I would not be writing this review if i didn't feel that the critic scores grossly misrepresent the quality of this title. I feel as though low scores will be given simply because a game does not innovate--rather than it just being a bad game. Alice: Madness Returns is an excellent game and does not claim to, or want to push any new boundaries in gaming. Madness Returns offers a very nostalgic "oldschool" 3d platformer feel with slick combat to back it up. The puzzles in this game were quite lackluster and are a part of the reason why I will not give this game a 10. The points of Madness Returns that need to be highlighted are the art direction, sound, and story. The atmosphere that the art evokes in this game is simply stunning. I had similar feelings gazing into the distance in "Cardbridge" as I did perched atop a building overlooking a beautiful Italian vista in Assassin's Creed 2. Aiding the stunning landscapes in creating that feeling of Wonderland; is an amazing score, in addition to great character voice acting. (I have never said 'what' so delightfully, SO many times to the things the characters said)
All of these great aspects of Madness Returns are nothing without a spine, without a story. The tale following the events of American McGee's Alice is an incredibly fun, creepy, and intriguing adventure that will keep you playing.

To top everything off the game is bundled with a code for American McGee's Alice... how can you go wrong with this game?… Expand

Reviewers are somehow blind to what makes a game actually good I guess. Every game is repetitive, and yet only certain games does it seem to make the reviewer call it out. Black OPs is shooting bad guys for the entire campaign absolutely no change and yet it does not get hit with a lower score. Alice is an absolute joy to play each level you play has a very distinct art direction and makes you feel like your truly in Alice's twisted world. The combat is smooth and fluid and actually makes you think about how to beat each enemy, you have to utilize each thing they give you even the block button which I admit I never use in other hack and slashes. There are a few graphical glitches but it doesn't detract from the gameplay, and if you've played the first Alice the games story is intriguing and makes you feel like an absolute continuation of the original story building on it The art is beautiful, the fighting engaging, the mini games give a nice change of pace but don't feel out of place. Don't listen to what paid reviewers have said about this game, instead look at what users are saying everyone is enjoying it and there's a reason!! This is a buy, especially since you get the first alice with it!!… Expand

I wasn't expecting much of this game, but was greatly suprise. The creative side and the story (the way to tell it) are the strong point of this game, as much as the self-explain action/control. The only downside , like all the 3d plat-former, is the camera that sometime gets buggy (especially when focusing an enemy)

A great change of pace, i recommend it strongly

Graphics are not the greatest but backgrounds is pure eye candy. I catch myself getting lost into the game specially at night. The controls are so much better than the first PC version of Alice. The story is awesome, puzzles are fun. I don't want to release any spoilers about the game so I won't talk about the story. If you an American McGee Alice fan I would highly recommend getting this title.

While I have yet to beat Alice: Madness Returns I can say that my time with it has been very enjoyable. The art direction is fantastic and the level designs are exactly what you would expect from American McGee, they range from disturbing to tranquil.

Alice: Madness Returns is a fantastic platformer swimming in a sea of tired and old FPS' and dull action games and should definitely NOT be missed.… Expand

An absolutely gorgeous game that needs a second look by the critics. Sure, it has a lot of jumping, gliding, and a bit of repetition, but what game doesn't? These days I feel reviewers are getting a bit too critical about very minor issues, and in the process they are dragging down some really amazing studios who have put in a ton of hard work to make some unique experiences. I have a feeling if Alice was replaced with Mario, this one would have at least received a 9. The weapons, environments, animation & platforming are outstanding. In fact, the only gripe I'd have is the slight lack of variety of enemies, and the length of some of the stages. Otherwise, this is a must buy.… Expand

A beautiful platformer with brilliant ideas which was exactly what I needed. It's such a breath of fresh air to see such art and passion put into a project compared to the sea of shooters and terrible movie cash-ins. Alice is a great game with some niggling flaws (repetition, pacing, Unreal engine quirks), but it does so much right that it far outweighs the flaws. A personal 10 for me, and the fact new copies include the rare and brilliant original game only makes it that much sweeter.… Expand

Ok so I took a jump on this game, with the art style and story being the appealing factor and wow did I find a hidden Gem. I seriously cant believe these "reviewers" scores! The minor negatives surely don't negate a drop in score so vast as to score it as a mediocre title? I mean negatives of similar volume appear in their precious CoD titles and yet they still score that pathetic franchise highly!!?

