Video Games Alice: Madness Returns review

Alice: Madness Returns sees Lewis Carroll's Wonderland twisted into a dark fantasy platformer, Ashton Raze follows the white rabbit

Formats: Xbox 360 (tested). PS3. PC
Developer: Spicy Horse
Publisher: EA
Released: Out now
Score: 7/10

Anyone who played the first Alice video game will know that American McGee's version of Wonderland is somewhat darker than the Lewis Carroll original. Considering Alice's phantasmagorical world was always a bit messed up, that's saying something. American McGee's Alice took the much-loved child's story and warped it, distorting it into a vision of inner madness and corrupted innocence; an existential tale of childhood fantasy versus harsh adult reality.

For Alice: Madness Returns, Spicy Horse (McGee's development studio founded in 2007) has attempted to make things even weirder, even more disturbing, both in art style and plot direction. Free from the asylum in which she previously resided in a state of catatonia following the death of her family in a house fire, Alice is attempting to rebuild her life. Under the care of the ridiculously-named Doctor Bumby, (and house-sharing with some of the most grotesque children ever committed to video game), Alice is making steps towards sanity. Or, as it soon becomes very clear, regressing quite dramatically. After a brief jaunt around Victorian London, Alice is whisked back to Wonderland under the care of the skeletal, grinning Cheshire Cat. Things aren't too bad at first, it's pretty friendly and happy, brightly coloured grass and cheerful mushrooms sprouting from the forest floor. Things don't really seem too weird until Alice gets hold of her first weapon, the Vorpal Blade, known in English as a massive bloody butcher's knife.

There's something of an industrial revolution going on in Wonderland. A demonic, thundering train is working its way through the land, threatening to destroy the world of Alice's imagination. Wonderland is realised fantastically here, even if the game itself isn't graphically superb. Textures are often muddy and basic and some character models aren't brilliant (although others are far better crafted) but the style, throughout, is a thing of beauty. It's a shame that a game with such well thought-out art direction doesn't look a bit more impressive. It's still easy to marvel at numerous aspects though; the intricate design of the teapot enemies, the floating towers of playing cards, the sprawling gothic castle amalgamated with living flesh. The London sections, too, offer promises of atmosphere which the engine can't quite manage. And yet there's still a very distinct charm, a twisted appeal that manages to capture McGee's vision of a warped Wonderland.

Alice's combat plays out as both a melee fighter and a third person shooter. As the game progresses, Alice's arsenal expands to include Wonderland's equivalent of a hammer, a machine gun and a grenade launcher. Combat's a fairly traditional third person affair, with the usual lock-on mechanic, crosshair aiming for the guns, blocks and rolls. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the battling, although the weapon design makes things seem fresher than they perhaps are, particularly as you collect teeth littered about the level in order to upgrade your weapons in both power and appearance.

Alice's foes primarily take the form of lumps of black goo with masks on, but occasionally extend to things like robot teapots, samurai wasps and terrifying broken dolls who gradually lose their clothes as you attack. Despite these creative reskins, the enemy types are quite thin on the ground, with little variety in their methods of dispatch. Despite this, seeing the themed variants for each chapter is always interesting, mostly down to the excellent art style and design of the game.

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