@@xAxCx He’s been working on it for years. Our enemy, EA owns the rights I believe and won’t let it go. Last I checked, about a year ago, he was doing pre production but didn’t have the rights. I’d been funding it for over a year and was no closer to seeing it come to light. Which sucked. And why I stopped sending money
He also tried to do a Wizard of Oz game… that failed funding. His art style is the best, but somehow can’t seem to get a game off the ground. I would buy it all, but there’s nothing to buy. Shame.
perhaps you can answer directly ... why such a NVidia "incompatibility" of the second game? i remember i managed to play Alice Madness Returns on my pc with Integrated Intel Graphics without a single hiccups
I love them, both were really jaw dropping regading art and creativity, but... The thing is that the moment you looked under the rug, you realized that the moment to moment gameplay or combat were rather dull and there i say, not much fun. They were much cooler for what you saw, than for how you felt playing them. The exact same way as with most modern indies.
i remember playing the first Alice so many times. My first computer was a wheezy powerbook G4 1ghz; and the only games it could run consistently well were turn of the century titles [1998-2001]. out of the five Aspyr ports of pc games i had on my macs, this was my favourite.
My older Sister who was into gothic stuff bought this game by curiousity. We spend good and bizzare time together beating it. Thanks Malice (that how she called it)
I don't really like that name because it insinuates that this version of Alice is evil, which she isn't. Dark Alice is better because it's more ambiguous.
Funny name choice, because there actually does exist a 3D platformer called Malice. It's not great though, even if i do like it enough. It was the last game by Argonaut and the final game isn't what was meant to be the final product. There's a story behind it that some might find very interesting. There's even a series of videos here on YT depicting what the final product should've been like instead of the released game, including stuff like five elemental powers based on the Chinese five elements instead of the normal four, time travel and different voice acting and roles for certain characters and objects. I hope it will one day get a second chance and be good stuff.
Omg mine too! My older sister and I played it together multiple times and listern to gothic bands like the birthday massacre its such a vibe and they go so well together :D i
When I was working at GameStop, I would get so many phone calls about this game even until as recently as five years ago. So popular, and I can recall the same goth chick trading this game in and coming to try and find it again months later, on more than once occasion.
Sounds like something I'd do. Get bored of one game, trade it in for another, come back and pick it up when it's cheap so you can play it again when you're ready.
Now c’mon now, I know that Lovecraft doesn’t live up to his last name, and probably wouldn’t want to talk to me because of my non-anglo-saxon heritage, but don’t let his controversial views stop you from enjoying his stories(even though there are racial moments, like describing a sailor of color, a nautical-looking*spanish word for black*)
@@DeadlyAlienInvader your example isn't even racist. Just an outdated term. Negro is not a racist word, you're thinking of a different N word derived from from what you obviously know is just the word for black in multiple languages including Latin.
The Mad Hatter dance scene in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland makes me irrationally angry. Considering that the movie costed $30,000 USD for each SECOND of runtime, how could such an abomination get made?
I'd love to see a 3rd game in this series. I have no interest in playing the first one since it's so old now, but the theme of Alice in Wonderland really needs to be explored more in gaming.
If I’m not mistaken, this isn’t a retelling of the original Alice but instead a sequel story when she’s older. It’s obvious in the dialogue when she’s already met everyone and vice versa. It has been a long while since I’ve played though, so I could be wrong 🙃
@@H3llBaron 22 actually and in Madness Returns 23. I read those Wilsons Case files. It came with original game in the booklet manuel. But you can find it on the Alice wiki. Its actually really good read. I think she was 11 when the house fire happened...and when she was in the orphanage or asylum she fell into a coma for 8 years when she was 14. Something like that
I really loved Madness Returns, brilliant wee game. I never had any bugs or stutters when I played it thankfully, and there's a mod you can get to unlock the framerate if I remember right.
I also played it without any real tech issues and I find it to be one of the best crafted games ever in terms of artistic vision. Every single level is unique and memorable, every weapon feels good to use and has an apperance that changes when you upgrade it, and there are so damn many themes hidden in tiny details (holy shit the nightmare fuel that is Dollhouse). I also like how Alice's femininity is depicted as a strength. Her Wonderland self, the strong version of herself, exudes feminine beauty much more so than her everyday self, the asylum level (aka, the level where you feel the most exposed and weak) is the level that takes away all her feminine traits (shaves her hair and puts her in a baggy straight jacket), and the depiction of her in the ending is also "femininity is a symbol of strength" in how it plays out. And of course you have to mention the dresses. Every last one of them is creatively designed and they are absolutely gorgeous. It's honestly really hard to say which one is my favorite, but I can safely say that they look an awful lot better than most "sexy" designs for female character clothing in many games.
