Alice: Madness Returns

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 7,680 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Alice: Madness Returns Game Cover
Despite unrefined combat, Alice: Madness Returns delivers a fun, unforgettable journey in color, design, and images.
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Return to Wonderland and experience an all new nightmare as Alice fights to regain her sanity as she fights for the truth behind her past. Can Alice save Wonderland - and herself - from the madness that consumes them both?

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Ea Origin
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
  • Xbox Game Pass
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 7,680 reviews
story1,360 positive mentions
stability344 negative mentions
  • The graphics and art style are stunning, creating a beautifully twisted version of Wonderland.
  • The story is engaging and explores deep themes of trauma and mental health, making it thought-provoking.
  • The gameplay combines platforming, combat, and puzzles, providing a varied and enjoyable experience.
  • The PC port is buggy, with frequent crashes and issues like the umbrella mechanic not working properly.
  • The camera controls can be frustrating, often making combat difficult and disorienting.
  • Some levels feel overly long and repetitive, which can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
  • story2,869 mentions

    The story of "Alice: Madness Returns" is a dark and twisted reinterpretation of the classic "Alice in Wonderland," exploring themes of trauma, mental illness, and recovery as Alice navigates her fractured psyche. Players uncover her tragic past through collectibles and narrative elements, creating an engaging and immersive experience that contrasts the whimsical nature of the original tale with a more sinister atmosphere. While the story is compelling and richly detailed, some players noted that the pacing can be uneven, with gameplay occasionally overshadowing the narrative depth.

    • “The story is an incredibly unique telling of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland'.”
    • “The story presents interesting ideas about grief, trauma, abuse, and manipulation, but it never manages to be as engaging or as interesting as it could be, especially with the abrupt ending that doesn’t feel like a proper resolution.”
    • “The story is dark and intriguing, and it's easy to see how this is a cult classic.”
    • “The plot progresses at a (mock) turtle's pace.”
    • “You want to progress with the story, but every NPC gives you some irrelevant and silly side quest that you have to complete before you can move on.”
    • “The story is pretty straightforward but there are still many interesting and missable things if you take a close look at it.”
  • graphics1,584 mentions

    The graphics of "Alice: Madness Returns" are widely praised for their stunning and imaginative art style, which effectively captures the dark and whimsical essence of the game. Many reviewers note that, despite being released in 2011, the visuals still hold up well against modern standards, showcasing beautiful environments and character designs. However, some players have experienced technical issues, such as crashes and graphical glitches, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The graphics in the game are absolutely gorgeous; it is a beautifully imagined fantasy world.”
    • “The gaming experience it offers is nothing short of exceptional, as the gameplay, graphics, and sound design harmoniously blend to create an immersive and captivating environment.”
    • “The graphics are amazing, especially for an old game like this!”
    • “It's ridiculous that the players themselves have to go into the files and fix the coding as well as having to keep the graphics to the lowest just so it doesn't crash continuously after the first cutscene.”
    • “I am beyond disappointed that it made my computer stuck on the game visuals even trying to force close it and I have had to restart my computer every time I try to open it.”
    • “The graphics are very disappointing and are straight out of 2007.”
  • gameplay1,529 mentions

    The gameplay of "Alice: Madness Returns" is a mixed bag, with many players praising its engaging platforming and combat mechanics, as well as its unique art style and storytelling. However, it is often criticized for being repetitive, with some mechanics feeling outdated and linear, leading to a sense of tedium over time. Technical issues, such as bugs and camera problems, further detract from the experience, making it a game best appreciated for its aesthetic and narrative rather than its gameplay depth.

    • “The gaming experience it offers is nothing short of exceptional, as the gameplay, graphics, and sound design harmoniously blend to create an immersive and captivating environment.”
    • “Every facet of the game, from the compelling storyline to the meticulously crafted mechanics, surpasses my expectations in every conceivable way.”
    • “The blend of puzzles and environmental challenges keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging, providing a satisfying sense of progression.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly repetitive, and the combat feels clunky.”
    • “The repetitive gameplay, clunky combat, and my overall lack of enjoyment made this a disappointing experience.”
    • “However, the actual gameplay leaves to some issues, with some pretty bad camera lock-on and what I see as monotonous and repetitive sections, especially throughout chapter 3.”
  • music518 mentions

    The music in "Alice: Madness Returns" is widely praised for its atmospheric and haunting qualities, effectively complementing the game's gothic visuals and emotional narrative. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to evoke feelings of melancholy and unease, with specific tracks enhancing key moments in the story. However, some players note that while the music is generally good, it can become repetitive and lacks the memorability of the original game's soundtrack.

