Alice: Madness Returns

[Solace]

Anyone looking forward to this? It's the sequel to American McGee's Alice, which came out on the PC over a decade ago. I'm pretty excited for it, since I loved the original. Here's a trailer:

The cinematic trailers are pretty cool but some aren't for the faint of heart. Here's one of the "tamer" ones:

[Bonta Kun]

Anyone looking forward to this?

ME!! ME!! ME!!

I loved the original as well and want to get this but atm I don't actually have a computer capable of playing it.
My desktop is now dead and my laptop is not up to the task, which means I may opt for the PS3 vers.

[SilverSyko]

I'm not gonna lie, this looks like a VERY interesting game. Plus it fits right into my favorite genre.~ (action/platforming)

I never played the first game but I heard the first one is available through a coupon that is included with the purchase of this game, so that's convenient.

It's looking to be quite the deconstruction of the "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass" stories.~

Even though I have a PC good enough for gaming, I'll probably get the PS3 version.

[StarTouch]

I played the original Alice and really liked it, definitely gonna pick this one up when it's out. ^_^

[SaintessHeart]

Wait she's eating a cake? That cake is a lie!

[MakubeX2]

Distributed and released by EA, right ? Excuse me while I feel lurkwarm from Dragon Age 2 and Crysis 2.

Plus take away the background and setting and just how does it differs from other hack-and-slash platformers ?

[jonli]

I have to admit that I never played the original Alice because I was still a little child afraid of monsters under my bed (I was a big child). Now that I'm much braver and completely battle hardened after Amnesia I'm sure I can take this on.

From the videos it actually looks fairly disturbing, psychologically and not just spooks, and seems to have a fairly interesting story. Can anyone here give us an update about the first game? Do we really need to play it before this game?

[Solace]

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

Distributed and released by EA, right ? Excuse me while I feel lurkwarm from Dragon Age 2 and Crysis 2.

Plus take away the background and setting and just how does it differs from other hack-and-slash platformers ?

I'll give you that EA isn't exactly an originality powerhouse but it isn't like those games are horrible either (although I share in some of the complaints about their design choices).

I actually don't expect anything more than a hack and slash game with some puzzle elements. That's what the first game was after all. The bigger appeal for this game is the truly disturbing take on Alice in Wonderland, and the promo material that's out there suggests they're not only not shying away from that, but embracing it.

So yeah, it'll probably be a /yawn hack and slash type game, but if it plays well, looks and sounds as good as the gameplay vids I've seen....it should be an enjoyable ride.

[SilverSyko]

Originally Posted by jonli

From the videos it actually looks fairly disturbing, psychologically and not just spooks, and seems to have a fairly interesting story. Can anyone here give us an update about the first game? Do we really need to play it before this game?

Well, the first game actually comes with the PS3/360 version of this one. You'll receive a password that will allow you to download it for free off the PSN Store/Xbox Live. Pretty fair for those who missed out on the original seeing how it's incredibly rare to come by nowadays.

After watching a playthrough of it, I wouldn't say you have to play the first game to play this one though. All the knowledge you really learned from the first game is reviewed in this one.

-------

Gameplay video of the first 10 minutes which includes cutscenes and some exploration:

So yeah, if you compare to the original, much has improved quite a bit, and the combat looks a lot more intense as well from the short clips I've seen.

[SaintessHeart]

This game is storyline oriented so the gameplay mechanics might not make up much for it, nonetheless this game is going to seem really interesting.

Anyway, what is her age in this game? According to the novels, she is 7-8 after Looking Glass. So she spent 10 years in Rutledge, and another 11 years have passed since the last game, making her.....28-30?

That is one hell of a christmas cake lie.

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

Plus take away the background and setting and just how does it differs from other hack-and-slash platformers ?

Do that to the first game and there's not much left either.

It was super cool atmosphere-wise, but the levels got progressively more boring. Frankly American McGee is a pretty horrible game designer; Alice was his best work by far and it wasn't a very good *game*.

So yeah.


Although I'm not sure if I'll be as impressed by the darker and edgier Alice as I was the first time, when I was young and innocent (lol). Been there done that, in fact everybody's been doing it since the Crystal Palace was still standing in South London. Bloody hell even Burton and Depp tried it, and it was an abject disaster (not financially though).

[MakubeX2]

Originally Posted by Irenicus

Do that to the first game and there's not much left either.

It was super cool atmosphere-wise, but the levels got progressively more boring. Frankly American McGee is a pretty horrible game designer; Alice was his best work by far and it wasn't a very good *game*.

