Alice : Madness returns (EPIC)

Helix

i think its a bit of a strange one

i honestly dont get the lack of love

does not compute

deathrider

The dole did a number on me this week, so it looks like Alice will have to wait till next week to be purchased.

Potential-Monke

I bought a copy off Amazon last saturday, hoping that it would be here waiting for me when i got back home from being in Limerick for the last 3 days. It's not. And i could have bought it in HMV in Limerick today too. I can't wait for this to come!!!

Chairman Meow

Good god. I just did chapter 4, that is honestly the best thing ive played so far this year. Absolutely brilliant.

GIANT ALICE SMASH!!!

Also did the introduction to chapter 5. That is honest to god possibly the most **** up thing played in a videogame since sticking your hand down the vomit filled toilet in Silent Hill 2 Possibly the most deranged thing ive ever seen in gaming. American McGee, my ****ing hat goes off to you

Mr E

Quite enjoying this actually.... camera is a bit crap, but the game is solid - you can tell they put a lot of imagination into it.

CramCycle

Just got Alice one, will start a playthrough after work as its been too long, start on Alice 2 at the weekend, looking forward to it after all the positive reviews here.

AceCard Jones

CramCycle wrote:

Just got Alice one, will start a playthrough after work as its been too long, start on Alice 2 at the weekend, looking forward to it after all the positive reviews here.
Today 23:20

I played the free copy of the first game before starting on Madness returns, while I enjoyed and appreciated the art style and old nostalgic polished N64 Graphics, the platforming/combat mechanics were painful at times. There is no comparison between 1 and 2 so if you find yourself hating the first one don't worry the second one plays completely different.

Also besides one or two "I know what that/he/she is" moments, playing the first one before the second one didn't really give any benefits besides the achievements.

After finishing Alice Madness Returns, it definitely deserved an 8/10 minimum.
Without spoiling I'll leave it at that.

For those who have finished it:

I felt the game ended rather abruptly, having gone through the game expecting 6 chapters, finding out the last one is literally just the boss was a bit of a disappointment. And the ending itself left a bit to be desired after building it up so well over the course of the game. A game with as messed up a theme as Alice, you expect a bit of a convoluted explanation at the end. This in the first game didn't surprise me as it wasn't very story driven and is over a decade old. That's the only reason I'd mark it down to 8/10 really. Game play was fantastic, platforming was fun, combat was polished and had just enough depth to it. Is it wrong I just wanted it to keep going?

calex71

Finished it there at earlier, enjoyed it over all. Didn't feel it dragged out at all.

Rare I finish a game and have some many images of scenery etc still in my mind.

The ending sequence was

pretty dark actually and thats saying something given the over all tone, did I take it correctly? The doc was pimping /fiddling kids?

Headshot

calex71 wrote: »

The ending sequence was

pretty dark actually and thats saying something given the over all tone, did I take it correctly? The doc was pimping /fiddling kids?

Yes

So I just finished this game

It gets my vote for GOTY. I just loved it tbh from the darkness to the great scenery

The imagination which went in to create the game like the weird enemies is terrific

AceCard Jones

@Calex:

I'm not too sure, the thought definitely crossed my mind, but:

Are we to think he did the same to Alice? Or just that he was manipulating her and the other kids to be his vision of perfect? Impressionable and manageable. Plus he and the lawyer made a fair bit of money from Alice and I'm sure other patients too.

You get a memory concerning the lawyer at one point and he seems to be telling Alice any good Woman/Girl would have images of their dead family done in marble, and that he would commission a sculptor for it. I think the ending could be what any individual player perceives it as. Or maybe I'm complicating it and he's just a crazy old pimp.

Headshot

AceCard Jones wrote: »

@Calex:

I'm not too sure, the thought definitely crossed my mind, but:

Are we to think he did the same to Alice? Or just that he was manipulating her and the other kids to be his vision of perfect? Impressionable and manageable. Plus he and the lawyer made a fair bit of money from Alice and I'm sure other patients too.

You get a memory concerning the lawyer at one point and he seems to be telling Alice any good Woman/Girl would have images of their dead family done in marble, and that he would commission a sculptor for it. I think the ending could be what any individual player perceives it as. Or maybe I'm complicating it and he's just a crazy old pimp.

He was fiddling kids imo, that's what he was doing in the Alice's sisters room

AceCard Jones

Headshot wrote: »

He was fiddling kids imo, that's what he was doing in the Alice's sisters room

Very true.

calex71

Yes I took it the same way. Like I said dark in a disturbing not expecting it in a game kind of way.


