Alice: Madness Returns PlayStation 3
User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 112 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 98 out of 112
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 112
  3. Negative: 11 out of 112

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  1. SSH83
    Jun 16, 2011
    9
    This game is a piece of art. If you're looking for adrenalin rush, or for a game to be a fine tuned hypnotic machine to make you think you're l33t. This is not that game. It is a fine piece of art for those who want to explore a fantastic world artfully placed between genius and insanity.

    Game reviewers these days are such morons. On one hand, they whine like dying cows when outsiders     say game isn't art. On the other hand, when a truly artistic game comes out, they complain about gameplay being too repetitive and "irritating" then use that to slap on a low score.… Expand
  2. product82
    Jun 15, 2011
    9
    The art direction and music create an eerie yet captivating environment to explore. Playing the game reminded me of playing recent the Zelda games, but don't let that mislead you into thinking this title is unoriginal. The controls feel fluid and I have yet to see a drop in frame rate. Mcgee's interpretation of wonderland drives me forward to see the next character or environment I may recognize from the original stories. Cut scenes between stages have a different look yet provoke the same creepy feel with their 2D (yet 3D) picture book renditions displayed during narrations. I never played the original Alice, but purchasing this game new includes a code that allows you to download the original. Which is awesome, since I'm enjoying this game so much, I may put it down to start the original, then continue Madness Returns.… Expand
  3. dru69muse
    Jun 19, 2011
    10
    If u are a fan of action/adventure/puzzle games this is a beautiful experience. There is no reason to hate on Alice. I wish there were more games like this masterpiece.
  4. beavermatic
    Jun 25, 2011
    10
    I don't know what critics are smoking these days, and maybe the console version was lesser (as I haven't played it on console), but the PC version is drop-dead gorgeous, incredible continuation of the story, fluid, twisted, wicked, and just downright fun to play. It has all the elements prior, and alot of new ones.

    American Mcgee definetely has not lost his touch here, and it's a well o    rchestrated sequel that plays, sounds, and feels flawless. Simply compare the amazing user score to the mediocre critic score, and its obvious they either did not play it, or just didn't care. Easily a 10/10.… Expand
  5. Gamershowcase
    Jun 17, 2011
    9
    First things first, DO NOT I repeat DO NOT believe the bad reviews that are out there. Only you can be the judge of how much fun you'll have with the game. Honesty this game is absolutely amazing, the visual effects, the story, and gameplay is top notch. Dodging an enemy alone is a beauty on it's own, before you believe the reviews from me or anyone else look at gameplays of the game and ask yourself, "Is it something that I would have fun playing?" If the answer is yes than you know what to do, the best critics for anything is yourself don't let others think for you.… Expand
  6. Melancholy
    Jun 26, 2011
    9
    True to what seems to be a trend, the "pro" critics show they know little to nothing about what makes a game good through their ratings. Don't be fooled, this game is good.

    I will mention, first off, that there are many aspects of the game that feel unpolished, such as getting stuck on the terrain at times, not having an animation for sudden turns or changes in direction, or being unable     to adjust your camera at all while using a jump float. But despite those problems, they aren't game breaking by any stretch of the word, and are more annoyances at worst than anything.

    The visual aesthetic is incredible, and truly captures and reflects a world brought to its knees in madness. It's worth stopping on occasion to take in the environments and how meticulous they can be. I can't really emphasize enough how amazing the graphic stylization is for this game. It's nothing short of perfect.
    The music score compliments the gorgeous environments perfectly by adding to the feeling each world possesses.
    The story doesn't start to become truly interesting until about halfway through the game. That's not to say that the game or story is boring up until that point, but the real meat of the whole ordeal starts to unfold at around that mark.
    My only real gripe with the game is that some of the mini-games implemented, while simple and easy to solve, feel largely unnecessary, and take away from the immersive experience the game offers. Don't listen to what these so-called expert critics have to say. This game has been worth the money, and was a great experience overall.    … Expand
  7. potsherd86
    Jun 23, 2011
    9
    I must come to this game's defense. Clearly there is a discrepancy between the critic's opinions and the gaming community's opinions. Alice was not without it's faults, but I think the good far outweighed the bad.