@@carljohan9265um, I think it's quite understandable not wanting to watch a 25+ minutes video for that 1 little piece of information you're not even sure if it's there or not. And also, I didn't need spoilers But thanks anyways for letting me know
Tweeted American with a link, You and Noah Caldwell Gervais are two of my favourite content creators, and you've both analyzed one of my favourite series. I hope he sees this.
I actually like that most of your observations are surface level, its charming and refreshing given all the over written esoteric video essays about video games. I come to you for video game reviews precisely because your like "this shotgun is fucking beefy, and i love it". When i think action games, i think gman lives. Never change my dude
Yeap! These kind of comments remind me of Mark from Classic Game Room, they simply tell us if cutting people in half and burning monsters with a flamethrower is fun or not in those games and that's what I want to know!
There's a certain pretentious nature to videogame essay and critique on RUclips these days. It's definitely refreshing to have someone like G-man who just tells it like it is and gives his honest opinion without fluffing about too much
i mean, it's not actually called the jabberwocky- that's just a common misconception. the official name is jabberwock. edit: about the vorpal blade, her connection to it is most likely due to how in the original jabberwock poem, it's the weapon used to kill it
madness returns is one of my favorite games, it's really aesthetically beautiful and I appreciate that Alice has her own personality and that none of her many costume changes sexualize her, definitely worth playing the entire game
These games take me back to when gaming was just stupid fun. Nowadays a lot of developers seem like film school rejects who need to make everything cinematic and deep and don’t really care about the fun factor.
You're just a filthy casual who doesn't actually play games then, because there are a SHITLOAD released ALL THE TIME. Not to mention we're in the golden age of indie game development. All we need is more AA games to fill the in-between, and guess what they're coming back too with less-than-full-price releases like the very fun Necromunda: Hired Gun. Like I said, you're clearly just a clueless casual.
Never clicked a video so quick, I remember watching Gman back when he had 12k and I’m so glad to have been able to keep following and always having his videos in life even when the chips were down, Thank you for doing this and keeping it going. Big fan, mate.
I love this game so much its story line characters, art it's just so different and unique it really shows Alice has lost her sanity and that she is fighting herself to be normal again, this game is just built different.
It’s really coincidental because I just played both Alice games for the first time last month. Hopefully with some buzz returning for the games, a developer will finally work with American McGee to make a third title.
Man, I remember playing madness returns years ago. Shit messed me up. Also since I see you've been dipping your toes on platformers for a while, may I suggest reviewing The first Psychonauts game? It's a really good platformer and it's sequel is just around the corner
Speaking of psychonauts. Raz’s body is in the queens castle level on madness returns. Thought it was a cool Easter egg. Can’t wait for psychonauts 2 as well.
What's the best way to play Psychonauts? I played it on PS2 back in the day, but I don't have a CRT anymore. I tried playing it on PS4 but it looks AWFUL! Not optimized for the HD display at all. Steam, maybe? Are there mods for the PC version to make it look better?
It's incredible how he was Out-Burton'd by this game. I love his movies but it felt soulless and lackluster. Where's the live action or claymation film adaptation of this version? That would be sick. 😤
It would be impossible to forget this game. Literally terrified me. One of my favorites. The manual that came with the game really added to the gravity of it all.
i'd be down for a full video on the second game, i remember playing it a decade ago and loved all the disturbing scenanery especially in the later levels. The art direction of the game is so memorable.
I had the game open for the first time in years because of Grimbeard's video. Got to the bathroom, opened youtube, and BOOM, Gman also made a video. Crazy.
When I was a little tot, I used to play this game with my dad. I couldn’t even make it past the game opening because the Cheshire Cat and kids laughing shook me up wayyy too much. Madness Returns was easy for me to play 2 years ago, because it wasn’t as scary, but that also made it less enjoyable. Either way, both games are a key part of my childhood, and it feels refreshing to see recognition!!
The music for the first game is one of my favourite soundtracks of all time. There's something so eerie but beautiful about it, I never get tired of listening to it. Really gave the game a one of a kind feel.
