in the bonus content displays a lot of additional monsters that I didn't get to meet. So am I to believe they left them in the game without actually implementing them, or maybe their absent because I played it through on normal difficultly (which would be stupid)? Quite disappointing, it feels like the game is incomplete. Here's to hoping they add some neat enemies and such with a DLC, so sad that a lot of that supposed stuff should have been in the standard game.

So overall, what can I say about this game other than I loved it and that it exceeded my expectations? It's a flawed game, and in my pursuit of artistic games, I've gotten very used looking past such things in the pursuit of beauty. Even so, the faults are outshined by all that is to be loved, and I encourage anyone who's even slightly interested in the subject matter to check it out. To wrap it up, this is an extraordinarily creative game, but sadly that creativity doesn't extend to the gameplay. Exploring all the symbolism in the game and measuring how it related to the original source material of Alice in Wonderland was fun in it's own right, and I loved all the psychological aspects immersed in the narrative. But there is nothing psychological about the challenge in the game, as unfortunately this is another case of a bland and predictable genre re-skinned for different flavor. If the actual game had found the ingenuity to be unique, then this would be a perfect artistic experience. Regardless of the bad stuff, it's because of the music, art, and story, that I fell utterly in love with Alice: Madness Returns, and I hope you'll find something to love here too.

And for the record... more bald girls please.

Because I'm a nerd and I took sooooo many notes about this game, stay tuned for my next entry, in which I get to analyze the symbols and thematic nature of the game and it's relation to the works of Lewis Carroll purely for our shared enjoyment!