    First, the visuals are great. The graphics are good, but what really makes the game is the attention to detail. Each environment is elaborate and littered with interesting o    bjects that made me spend a lot of time just observing my surroundings. I also really enjoyed how Alice's outfits match the theme of the chapter (if you don't manually pick her dress and use the standard story mode). Apart from that, the gameplay was also very enjoyable. There were definitely glitches; these usually occurred when I was jumping from platforms or using the smoke vents to take me places. Other than some hiccups here and there, the gameplay worked fine. The 4 weapons are unique and fun to use and I liked how you could upgrade them and their appearances changed. My only complaint with this is they only upgrade to level 4 and I had collected so many teeth that by the beginning of Chapter 5 I upgraded everything and I still had a decent amount of the game to go. That being said, the battles were fun and some were very challenging on my first play through. FInally, the other elements like puzzles, chess, arcade mode and 2D platformer levels were a lot of fun and a good way to break up all of the running and fighting. My one final critique was dialogue glitches. When Alice was engaging in conversations with other characters. some of the words were not even said--they was just silence instead of the character talking. Other times, Alice and the characters would talk over each other and the dialogues would overlap. It is a minor problem, but when coupled with the few gameplay glitches, I think Spicy Horse should have either had a BETA test (if they didn't) or a more rigorous BETA test (if they did). Overall, this game was wonderful. The details from the environment to her wardrobe to the characters and weapons made this game one that I will definitely play over and over again.

    And if you can, BUY THE DLC. It was only $1.99 in the PSN store. It comes with 6 new dresses that each have special attributes and 4 weapons that are variants of the original 4 weapons. It is awesome and adds a lot of fun elements to the game. And it's cheap!

    One last comment regarding the bonus content. I didn't play the original Alice until I purchased Alice: Madness Returns and got it as a free download with the ore-order. I played it for a few hours and barely got anywhere--and it was on easy! It was obvious that no real changes were made to the game to make it more compatible for consoles. I can only speak to the PS3 version of course, but it was obvious that it was originally a PC game by the way it played and the reacted to the controls. Spicy Horse pretty much just took an 11 year old PC and made it accessible for the PS3 without putting much thought into translating it to a new system. On a positive note, I enjoyed the game's soundtrack that also came with the pre-order. The music was also another element of the game that I enjoyed.    … Expand
  8. DrDuran
    Jul 4, 2011
    9
    To be honest. I cannot believe all of the "madness" ( Negative reviews ) that I have been reading concerning this game? It's actually unbelievable. It almost makes me believe that everyone has been playing a different game. This game is not only beautiful to look at, it's beautiful to play. have we forgot where we come from as gamers? Where has our imagination gone?
    The gameplay is as goo    d as it needs to be. It's not overly difficult. It's not completely amazing, but it is fluid. There are a few glitchy moments and yes there are "invisible walls" but, hello, this is not an open world game! The different locations, enemies, worlds, costumes, colors, textures are phenomenal. Please, do yourself a favor, especially if you are sitting on the fence on wether to play this game or not, and go out and buy it. You won't forget the experience. It is truly a breath of fresh air in an otherwise mundane genre.… Expand
  9. duffeknol
    Jun 20, 2011
    10
    Stunning. Absolutely stunning. It's been a long, long time since I've played a game that left me baffled at the level design this much. Every new area I entered, I always just had to look around for a bit first, literally making me go 'ooh' and 'aah' at most occasions. This whole game is just so incredibly lovingly crafted. There's so much detail to everything, I can't even wrap my mind around it. The gameplay in itself is nothing special, but it works just fine. Target lock is a bit shoddy at times, but you'll manage. The dialogue might be a tad bit pretentious, but that actually fits the game's style. But really, this game is a bloody gem. A floating island of gold in a sea of mediocre **** I've never played a prettier game than this.… Expand
  10. Silver-Seraphim
    Jun 24, 2011
    10
    If you want something that feels like a platformer from the days of N64 greatness then this is a game you really should consider buying. I don't understand all the bad reviews, I played the original years ago and I adored it, after waiting 11 years for a sequel this one had a lot to live up to and it does. The art style is beautiful and it does bring back very fond memories of playing the original (which you get with it as a download for FREE and it has trophies as well). The checkpoints can be a little unforgiving as there is no save option but does that really matter, if the game was too easy it wouldn't be half as fun. The jumps can be a bit tricky at times but you feel a sense of accomplishment when you finally manage it, the puzzles are fun and not too difficult and there is a ton of stuff to collect in this game so quite a bit of replay value. In a market saturated with FPS this game is a breath of fresh air. If you like platformers and an intriguing dark and twisted story with some fantastic stylised art and great music give this a go you won't be disappointed.
    Plus you get 2 great games for the price of one with this what's not to love.    … Expand
  11. Mithoron
    Jun 26, 2011
    10
    Not having played the first game, all I was looking for was something to keep me preoccupied for a weekend and this delivered and more! Graphics were stunning, puzzles were enjoyable with only a few frustrating moments, but the game was a shocking silver lining in what I was expecting to be a dully RPG. Have to agree with the comment to ignore the bad reviews...this is a gem! It was faintly reminiscent of the Tomb Raider games with the jumping, puzzles, and whatnot, but with a fully insane twist!… Expand
  12. skulls
    Feb 4, 2012
    9
    I got this game and I found it genuinely fun to play. I enjoyed the combat, I loved the style and story. My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough and they were forced to cut out part of the story. I suspect the reviewers don't actually like platformers and I could certainly see this game become tedious if you're trying to beat it in one sitting rather than playing it to have fun and taking a break after each level.… Expand
  13. spookymuffin
    Aug 2, 2011
    9
    Alice: Madness Returns does suffer from many issues (texture pop-in, laggy sound, occasionally frustrating controls etc) but I don't think that it's really dragged down by any of them.
    The game is gorgeous. Even when the graphics aren't their best, the sheer visual beauty of this game is such a breath of fresh air from all of those bland brown/grey "realistic" games that seem to dominate t    his console generation.