I'm glad these games are getting more attention as I've been playing madness returns and really enjoying this unique take on a story that's been done to death
Hey man, just wanted to say I love that you are bringing attention to this series. If anyone is interested, you can actually buy the soundtrack to the first game as it was released on CD back in the day! Chris really captures each areas vibe and I still love listening to the school areas soundtrack :)
The game came with a doctor's journal the detailed Alice's recovery and what was going on around her in the hospital and was in sync with what was going on in the game. Alice also happens to be the first M rated game EA published.
@@smugplush idk, I get why you might say he’s overrated but I think his work stands on its own merits. He has a certain style that he does really well but I don’t think he needs to be called up every time a modern throwback boomer shooter needs a soundtrack. I agree that lesser musicians need a shot though, there’s only so much hulshult groove riffing I can take
Cruelty Squad is brand new, so of course everyone is talking about it "at the same time". But how does a "retrogame" like this get picked up? @@tardwrangler1019
I remember playing Alice Madness Returns when it first came out, and being blown away by the visuals. Also, it reminds me a lot of the Darksiders games, which I don't think receive as much attention and love as they should!
You're one hell of a dumbass. There are many incredible games released every year, we're in the golden age of indie development, and AA games are making a comeback. Of course the BEST games from the past will always be amazing, just like films or books or music or artwork, why would you expect any different? Oh right, because you're a clueless casual who doesn't actually play any recent games...
This is great stuff Gman! I playted the 2nd game first, then went back to play the 1st game. I remember getting terrible motion sickness from the 1st game due to the old game's FoV. I love both of them tho.
I was surprised to see this review! One of my favorite series. You have my vote for the second game's in-depth review! Poor PC port, but it was such a joy to play and listen. I hope the 3rd game comes out before whatever the hell happens to this world next.
Two of my favourite games of all time! :D I even bought a replica of the Vorpal Knife at a convention. And then I had it professionally sharpened just for the hell of it. So now it looks cool *and* I can cut apples with it. :p
I remember the first game being amazing, especially the atmosphere and the multitude of weapons. The second game was looking even better and I really liked Alice's style, dresses and the world. Gameplay wise it was not as good because of more limited weapons, the lock on system and fights being more arenas until the door opens a lot of the time while the first one was more doomlike with a path and enemies being placed along the way. Fond memories though
If I recall correctly, the stuttering issues in the sequel can be fixed by adjusting the physx number of particles in the ini file. For some reason this game defaults to using something close to 100,000 particles for each effect such as the pepper grinder and hobby horse. This can be tweaked down to just a few thousand with a minimal visual difference, but most importantly it gets rid of any stuttering and hitches which were the result of physx tanking the frame rate trying to render an ungodly amount of particles.
Madness Returns - I have just beaten it on (high end) PC, you can edit the config to get 60fps, it was overall very smooth, I didn't encounter any stutters. No bugs, one crash during the whole game, lost maybe a minute of progress. I love this game.
Great to see you talking about this two amazing games. I love both of them, and would love to see a video with a more in depth analysis of Madness Returns.
I really hope Gman can get back to Madness Returns, because the game continues to be as interesting and original in the later chapters as it is in the first. There are some stumbles and some weird crap, but it is balanced by the incredible art direction, level design, and platforming fun. The ending is very satisfying, too. totally worth it.
Lol my ex was obsessed with this game and showed it to me, I was so blown away had no idea this existed and didn't expect the gameplay to be anything like it is.
During the "presentation" segment with the platforming set against a tempest/black hole background I started to have Batman Arkham Asylum flashbacks where Batman was hit with Scarecrow Fear Toxin and had to platform around to Bat Signals - hmmm. There's also another platforming interlude in Batman Arkham City when Batman is running the Ra's Al Guhl marathon. Maybe this game had an influence on certain design and storyline considerations in the development of the Batman Arkham games - feels like it. Alice, in this game, could see medicine as part of her suffering due to an underlying feeling of survivor's remorse where she secretly wishes to die and cannot. The game seems to be really dark/morbid and appears to hold the tone and atmosphere at numerous levels pretty consistently. Really enjoyed the hell out of your commentary concerning the enemy types - AWESOME!
Best Alice in wonderland game/story ever honestly. So fortunate to have beaten it twice back in the day. I actually had the ripped version so there was no music in game, made the game that much scarier!
Friggin loved this game so much when it came out... I also remember having the biggest crush on Alice. I played it again not long ago, and I think it holds up: It is an excellent game (and I tend to hate platform games!) A bit glitchy on widescreen tho. Makes it up with super fast loading and saving. Better than it was in 2000 for sure.
