Poor Alice. She’s already lost everything – her family, her home, and over a decade of her life locked away in an institution. But as if that wasn’t enough, now her only escape, Wonderland, is crumbling to pieces. With her mind hanging by a thread, Alice must navigate the twisted landscape to uncover the truth behind the tragic fire that changed her life. Armed with her Vorpal Blade (yes, a kitchen knife), Alice cuts through the madness, solving puzzles and facing off against bizarre enemies in a desperate bid to save herself and her imaginary friends.
An Unpredictable Adventure Across a Shattered Wonderland
As you play through this dark, five-act journey, you slowly piece together the mystery of Alice’s past through collectible memories scattered throughout the levels. These audio clips, recorded by Alice's sister or psychologist, shed light on the things that haunt Alice’s ever-changing Wonderland. But the deeper you go, the more bizarre the world becomes, and the harder it is to distinguish reality from fantasy.
While the game takes you through all the classic video game environments—think underwater caves, lava pits, icy landscapes, and enchanted forests—it also throws some curveballs. You’ll face off against the Queen of Hearts’ organs, explore The Far East, and walk across a sky full of card-shaped bridges. Some of these environments are truly jaw-dropping, and it's actually a pleasure to stop and admire the scenery for once. Unfortunately, the beauty doesn’t make up for the repetitive gameplay that starts to set in early on.
Repetitive Gameplay with a Few Standout Moments
The game offers a lot of platforming, puzzles, and combat. Early on, the mix of these elements is well-balanced, giving you breaks from intense combat to solve unique puzzles—like the underwater side-scrolling ship section. But as the game goes on, the repetition kicks in. You’ll end up redoing puzzles multiple times, such as the unnecessarily frequent pachinko mini-games, which start to feel more like filler than fun.
Platforming sections vary from peaceful air vents to Zelda-style mazes. You’ll find yourself walking into rooms, using Alice’s “shrink-o-vision” to uncover hidden secrets, activating switches, and racing against the clock to shoot targets. It all feels a bit too formulaic, with little room for creative problem-solving.
Combat – The Heart of the Madness
Let’s talk about the real highlight of the game: combat. The enemies are constantly evolving to match the surroundings, and every new stage brings fresh challenges. You'll fight everything from giant ruins to swarming samurai wasps, all while executing smooth combos and switching between weapons on the fly. Alice's arsenal includes her Vorpal Blade, a hobbyhorse (yes, a literal hobbyhorse), bombs, and even a teapot to help cleanse her mind of the evil lurking within Wonderland.
The combat feels a lot like the fighting system in the Zelda games, but thanks to clever controls, you never have to pause the action to swap weapons. You get all your weapons early on, which makes upgrading them a lot more satisfying than the actual combat itself. The hobbyhorse, which starts out as a humble tool, eventually transforms into an epic platinum unicorn that does massive damage. Talk about a glow-up!
The Final Verdict: A Journey Worth Taking, But With Some Bumps Along the Way
The repetitive puzzles, air vent sections, and lengthy combat sequences might feel like a slog at times, but the payoff is worth it. By the end of the game, all the scattered memories and secrets start to make sense, and you finally get the full picture of Alice’s tragic past. However, despite all the revelations, Alice herself feels oddly one-dimensional, disconnected from the horror and beauty of Wonderland. It’s unclear if her journey to healing will resonate with players the same way it does with her.
In the end, Alice: Madness Returns offers a unique and visually stunning experience, but it’s marred by repetitive gameplay and a sometimes confusing story. Whether you’re a fan of action-platformers or just want to see how this dark reimagining of Wonderland unfolds, it's definitely a journey worth taking—if you can stomach the repetition.
