While Day One releases are usually Xbox Game Pass‘s biggest talking point, some older games being added to the service can be even more valuable additions. It’s the perfect way for underrated classics to find new fans, and thanks to the inclusion of EA Play, one gem is available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate owners.
Alice: Madness Returns is one of the most fascinating games to come out of the Xbox 360 and PS3 era of gaming. Released in 2011, it was overshadowed by bigger titles that year, but the American McGee’s Alice IP has gathered a cult following thanks to its distinct art design and psychological storytelling. Now is the perfect time to see what all the fuss is about.
Alice: Madness Returns Is A Fascinating Action Platformer
Some Of The Best Art Design In Gaming
Alice: Madness Returns is one of the most interesting projects in gaming, taking the Alice in Wonderland IP and turning it into a twisted, haunting version of itself. It explores mature themes with Alice in Wonderland‘s colorful cast and transforms Wonderland into a realm of horrors as Alice dips in and out of her fractured psyche. What makes the game special is how this fractured psyche affects the realm of Wonderland.
Madness Returns is a sequel to American McGee’s Alice, and it would have been the predecessor to Alice: Asylum, a project that was unfortunately unable to get off the ground.
Madness Returns maintains the whimsy of Wonderland and remixes it with untold violence. A pepper grinder, hobbyhorse, and umbrella are turned into devastating weapons, while goblin-like creatures wearing teacups and samurai wasps will try to cut Alice into ribbons. The perfect balance of horror and child-like whimsy is what makes the game such a memorable experience, and that’s without even taking the mechanics into account.
Alice: Madness Returns features some solid platforming, interesting gameplay, fun puzzles, and stellar visual design. While decent, the gameplay isn’t what shines as much as the artwork and storytelling. Despite the unique nature of the IP, EA hasn’t capitalized and done more with it, resulting in quite a sad story.
The Series Stalled After Madness Returns
And There Might Be No Hope For A Sequel
Despite being loved, Madness Returns‘ sequel has yet to come out and complete the trilogy. The proposed title would have been called Alice: Aslyum, with American McGee, the IP’s creator, pitching the project to EA, the IP’s owner. McGee produced an incredible design bible as part of his pitch to EA, viewable on Internet Archive, but EA turned down the project, even after the game design bible received a trailer on Gamespot Trailers’ YouTube channel in 2023.
This was a major blow to series fans, and American McGee has been inactive in the game development scene since. The design bible made the whole project clear, and it even had Virtuos, recently famous for Oblivion Remastered, signed on to help develop the project if EA would allow it to go ahead.
Now, American McGee’s Alice IP sits in limbo, and Madness Returns remains the latest game in the series. Despite being fourteen years old, Madness Returns is still a gem that’s well worth checking out for the art design alone. It’s a solid package, and Xbox Game Pass users should give a go if they want something that stands out from the sometimes samey world of modern gaming.
Source: Internet Archive, Gamespot Trailers/YouTube
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