@@turricanrocks1552 For one they don’t make A rated games anymore. There not even in circulation. That wasn’t even my point. This game Isint rated A, in fact I don’t know why this game is rated M it could easily pass for T now a days, it’s up to the parents to use there best judgment of what there kids play.
Both games are amazing,the second one holds up great and much better then most of what comes out today...when passion and vision meet😍😍can't wait for the third
When I first played Alice, I wanted them to go the Sucker Punch direction before Sucker Punch was a thing, where Wonderland was her coping with her actions in the real world. Where at the end when she's walking away from the asylum, there's a flash of it burning to the ground. There were some hints that the bosses were workers at the asylum.
Two of my favorite games of all time! Playing the sequel upon release in 2011 was so refreshing, especially since Duke Nukem Forever came out around the same time and was such a disappointment.
Love this game, loved this review, but I have just a couple of points I disagree on. Consider this: First you put aside the dice that summon a fren for you that tanks everyone around - later you're unhappy you have to tank everyone around. First you put aside the flamethrower that does tons of damage and is extremely cheap to cast, in favor of a Mei wand which is the most easy to handle, but it drains your mana really quick - later you're unhappy you're always out of mana. Maybe there's a little bit more thought put into this system than you give it credit for. Also, it's not a Vorpal Blade in the first game. It's a kitchen knife, just a knife. Thanks for the video, I love to see people remembering this beautiful game.
Hey guys, if you wanna support American McGee's development for the third game, check out his Patreon here:
www.patreon.com/americanmcgee
Can you stop putting this f*cking smile on each and every face?
I did for over a year. I wonder if he’s any closer to getting it done? I got done with sinking money into it and I love the series and the man.
He's developing a third game. About time!
@@xAxCx He’s been working on it for years. Our enemy, EA owns the rights I believe and won’t let it go. Last I checked, about a year ago, he was doing pre production but didn’t have the rights. I’d been funding it for over a year and was no closer to seeing it come to light. Which sucked. And why I stopped sending money
He also tried to do a Wizard of Oz game… that failed funding. His art style is the best, but somehow can’t seem to get a game off the ground. I would buy it all, but there’s nothing to buy. Shame.
Wonderful review! Thanks for that. I promise the 3rd game will be even better!
Is no one going to mention that this is literally American Mcgee? Nobody? Okay.
Btw love your work man!
I’m amazed that this man can work on a third Alice game and also watch almost every review of the first two games ever made on RUclips.
perhaps you can answer directly ... why such a NVidia "incompatibility" of the second game?
i remember i managed to play Alice Madness Returns on my pc with Integrated Intel Graphics without a single hiccups
I hope to play the third game soon
It's great seeing you here
What an underrated gem. I’m glad it’s become the cult classic it deserves to be.
I love them, both were really jaw dropping regading art and creativity, but... The thing is that the moment you looked under the rug, you realized that the moment to moment gameplay or combat were rather dull and there i say, not much fun. They were much cooler for what you saw, than for how you felt playing them. The exact same way as with most modern indies.
i remember playing the first Alice so many times. My first computer was a wheezy powerbook G4 1ghz; and the only games it could run consistently well were turn of the century titles [1998-2001]. out of the five Aspyr ports of pc games i had on my macs, this was my favourite.
But where can i buy this game?
it's normal the game looks trash and dark shit! xD
True!
My older Sister who was into gothic stuff bought this game by curiousity. We spend good and bizzare time together beating it. Thanks Malice (that how she called it)
Malice... I like it.
I don't really like that name because it insinuates that this version of Alice is evil, which she isn't. Dark Alice is better because it's more ambiguous.
Funny name choice, because there actually does exist a 3D platformer called Malice. It's not great though, even if i do like it enough. It was the last game by Argonaut and the final game isn't what was meant to be the final product.
There's a story behind it that some might find very interesting. There's even a series of videos here on YT depicting what the final product should've been like instead of the released game, including stuff like five elemental powers based on the Chinese five elements instead of the normal four, time travel and different voice acting and roles for certain characters and objects.
I hope it will one day get a second chance and be good stuff.
Omg mine too! My older sister and I played it together multiple times and listern to gothic bands like the birthday massacre its such a vibe and they go so well together :D i
wholesome
When I was working at GameStop, I would get so many phone calls about this game even until as recently as five years ago. So popular, and I can recall the same goth chick trading this game in and coming to try and find it again months later, on more than once occasion.
Sounds like something I'd do. Get bored of one game, trade it in for another, come back and pick it up when it's cheap so you can play it again when you're ready.
Maybe the goth chick just wanted to see you?
