Alice Madness Returns is an action platformer masterpiece from American McGee,
released in 2011.

Inspired by the fabulous universe of Alice in Wonderland, the game has a sumptuous artistic direction, between the sublime and the nightmarish.

Traumatized by a tragic fire that decimated her family, Alice Liddell suffers hallucinations, sometimes dreamlike, sometimes psychotic. The poor young girl wants to know the truth about this terrible incident.

The real world is all poverty and sadness, and Alice tries to disentangle the truth from the lies about her youth and her present.

The script is amusing and well written.
The narration offers a curious mix of genres.
Some tirades are full of puns, and dialogues are theatrical and poetic.
Several characters use double language, and sometimes give rise to very funny moments.

The heroine has a whole arsenal at her disposal, which can be improved.

Here are the weapons that Alice will find during her journey:
- The Vorpal Blade, a sharp knife dealing fast attacks
- The Pepper Grinder, a sort of machine gun
- The Hobby Horse, a kind of heavy hammer
- The Clockwork Bomb, an explosive with a timer
- The Teapot Cannon, a powerful gun that shoots one projectile at a time

Some of these weapons have a dual purpose and allow you to progress through the levels, giving the possibility of activating specific platforms or mechanisms.

Alice also has special abilities:
In addition to being able to glide over short distances, the young heroine can dash to avoid her enemies, shrink to reach areas with a tiny entrance, or use a sort of sixth sense to see otherwise invisible platforms.

Miss Liddell is well equipped to deal with evil creatures.
The bestiary is particularly well stocked.
The monsters are as numerous as they are original and each fights in a different way.
Each critter has a weak point, making it more vulnerable to a particular weapon.
Note also the presence of gigantic bosses. At least compared to Alice...

Various objects litter the levels.
Teeth are scattered everywhere, they are used to exchange for weapon upgrades, but it takes several hundred to do so.
Various souvenir items can be collected, they help Alice remember various events.
Pink flowers dot the levels, they allow the heroine to heal herself if she enters them in shrunken mode.
You need to have a good sense of observation to find well-hidden objects and secret passages.

Wonderland is beautifully illustrated and laid out.
The maps are teeming with details, and should be contemplated.
All levels are peppered with puzzles and creatures to fight.
Alice wears a different dress depending on the chapter, each one being sumptuous.

Small personal paragraph.
I hesitated for a long time to buy this game.
However, I always kept an eye on it.
I have always been fascinated by first its aesthetic, then its storyline.
The game has been delisted and relisted several times on Steam, which makes it unusual.
If you've read this far, you know that this game is one of my favorites.

Alice Madness Returns is an exceptional game in many ways.
Magnificent, ingenious, fun, captivating and endearing, few games can boast of being so successful in so many areas.
A sequel, named Alice Asylum, was abandoned by EA.
Rather an anticlimax, for a game of this quality.

Alice Madness Returns is an action platformer masterpiece from American McGee, released in 2011. Inspired by the fabulous universe of Alice in Wonderland, the game has a sumptuous artistic direction, between the sublime and the nightmarish. Traumatized by a tragic fire that decimated her family, Alice Liddell suffers hallucinations, sometimes dreamlike, sometimes psychotic. The poor young girl wants to know the truth about this terrible incident. The real world is all poverty and sadness, and Alice tries to disentangle the truth from the lies about her youth and her present. The script is amusing and well written. The narration offers a curious mix of genres. Some tirades are full of puns, and dialogues are theatrical and poetic. Several characters use double language, and sometimes give rise to very funny moments. The heroine has a whole arsenal at her disposal, which can be improved. Here are the weapons that Alice will find during her journey: - The Vorpal Blade, a sharp knife dealing fast attacks - The Pepper Grinder, a sort of machine gun - The Hobby Horse, a kind of heavy hammer - The Clockwork Bomb, an explosive with a timer - The Teapot Cannon, a powerful gun that shoots one projectile at a time Some of these weapons have a dual purpose and allow you to progress through the levels, giving the possibility of activating specific platforms or mechanisms. Alice also has special abilities: In addition to being able to glide over short distances, the young heroine can dash to avoid her enemies, shrink to reach areas with a tiny entrance, or use a sort of sixth sense to see otherwise invisible platforms. Miss Liddell is well equipped to deal with evil creatures. The bestiary is particularly well stocked. The monsters are as numerous as they are original and each fights in a different way. Each critter has a weak point, making it more vulnerable to a particular weapon. Note also the presence of gigantic bosses. At least compared to Alice... Various objects litter the levels. Teeth are scattered everywhere, they are used to exchange for weapon upgrades, but it takes several hundred to do so. Various souvenir items can be collected, they help Alice remember various events. Pink flowers dot the levels, they allow the heroine to heal herself if she enters them in shrunken mode. You need to have a good sense of observation to find well-hidden objects and secret passages. Wonderland is beautifully illustrated and laid out. The maps are teeming with details, and should be contemplated. All levels are peppered with puzzles and creatures to fight. Alice wears a different dress depending on the chapter, each one being sumptuous. Small personal paragraph. I hesitated for a long time to buy this game. However, I always kept an eye on it. I have always been fascinated by first its aesthetic, then its storyline. The game has been delisted and relisted several times on Steam, which makes it unusual. If you've read this far, you know that this game is one of my favorites. Alice Madness Returns is an exceptional game in many ways. Magnificent, ingenious, fun, captivating and endearing, few games can boast of being so successful in so many areas. A sequel, named Alice Asylum, was abandoned by EA. Rather an anticlimax, for a game of this quality.