Contender for best named enemy ever goes to

B!tch Baby

Headshot

calex71 wrote: »

Yes I took it the same way. Like I said dark in a disturbing not expecting it in a game kind of way.


Contender for best named enemy ever goes to

B!tch Baby

I lol that big time

hellboy99

Loving this game, you could just go round looking at the scenery all day

GOTY for me so far :pac:

ShadowHearth

I will repeat myself, but I still can't get over it. How the he'll all reviewers hate it and gamers love it?!

I only got a bit more in to chapter 2, and I usually hate such scenery in video games, but in Alice it is very well done.

Fair play to creatures for all that imagination.

Lers say this: I loved the way ship was "packed" in chapter 2 . I so want screenshot!!!

Chairman Meow

The neogaf thread for this is brilliant. There isnt a single complaint in it and its gone from initial pessimism at the bad reviews to the entire thread being filled with nothing but praise for the game

Still cant get over that opening to chapter 5. I woke up thinking about it! Ive never seen something so disturbing in a game. It actually takes an absolute dump all over other 'mature' games like heavy rain. This is how you do genuinely ****ing creepy, disturbing scenes. God this game is absolutely ****ing brilliant.

Genghiz Cohen

Alright fine!
I'll buy it, ffs....

Chairman Meow

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Alright fine!
I'll buy it, ffs....

you wont regret it...hopefully

I re-read the EG 5/10 joke review earlier...and it actually made me angry. So i wrote another rant where i review their review

http://thefacepalmedgamer.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/reviewing-the-review-eurogamers-alice-madness-returns-review/

warning: contains copious use of the C-bomb and spoiler for what happens at the beginning of chapter 5

Mr E

Its a decent critique, but would be just as convincing without the personal attacks against the reviewer (IMHO, etc.)

Chairman Meow

Mr E wrote: »

Its a decent critique, but would be just as convincing without the personal attacks against the reviewer (IMHO, etc.)

Thanks...but thats just how i roll

nevaeh-2die-4

Just put an hour into it

Amazed so far, the art work and characters are amazing, the originality .

it’s a crime this game is getting slated, with bad reviews.
This game is virtually unknown, due to lack of advertising and videos, which is bad marketing decision,
with the reviews its getting people are just going to pass it by and pick up games like la noire which in no way deserves the hype and love its getting,

don’t get me wrongs it’s a good game but gets extremely boring with little or no change to the game play and mission from start to finish

I can see that its money that pays for positive reviews these days,

Seem like the Alice devs, didn’t give any handouts, thus the ****ty reviews on an excellent game

Helix

nevaeh-2die-4 wrote: »

I can see that its money that pays for positive reviews these days,

Seem like the Alice devs, didn’t give any handouts, thus the ****ty reviews on an excellent game

thats absolute nonsense

Headshot

Helix wrote: »

thats absolute nonsense

your to quick to defend yourself Helix

Helix

Headshot wrote: »

your to quick to defend yourself Helix

the whole idea of companies buying scores is farcical though. it doesnt happen, the only way anything resembling it happens is via advertising, which is still very rare

for a start promotion is NOTHING to do with the developers, and its EA behind alice on the publishing front, so it's not like it's a mickey mouse company with no money to spend

Headshot

Helix wrote: »

the whole idea of companies buying scores is farcical though. it doesnt happen, the only way anything resembling it happens is via advertising, which is still very rare

for a start promotion is NOTHING to do with the developers, and its EA behind alice on the publishing front, so it's not like it's a mickey mouse company with no money to spend

i was only joking...

But arent ign dodgy that way

CramCycle

Helix wrote: »

the whole idea of companies buying scores is farcical though. it doesnt happen, the only way anything resembling it happens is via advertising, which is still very rare

Did someone mention GameSpot :pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

Helix

no idea, dont read any game sites apart from kotaku the odd time to be honest. but the whole idea that publishers give reviewers a big sack of cash to say they like the game is ridiculous in the extreme

stuff goes on, but its subtle, and its nothing like people think. as i mentioned there have been cases where someone has threatened to pull advertising, or the more common thing where the publishers' pr company put on a load of events and treat the journos like gods in order to get favourable coverage, but that's not really the same thing. theres never anything implied by it

Genghiz Cohen

Since you have to pay to get a review anyway, I'm sure 'friends' can be made in the process.

Genghiz Cohen

Helix wrote: »

stuff goes on, but its subtle, and its nothing like people think.

Except Edios: Give us a the full of your front cover and at least an 8/10 and you get an early copy to review.