@@Fireglo maybe that was it? The boost of self-esteem I needed, thank you
@Mercy Stroke asking the real questions, and yes absolutely
@Mercy Stroke only 1
5:29 You can't just quote Lovecraft and ask me to be friends in the same sentence, it's basically a marriage proposal at this point.
i knew it! i wasn't certain but my first guess WAS lovecraft :)
Time for the fish orgies.
Now c’mon now, I know that Lovecraft doesn’t live up to his last name, and probably wouldn’t want to talk to me because of my non-anglo-saxon heritage, but don’t let his controversial views stop you from enjoying his stories(even though there are racial moments, like describing a sailor of color, a nautical-looking*spanish word for black*)
@@DeadlyAlienInvader your example isn't even racist. Just an outdated term. Negro is not a racist word, you're thinking of a different N word derived from from what you obviously know is just the word for black in multiple languages including Latin.
Lmao thought it was a reference to “the lighthouse” for a sec
Nobody knows why this got removed from Steam while other EA games came back.
and both are still on Xbox
EA has copy rights to it
@@robbins531 Hence the 'while other EA games came back.'
Some sort of rights issue. Music or otherwise. That's usually the case.
@@Darca1n EA is EA. Priolly the same reason we can't get the XMen LEgends game.
The Mad Hatter dance scene in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland makes me irrationally angry. Considering that the movie costed $30,000 USD for each SECOND of runtime, how could such an abomination get made?
To quote mystery science theater "they just didn't care!"
A live action Alice in wonderland movie should have been SO GOOD, but instead it sucked balls. What a crying shame.
Jesus...
To answer your question: because TBs whole mentality towards art is"it's whacky and quirky lmao 😆"
@@Largentina.
Sleepy Hollow, Big FIsh, Sweeny Todd, did you forget about those movie?
Let’s just remember they cursed us with a sequel that no one asked for lmaoo
this game deserves a trilogy. too bad a lot of people slept on this series.
Pretty sure a new one is in development, check American McGees twitter
@@cruelstriker670 wasn't he making a comic series for years know?
Alice Asylum is still in the works. AM doesnt need EA's permission to make another Alice game since it's a subjective and highly adapted story anyway.
@@ZigealFaust The source material is also public domain.
I'd love to see a 3rd game in this series. I have no interest in playing the first one since it's so old now, but the theme of Alice in Wonderland really needs to be explored more in gaming.
If I’m not mistaken, this isn’t a retelling of the original Alice but instead a sequel story when she’s older. It’s obvious in the dialogue when she’s already met everyone and vice versa.
It has been a long while since I’ve played though, so I could be wrong 🙃
Yes it is, both alices are unofficial "sequels" to the original alice story
Yes you are right which is exactly what I came here to comment
She's 18 years old in the game
@@H3llBaron 22 actually and in Madness Returns 23. I read those Wilsons Case files. It came with original game in the booklet manuel. But you can find it on the Alice wiki. Its actually really good read. I think she was 11 when the house fire happened...and when she was in the orphanage or asylum she fell into a coma for 8 years when she was 14. Something like that
Not really. American McGee's Alice is totally different to the original so it can't be considered as sequel.
I really loved Madness Returns, brilliant wee game. I never had any bugs or stutters when I played it thankfully, and there's a mod you can get to unlock the framerate if I remember right.
I always get stutters with it, but I always seem to stutter on Unreal 3 games for some reason. It seems like texture loading
I also played it without any real tech issues and I find it to be one of the best crafted games ever in terms of artistic vision.
Every single level is unique and memorable, every weapon feels good to use and has an apperance that changes when you upgrade it, and there are so damn many themes hidden in tiny details (holy shit the nightmare fuel that is Dollhouse).
I also like how Alice's femininity is depicted as a strength. Her Wonderland self, the strong version of herself, exudes feminine beauty much more so than her everyday self, the asylum level (aka, the level where you feel the most exposed and weak) is the level that takes away all her feminine traits (shaves her hair and puts her in a baggy straight jacket), and the depiction of her in the ending is also "femininity is a symbol of strength" in how it plays out.
And of course you have to mention the dresses. Every last one of them is creatively designed and they are absolutely gorgeous. It's honestly really hard to say which one is my favorite, but I can safely say that they look an awful lot better than most "sexy" designs for female character clothing in many games.
I'm trying to find out if Alice the madness returns is a sequel of this game
Is it, please?
@@JessyingAround Um, the video literally says that MR is the sequel...