Alice is a breath of fresh air and shows what an adventure platformer should and was like. New copies come with the original copy of the game which is just sheer brilliance. If you love the story of Alice and are into Adventure platformers then do yourself a favour and pick this game up. For me so far this year it has been my favourite release!… Expand

I loved it. I could not put the controller down. The controls were easy to learn and the camera didn't get in the way like some other games. Just as good as the first one. Defiantly check it out.

Game of the year! This is one of the best and most mature games I've played this whole year. It consistently adds new things like environments, enemies, gameplay mechanics, and characters. It creates a creepy vibe that no other can match in all honesty. The platform design in this game is nothing short of magical at times, the combat is super fluid, and the story is top of the line. Plus the visuals are mind blowing. You really appreciate what Spicy Horse fit into every nook and cranny of this game because of how magnificent and original the whole world feels despite being a sequel.

All I gotta say is that I hope for another and those who associate low quality with Alice: Madness Returns does not know the meaning of the word quality.… Expand

This game is gorgeous and engaging. Platforming and combat aren't the best they could be, but the staggering design and artistic depth of Wonderland is worth the price of admission alone. I honestly can't remember the last time I saw settings and design so beautiful and creative. The game has a strong narrative artfully delivered with powerful visuals, and even though the combat and platforming aren't the best I've ever seen, they still play fast and strong. The mediocre critic's score made me a tad worried about committing to this game, but it is destined to be one of the most memorable releases of 2011, and I can whole-heatedly recommend it.… Expand

I have to agree that critic reviews seem to have missed the point. The poor control system for PC should be noted, but it is a port from a console and does not have terribly large or surprising problems in that respect. The visuals are amazing, the story and the way the story is fed to the player both fit with Carroll's genius and with the themes of the madness and confusion. Yes, you spend a lot of time making jumps and fighting enemies, but it is a platformer. They tend to be repetitive, in that you jump from platform to platform. If you don't like that, this is not the game for you. I feel like many of the reviews criticize either the repetitiveness, the memory collection, or the visuals too harshly, and do not judge what the game actually is.

This game is not trying to do anything new, in fact it is trying to recapture something old. It is an old-school platformer and it hits all the right notes. If you loved the first one, you will love this one.… Expand

A great game that incorporates surreal graphics with better story telling then most games on the market today. Many critics seem to have given this game low points due to repetitive gameplay, and while this is somewhat true Alice: Madness Returns' gameplay is nowhere near as repetitive as the leading video game titles. If you wish to play a beautiful surreal game with a decent combat system where you actually find yourself using things like block and dodge; this is for you. If however you wish for storyless highly repetitive games that involve nothing more that press button to make things blow-up followed by more of the same ad nauseum then don't play this game and instead pick up whatever Halo or Call of Duty game the critics are drooling over.… Expand

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 orchestrated 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

Not sure why the critics weren't as crazy about this game. The art direction is stunning, the story is intelligent and twisted, and the combat is unique and challenging. The campaign took me around 15-20 hours to complete, and during that time I always felt like there was something new to discover. Though the gameplay might be considered shallow and derivative by some, I chose to compare it to a game like Darksiders - both games take from older games like Zelda, but they manage to repackage the addicting gameplay in a way that makes it feel new and exciting. I only had a couple complaints about Alice, one being that 4 weapons (upgradable though they might be) feels like a small number for such a long game, and the other complaint being that the final chapter is underwhelming compared to the previous ones. Other than that, Alice should prove to be an incredibly rewarding game experience for anyone, regardless of if you played the original PC version (which is included for free, so if you feel obligated to play that first, then I still recommend getting this game).… Expand