So yeah.

I'll see about getting it if I'm not done with LA Noire and Witcher 2 by June. A free download of the first game is a plus, but EA games aren't that rare here. I still see the PS3 Limited Edition of Dead Space 2 on shelves in quite a few stores.

Bloody hell even Burton and Depp tried it, and it was an abject disaster (not financially though).

Observe how Alice 2010 is financed and released by Disney. It would be fairer to say that Burton was reined in by the top brass. He quite capable for darker stuffs, you known.

[ninryu]

F*ck yeah. I love the original book, and the more adaptions - the better.

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

I'll see about getting it if I'm not done with LA Noire and Witcher 2 by June. A free download of the first game is a plus, but EA games aren't that rare here. I still see the PS3 Limited Edition of Dead Space 2 on shelves in quite a few stores.

Hmm. If you've got the chance review it here so I'll know if I should pay.

By the way, do you guys pay Japanese prices or American prices for Western games?

Observe how Alice 2010 is financed and released by Disney. It would be fairer to say that Burton was reined in by the top brass. He quite capable for darker stuffs, you known.

OT: when I first heard about the project I thought it was going to be the best thing ever, but for some reason the dark magic that powered The Nightmare Before Christmas was replaced by a washed out, grimdark Underland, silly climactic CGI battles, and clumsy feminist messages. So the problem wasn't so much that it wasn't dark enough as that it wasn't magical enough, and the cardinal rule for successfully adapting Alice to anything is that you must, under any and all circumstances, preserve the dream magic, never to render it mundane. I don't know how I could blame Disney for that however much I want to.

[MakubeX2]

Originally Posted by Irenicus

By the way, do you guys pay Japanese prices or American prices for Western games?

Depending on the exchange rate. Prices for new imported English titles can range from $60 to $80 in the local currency.

OT: when I first heard about the project I thought it was going to be the best thing ever, but for some reason the dark magic that powered The Nightmare Before Christmas was replaced by a washed out, grimdark Underland, silly climactic CGI battles, and clumsy feminist messages. So the problem wasn't so much that it wasn't dark enough as that it wasn't magical enough, and the cardinal rule for successfully adapting Alice to anything is that you must, under any and all circumstances, preserve the dream magic, never to render it mundane. I don't know how I could blame Disney for that however much I want to.

Since Alice 2010 was produced directly under Disney, perhaps it's not too much to say that the Studio Executives might have impose some orders that limites Burton's creativity so as to maintain their Family Friendly image.

[SOGESNAKE]

I don't know why.... but looking at the gameplay at the beginning there reminds me alot of Fable for some reason...


Otherwise, I've been rather a fan of games where things start to go.... "insane" if you will~?

[Vexx]

Basically, my experience matched Irenicus... GREAT atmosphere in the first one - but yeah, it started to get tedious about half-way through. I was just glad it was over by the final boss battle. However, I *will* be looking at this with interest.

Hard to beat gaming with a half-mad young lady with butcher knives seeking revenge or mayhem.

[SilverSyko]

Okay, I just had to put this here because the awesomeness of it all blew me away.

Apparently if Alice loses most of her health and is in a weak state, she can go into "Hysteria Mode" in which results in a significant power boost and everything loses color aside from blood a-la Sin City or MadWorld.

Spoiler for Hysteria Mode Screenshots:

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by SilverSyko

Apparently if Alice loses most of her health and is in a weak state, she can go into "Hysteria Mode" in which results in a significant power boost and everything loses color aside from blood a-la Sin City or MadWorld.

Did they lift this from Hidan no Aria or what?

[Evil Rick]

Originally Posted by SilverSyko

Well, the first game actually comes with the PS3/360 version of this one. You'll receive a password that will allow you to download it for free off the PSN Store/Xbox Live. Pretty fair for those who missed out on the original seeing how it's incredibly rare to come by nowadays.

After watching a playthrough of it, I wouldn't say you have to play the first game to play this one though. All the knowledge you really learned from the first game is reviewed in this one.

-------

Gameplay video of the first 10 minutes which includes cutscenes and some exploration:

So yeah, if you compare to the original, much has improved quite a bit, and the combat looks a lot more intense as well from the short clips I've seen.

Anyone else noticed that the monsters that appear cornering ALice have the head of the Jabberwock? Clue he'll be back?

Also new gameplay vid.

Gotta love the pepper machinegun. XP