@@carljohan9265um, I think it's quite understandable not wanting to watch a 25+ minutes video for that 1 little piece of information you're not even sure if it's there or not. And also, I didn't need spoilers
But thanks anyways for letting me know
Tweeted American with a link, You and Noah Caldwell Gervais are two of my favourite content creators, and you've both analyzed one of my favourite series. I hope he sees this.
I so wish American McGees Wizard of Oz game got the kickstarter funds it needed.
Damn, that sounds like it would’ve awesome and probably pretty unique
@@jeremyroberts8822 It was going to be a zombie game BTW
Do not fret! It is in the works now! They are even gonna make a tv show out of it.
If you want to support the project you should definitely check out his socials and stuff
I always liked the startup sound of the first game which was Alice's happy laughter turning into haunted crying. It really set the mood.
I actually like that most of your observations are surface level, its charming and refreshing given all the over written esoteric video essays about video games. I come to you for video game reviews precisely because your like "this shotgun is fucking beefy, and i love it". When i think action games, i think gman lives. Never change my dude
Yeap! These kind of comments remind me of Mark from Classic Game Room, they simply tell us if cutting people in half and burning monsters with a flamethrower is fun or not in those games and that's what I want to know!
I agree. Pseudo-academic video essays and reviews are fun and interesting but a lot of the time I just wanna hear someone talk about if a game is fun.
There's a certain pretentious nature to videogame essay and critique on RUclips these days. It's definitely refreshing to have someone like G-man who just tells it like it is and gives his honest opinion without fluffing about too much
i mean, it's not actually called the jabberwocky- that's just a common misconception. the official name is jabberwock.
edit: about the vorpal blade, her connection to it is most likely due to how in the original jabberwock poem, it's the weapon used to kill it
madness returns is one of my favorite games, it's really aesthetically beautiful and I appreciate that Alice has her own personality and that none of her many costume changes sexualize her, definitely worth playing the entire game
It would be a really fucked-up game in which to give the female main character a titillating swap of clothes, considering the story.
this isnt a video about madness returns tho
What about the costume where she only wears tentacles and nothing else?
@@bluemonday2000 Well I know where this is going
These games take me back to when gaming was just stupid fun. Nowadays a lot of developers seem like film school rejects who need to make everything cinematic and deep and don’t really care about the fun factor.
You're just a filthy casual who doesn't actually play games then, because there are a SHITLOAD released ALL THE TIME. Not to mention we're in the golden age of indie game development. All we need is more AA games to fill the in-between, and guess what they're coming back too with less-than-full-price releases like the very fun Necromunda: Hired Gun. Like I said, you're clearly just a clueless casual.
I mean...doom eternal, prodeus and ULTRAKILL. Most platinum games, all of Capcom recently.
You can partly blame Hideo Kojima for that. He wants his games to be like films...
You can partly blame Hideo Kojima for that. He wants his games to be like films...
I'd say the Alice games had a *fair* amount of depth to them. They're basically a journey through her subconscious mind.
Never clicked a video so quick, I remember watching Gman back when he had 12k and I’m so glad to have been able to keep following and always having his videos in life even when the chips were down, Thank you for doing this and keeping it going. Big fan, mate.
I love this game so much its story line characters, art it's just so different and unique it really shows Alice has lost her sanity and that she is fighting herself to be normal again, this game is just built different.
Holy crap! Grimbeard Diaries and you both review my favorite game? Yes please
Great minds think alike.
Same I was watching Grim's review yesterday and now this shows up. Amazing.
It’s really coincidental because I just played both Alice games for the first time last month. Hopefully with some buzz returning for the games, a developer will finally work with American McGee to make a third title.
Great minds think alike.
Man, I remember playing madness returns years ago. Shit messed me up. Also since I see you've been dipping your toes on platformers for a while, may I suggest reviewing The first Psychonauts game? It's a really good platformer and it's sequel is just around the corner
That would be amazing!
Speaking of psychonauts. Raz’s body is in the queens castle level on madness returns. Thought it was a cool Easter egg. Can’t wait for psychonauts 2 as well.
What's the best way to play Psychonauts? I played it on PS2 back in the day, but I don't have a CRT anymore. I tried playing it on PS4 but it looks AWFUL! Not optimized for the HD display at all. Steam, maybe? Are there mods for the PC version to make it look better?
played this game with gtx1060 i5 perfectly fine idk why u crying like girl
@@donnylurch4207 pretty sure you can buy it on the ps store for ps4.