GREAT GAME. Don't be fulled by the reviewers score, they underestimated this game, because it is really Amazing. Beautiful Art !! and a very interesting trama. Developers really made a great effort in offering a unique experience. Also if you buy the game from retail (new) you get the EA online pass code, so that you can download for free the original "Alice" on you console (the first game) so you would be getting 2 great games. Even after the game lacks of multiplayer it offers 4 levels of difficulty and a lot of hours of gameplay. You won't regret it I swear.… Expand

I fell in love with this game within the first five minutes of playing. The backgrounds and character designs are absolutely beautiful, and the story is gripping. One of the most interesting aspects of it is the theme of Alice's insanity and trying to use Wonderland as a means so work out her problems. The combat is smooth, and easy to get the hang of. All in all one of the best games I have played this year.… Expand

I have been loving this game, but I must admit it is mostly because of its visual concept. The game is basically a platformer with the type of game play you would expect from a 3D Rayman or Super Mario title, and quite repetitive. But that works for me just right because it forces me to explore every little corner to collect all the items and admire the artwork as I play. Relaxing for the most part, frustrating occasionally, I recommend this game if you are a fan of the characters and/or if you want to see something that looks original, even if it doesn't play that way.… Expand

This game took a lot of imagination to create. I was very impressed with the psychological mind trip figure-out-what-is-really-going-on feel to this game. The hidden objects are fun to collect, the weapons and upgrades were entertaining to use, and the art direction can be categorized as "top notch". This game is not for the immature, younger crowd. There are some very serious, mature themes throughout this story. I have one problem, although it is not with the gameplay. My problem is that, although it is possible to buy the original Alice game on the Xbox Marketplace, you cannot play it unless you also have this game (Alice: Madness Returns). To launch the original Alice after purchasing it on the Marketplace...you must do so from within THIS game's menu.… Expand

To me, a game I remember vividly each level and design months and months later is a success. Alice: Madness Returns was one of those games. I played the original American McGee's Alice on PC about a year ago after hearing about it. I loved the dark setting but couldn't get fully immersed because of the hard control scheme on PC. To my delight, I heard they were making a sequel! and on the Xbox!
To me the game was a visually stunning piece, even if the graphics weren't futuristic BF3 something or other, I feel like the graphics accented the theme of the game nicely and I had no problem with them. The game is meant to look more unreal, after all. The story was pretty good, although I was a little lost at times as to what was going on, I usually would figure it out after a few minutes or so. The combat was fun and yes, maybe it got repetitive after a while but the stunning levels and new enemies kept me going. The level design was astounding, and I still remember the ruined halls of the Red Queen's castle and the satisfying underwater segment. The setting is changed so rapidly it really keeps you interested and you're never in one place too long. Also the surprise of where Alice was headed next also kept me immersed, and guessing. Overall I wouldn't go as far to say this is a GOTY but I can defiantly recommend this to anyone who loves the dark fantasy/action genre and I will probably be replaying it sometime to get back into that twisted world and dark atmosphere that is American McGee's Alice.… Expand

Un juego excelente, es el claro ejemplo que critica y usuarios no siempre están de acuerdo. La historia es muy madura y absorbe desde el principio. Una ambientación preciosa donde se nota el trabajo artístico que hay detrás del juego. Sobre la jugabilidad cabe destacar que los movimientos de Alice responden a la perfección, los puzzles son entretenidos y las peleas contra los enemigos muy variadas ya que cada uno tiene diferentes debilidades y nos obliga a utilizar el coco en vez de machacar botones.
Sobre el único defecto que tiene el juego, y a sido sobre explotado por los medios para bajarle la puntuación, es la carga de textura que en mi opinión no son tan extenuantes como la prensa nos quiere hacer creer. Sinceramente es mi GOTY del 2011.… Expand