    In a lot of ways, the gameplay and art style remind me of an older style of game. When the whole point of picking up the controller was to have a bit of fun and enjoy the spectacle.    … Expand
  14. foreverflash
    Jul 21, 2011
    10
    I think those with mixed reviews who have negative things to point out about Alice Madness don't understand what American McGee wanted to do (and did, flawlessly...) with the story, gameplay and overall atmosphere. If you understood these things you would not frown upon what you "think" are repetitive puzzles and clumsy controls. Madness Returns is simply a MASTERPIECE. That is all that needs to be said.… Expand
  15. Mad_Hatter91
    May 2, 2013
    10
    A great sequel that does not disappoint. A graphics really good, though not one of the best. Beautiful the environments well made and excellent details and all the characters freaked out. Perfect control system and good exploration. The only flaw of the game is that sometimes it can be a bit repetitive but the end result is fantastic.
  16. RenaissanceTM
    Jan 21, 2012
    9
    This is one of the most underrated game. actually it's quite an incredible game. They even give you the first game for free if you purchase it new. You can live the original adventure and then play the new version. You can see the amazing difference that happened after all theses years. It has an incredible story as well as some fun gameplay. It's an experience you shouldn't miss. It's a definite buy.… Expand
  17. ACK_MINDSEYE
    Apr 26, 2012
    10
    I played this game on the PS3 and it worked fine for me. Never any issues. The game itself has so many things going on, a great story, quirky characters, awesome art style and just an overall eclectic feel that is far from anything out there now. I especially liked the varied, imaginative and intriguing level designs. One of the best games I have ever played. It may drive you crazy in some parts but it is never 'throw a controller' aggravating. I play games for fun and this is definitely a creepy good time!! An absolute hidden gem that deserved much better than it got. I hate EA, so I bought this used and I'm glad I did or I would have missed out! PLAY THIS GAME!!!… Expand
  18. partyintheback
    Jan 31, 2013
    10
    Alice: Madness Returns is a game that needs to be experienced. It's a wonderful journey through a weird and haunting place. This is a game that feels fresh in today's gaming world. So please, pick it up and give it a try.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
70 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 52 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 52
  3. Negative: 1 out of 52
  1. Thunderbolt
    Jan 9, 2012
    40
    Alice: Madness Return has a terrific visual style and intriguing ideas, which is why it's so frustrating to see what could've been a clever game turn into such a tedious, drawn-out mess.
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  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Oct 6, 2011
    70
    Madness Returns is in a tricky position. It could never offer pistol-quick mechanics because of the character design and it often feels like a chore to finish a stage. You'll also probably get pretty tired of finding and shooting switches to reveal a hidden platform, or slogging through another round of five or six enemies. Yet it dares to be different, so if you're happy to admire it for is own sake then you should find some fun amongst the insanity. [August 2011 p74]
  3. Gamer.no
    Sep 16, 2011
    60
    Alice: Madness Returns is interesting, visually stunning and inviting. Some of the gameplay elements excites in its pure form, but combat does seem ridgid and sometimes random. It's close, but not quite the cigar for Mr. McGee.
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