This game made me forget *Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland…*
It's incredible how he was Out-Burton'd by this game. I love his movies but it felt soulless and lackluster. Where's the live action or claymation film adaptation of this version? That would be sick. 😤
If only we could all forget...
> "Butterflies coming out of her dress"
*pauses* Feathers.
It would be impossible to forget this game. Literally terrified me. One of my favorites. The manual that came with the game really added to the gravity of it all.
i'd be down for a full video on the second game, i remember playing it a decade ago and loved all the disturbing scenanery especially in the later levels. The art direction of the game is so memorable.
>Reads thumbnail
Jokes on you, I heard about this game AGES ago.
I had the game open for the first time in years because of Grimbeard's video. Got to the bathroom, opened youtube, and BOOM, Gman also made a video. Crazy.
One of my high school GF's was madly in love with the series, so much so that I couldn't get her to just lend it to me so I could play it.
Listening to that lovely Alice music then that fart doom song had me spitting up my coffee...
If the DOOM songs were made by some one who has an edge for farting alot 😂😂😂
When I was a little tot, I used to play this game with my dad. I couldn’t even make it past the game opening because the Cheshire Cat and kids laughing shook me up wayyy too much. Madness Returns was easy for me to play 2 years ago, because it wasn’t as scary, but that also made it less enjoyable. Either way, both games are a key part of my childhood, and it feels refreshing to see recognition!!
Sounds like you had a cool dad.
total childhood
The music for the first game is one of my favourite soundtracks of all time. There's something so eerie but beautiful about it, I never get tired of listening to it. Really gave the game a one of a kind feel.
I love how at 5:30 gman casually references lovecraft and what I love even more then that is how he never stops finding those hidden gems of a game.
I was obsessed with Madness Returns all throughout my teen years.
same
i had the biggest crush on alice
@@MelindaColden Still so cool.
Same lol I still own both games on PS3 and when physical drops in price I'll buy it again.
The first game reminds me of Clive Barker's Undying and Kiss Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child.
Me too. Probably because I bought Undying bundled with Alice.
Honestly, the sequel is one of the funnest games i have ever played and is still to this day one of my all time favorites
I'm glad these games are getting more attention as I've been playing madness returns and really enjoying this unique take on a story that's been done to death
Verry underated game. Thank you for covering this!
Alice: The Madness Returns is my favorite game of the 7th generation.
@latex glove Question, how does it feel to be so ignorant? I played the original game on PC upon it's release.
@latex glove I sure one like yourself who has accepted a lower quality standard of living would say such a prosperous thing.
There is no The in the title
@latex glove Imagine caring more about the platform rather than the actual game…
@latex glove Console vs PC is a dead debate, troll harder next time
Ah yes, the game that has the Queen of Hearts look like Cthulu, in a level that looks like a vivisection of a monster!
Hey man, just wanted to say I love that you are bringing attention to this series. If anyone is interested, you can actually buy the soundtrack to the first game as it was released on CD back in the day! Chris really captures each areas vibe and I still love listening to the school areas soundtrack :)
The game came with a doctor's journal the detailed Alice's recovery and what was going on around her in the hospital and was in sync with what was going on in the game. Alice also happens to be the first M rated game EA published.
Alice: Asylum better have Mic Gordon as the composer
at this rate you're more likely to get andrew hulshult
I fail to see how they'd fit together.
He was an ass with his colleagues in Bethesda, I really don't want him
I know more ppl who purchased the doom soundtrack than the actual game.
@@smugplush idk, I get why you might say he’s overrated but I think his work stands on its own merits. He has a certain style that he does really well but I don’t think he needs to be called up every time a modern throwback boomer shooter needs a soundtrack. I agree that lesser musicians need a shot though, there’s only so much hulshult groove riffing I can take
This game really impressed me with its dreamy/nightmarish AESTHETICS.
How is it You, Grimbeard FP and some others have all released Alice reviews this week? Coincidence? I think not!
The hivemind
The illuminati of game reviewers has done it again 😇
😆
Him and civvie released cruelty squad video at almost the same time too
Cruelty Squad is brand new, so of course everyone is talking about it "at the same time". But how does a "retrogame" like this get picked up? @@tardwrangler1019
I remember playing Alice Madness Returns when it first came out, and being blown away by the visuals. Also, it reminds me a lot of the Darksiders games, which I don't think receive as much attention and love as they should!
Alice madness returns is SUCH an underrated classic, i love it so much and i hope you do a more indepth video on it.
This is one of my favorites. I play both of them once a year. Now thanks to you I'm loading them again!