    • “Every single song is a wonderful representation of the part of the story it was made for that I can't imagine any other sound for them.”
    • “The soundtrack deserves special mention, as it perfectly complements the atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The music and graphics in these three titles are at the absolute highest level, and I don't mean that it's so beautiful because it's full 4k and so on, on the contrary, the visuals are appropriately suited to the production and it may not be '4k', but it's just beautiful anyway and perfectly creates the atmosphere of the whole thing along with the music, which is beautiful.”
    • “However, when it comes to the gameplay, platforming, music and overall development, this game can be really disappointing.”
    • “Alice: Madness Returns lacks boss battles for a majority of the levels and the music isn't as otherworldly and creepy as Chris Vrenna's soundtrack for American McGee's Alice.”
    • “The music is kind of just sad and doesn't inspire you to keep playing.”
  • atmosphere406 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Alice: Madness Returns" is widely praised for its dark, gothic, and surreal qualities, creating an immersive experience that beautifully reflects the game's twisted narrative. Players appreciate the richly detailed environments, haunting soundtrack, and unique art style, which together evoke a sense of unease and wonder. Despite some technical issues and repetitive gameplay, the game's atmosphere remains a standout feature, captivating players with its blend of whimsy and horror.

    • “The richly detailed environments are filled with vibrant colors and intricate designs, creating an atmosphere that perfectly reflects the game’s dark narrative.”
    • “The atmosphere is thick with a dark, unsettling vibe that’s really unique and immersive.”
    • “The atmosphere, graphics, music, storytelling are all perfect.”
    • “The dark atmosphere of the original is captured again in the sequel, allowing a new generation the joy and thrill of the first game.”
  • stability360 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting frequent crashes, glitches, and performance issues that can make it frustratingly unplayable. While some users have managed to enjoy the game despite these bugs, many express disappointment over the lack of patches and fixes for the persistent technical problems, particularly in the PC port. Overall, the game's stability issues overshadow its positive aspects, leading to a mixed reception regarding its playability.

    • “Game runs great on the Steam Deck, suffering no slowdown that I have noticed.”
    • “I have a very basic laptop, but it ran fine otherwise with no glitches or frame drops.”
    • “This little gem, what to say, they made this well back when games were released finished and bug free. I am playing this on a modern machine and it runs so well and looks so good that you really can't tell it was made 10 years ago.”
    • “Game crashed multiple times and there's just an insane amount of glitches which makes the game unplayable.”
    • “I wanted to like this game, I was excited to play it, but all I got was a buggy, unpatched, and frustrating mess.”
    • “The biggest drawback is probably from the publisher; the port to PC is very buggy, easy to crash, and many times I need to play from the beginning due to the only auto-save feature.”
  • optimization149 mentions

    The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with many users reporting severe performance issues, including frequent crashes, stuttering, and lag, particularly on the PC port. While some players managed to improve performance through community guides and file modifications, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized for modern hardware, making it frustrating to play without significant tweaks. Despite its engaging story and visuals, the technical shortcomings detract from the overall experience.

    • “Runs smoothly on lower settings and still looks great, with a great score and story.”
    • “There are lots of community guides about how to improve performance.”
    • “Overall, Alice: Madness Returns is a brilliant and twisted experience based on the Lewis Carroll book, and while the performance was an unfortunate response from the era that this game was released, all other aspects really shine and is an experience I won't be forgetting anytime soon.”
    • “The control optimization of this abandoned project is so overwhelmingly bad that it is not possible to access the majority of the game.”
    • “Despite its low system requirements, the game lags during action and sometimes freezes outright; crashes and poor performance plagued my entire playthrough.”
    • “The game is good, but poorly optimized.”
  • grinding110 mentions

    The reviews consistently highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is characterized by tedious and repetitive gameplay, with long levels and monotonous combat that detract from the overall experience. Many players found the platforming and puzzles to be frustratingly drawn out, leading to a sense of boredom and a lack of engagement as the game progresses. While some appreciated the art style and story, the overwhelming sentiment is that the gameplay becomes a chore, making it difficult to stay invested.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Some levels feel unnecessarily drawn out and tedious, making it hard to stay invested.”
    • “From a gameplay standpoint the levels are repetitive and the combat is extremely tedious, leading to a surprisingly dull playthrough.”
    • “The fantastic visuals and set pieces do a lot, but not quite enough to outweigh the boring and often downright tedious gameplay, which gets repetitive quickly.”
  • humor71 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its dark, twisted, and macabre elements, blending comedy with a serious narrative about inner demons and mental struggles. Players appreciate the witty dialogue, funny character interactions, and absurd situations, which contribute to an overall enjoyable experience. The game's unique blend of gothic aesthetics and humor resonates well with fans of dark comedy and 3D platformers.

    • “It has all the charm, psychotic and crazy sense of humor you could want and manages to expose all its nuances in a wickedly fun (almost theatrical) tone.”
    • “Behind the mask of grotesque and gothic looking characters and scenes is hiding a serious story about struggling with your inner demons, mental scars, and the disgusting world of exploitation we still live in, so although this game is a lot of fun, it is also very deep, and it perfectly balances crazy, serious, funny, and scary in one very unusual and iconic game.”
    • “The story is promising and the humor is right up my alley, but it's unplayable!”
  • character development67 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by its stunning and intricate character designs, which reflect the dark themes and atmosphere of the story. Players appreciate the variety of outfits and the unique, often grotesque designs of both protagonists and NPCs, enhancing the immersive experience. However, some reviews note that while the character designs are impressive, the actual character development and narrative depth may be lacking.

    • “The character design is also great as with each chapter Alice will get different dresses with each level to match the environment; some of these dresses look great and I couldn't stop but admire the level of detail that went into them.”
    • “The character designs are wonderfully macabre, with many returning characters receiving updated designs as befitting of Alice's vastly altered mindscape, and the voice acting is strong.”
    • “Beautiful visuals and excellent character design combine to create a wonderful, disturbing, and unique take on Alice and her adventures in Wonderland.”
    • “The storyline is average at best, and character development is mediocre.”
    • “Although the character development is lacking and is somewhat subpar, the implanted lore that is already there from the previous game has been expanded upon.”
    • “It's a beautiful puppet but it doesn't have much life despite how unique many of the character designs are.”
  • emotional62 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Alice: Madness Returns" is widely praised for its deep exploration of trauma and mental health, with many players finding the storyline both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. The game's unique art style and haunting soundtrack enhance the emotional experience, evoking strong feelings of empathy and sorrow for the protagonist, Alice. However, some critiques mention a lack of emotional connections with secondary characters and gameplay issues that detract from the overall impact.

    • “Alice’s journey through her fractured mind is both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking, and the writing is sharp and engaging.”
    • “The storyline, which delves into Alice's psyche, is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant; it's also personally one of my favorite aspects of the game.”
    • “A visually striking and artistically impressive game with a dark and emotional story that unravels as you play, accompanied by an equally enchanting and masterful soundtrack.”
    • “Heart touching.”
    • “Okay game with a boring story.”
  • replayability62 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed among reviewers. While some appreciate the presence of collectibles and a New Game+ mode that enhance replay value, many feel that the lack of alternate endings, achievements, and significant content to explore limits the incentive to replay. Players who enjoy hunting for secrets or are completionists may find more value, but others suggest that the game is best experienced once.

    • “Some parts may drag on a bit, but Madness Returns also has a lot more going on with upgrades, secrets, and added replay value thanks to collectibles and unlockables.”
    • “Unique and interesting story, visually pleasing, and very replayable.”
    • “I loved the fact that you could go around and collect hidden memories and bottles or find the radula rooms to earn more health slots; which just gave the game more replayability.”
    • “However, the game lacks replay value, as there are no collectibles or alternate endings to discover.”
    • “I wouldn't say there's a lot of replayability unless you're a completionist.”
    • “Replayability: 5/10 - there's really not that much to do once you've completed it.”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many users expressing frustration over the prevalence of microtransactions and unskippable ads reminiscent of YouTube. Reviewers feel that the focus on cash grabs detracts from the overall experience, overshadowing the game's quality and leading to disappointment in its execution and marketing.

    • “EA's microtransactions are back, but they feel more balanced this time.”
    • “I appreciate the option to add some microtransactions for extra costumes or weapons.”
    • “Continue to throw more Battlefield, Need for Speed, and those other garbage sports games with million microtransactions; nothing else seems like that's all EA is known for today.”
    • “This game was a good example of what EA should have retained, but no, they just had to change to the cash grab, rushed content releases that are plaguing many AAA titles now.”
    • “EA microtransactions return.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

68% average critic score

Buy Alice: Madness Returns

Play time

12hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
14hMain story
23hCompletionist
5-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 28 analyzed playthroughs

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