Been going on a retro binge recently and glad to see this one covered on your channel!
This game is extremely visually impressive for the time it came out.
I remember being a teen and seeing the 1st Alice in a PC gamer magazine. I loved the esthetic. And dark macabre style on all this.
Between Cr1tikal and Gman, I’m not sure who has the most colorful vocabulary LOL
"and some of these are about as annoying as having a wasp stuck in your pee hole." - GmanLives 7/22/2021
This game is a GEM.
And people should really start to play "old" games like this.
Literally better than 99% of "recent" productions.
This will be most of my Steam Deck strategy lol
Kiss Psycho Circus wasn't good though.
Bruh quit it with the boomer shit
You're one hell of a dumbass. There are many incredible games released every year, we're in the golden age of indie development, and AA games are making a comeback. Of course the BEST games from the past will always be amazing, just like films or books or music or artwork, why would you expect any different? Oh right, because you're a clueless casual who doesn't actually play any recent games...
I like the addition of the Vorpal Blade as Alice's knife and 1st weapon since in mythology it takes different forms including King Arthur's Excalibur.
I love how they included american magee's alice inside alice madness returns
OMG laughed so hard when the old DOOM music kicked in.
A full version of that would actually be rather motivating
This is great stuff Gman! I playted the 2nd game first, then went back to play the 1st game. I remember getting terrible motion sickness from the 1st game due to the old game's FoV. I love both of them tho.
Starting the day off with a new video from my favorite content creator.
What else could i ask for!
I hope these games get a remake for all the current gen consoles. Especially if American McGee ends up releasing the third game.
The first games OST was simply amazing and the game blew my mind back in the day.
"Makes sailors go mad just by looking at her" is that from The Cabin Boy?
I was surprised to see this review! One of my favorite series. You have my vote for the second game's in-depth review! Poor PC port, but it was such a joy to play and listen. I hope the 3rd game comes out before whatever the hell happens to this world next.
"i´d like to raid that tomb" LOL - sneaky bastard
Literally, my brain can only remember the original Doom music in 8 bit fart noises....Thanks GMan!!
Man those late 90's and early 2000 graphics bring back so many memories. Gaming was so damn good during those years.
Two of my favourite games of all time! :D I even bought a replica of the Vorpal Knife at a convention. And then I had it professionally sharpened just for the hell of it. So now it looks cool *and* I can cut apples with it. :p
The Alice games where fantastic! Had a fun memorable experience playing both. A remake would be great..... maybe if done right.
I remember the first game being amazing, especially the atmosphere and the multitude of weapons.
The second game was looking even better and I really liked Alice's style, dresses and the world. Gameplay wise it was not as good because of more limited weapons, the lock on system and fights being more arenas until the door opens a lot of the time while the first one was more doomlike with a path and enemies being placed along the way.
Fond memories though
If I recall correctly, the stuttering issues in the sequel can be fixed by adjusting the physx number of particles in the ini file. For some reason this game defaults to using something close to 100,000 particles for each effect such as the pepper grinder and hobby horse. This can be tweaked down to just a few thousand with a minimal visual difference, but most importantly it gets rid of any stuttering and hitches which were the result of physx tanking the frame rate trying to render an ungodly amount of particles.
Madness Returns - I have just beaten it on (high end) PC, you can edit the config to get 60fps, it was overall very smooth, I didn't encounter any stutters. No bugs, one crash during the whole game, lost maybe a minute of progress. I love this game.
Great to see you talking about this two amazing games. I love both of them, and would love to see a video with a more in depth analysis of Madness Returns.
I really hope Gman can get back to Madness Returns, because the game continues to be as interesting and original in the later chapters as it is in the first. There are some stumbles and some weird crap, but it is balanced by the incredible art direction, level design, and platforming fun. The ending is very satisfying, too. totally worth it.
Lol my ex was obsessed with this game and showed it to me, I was so blown away had no idea this existed and didn't expect the gameplay to be anything like it is.
I have vague memories of this game existing, had no idea this game was this cool
During the "presentation" segment with the platforming set against a tempest/black hole background I started to have Batman Arkham Asylum flashbacks where Batman was hit with Scarecrow Fear Toxin and had to platform around to Bat Signals - hmmm. There's also another platforming interlude in Batman Arkham City when Batman is running the Ra's Al Guhl marathon. Maybe this game had an influence on certain design and storyline considerations in the development of the Batman Arkham games - feels like it.
Alice, in this game, could see medicine as part of her suffering due to an underlying feeling of survivor's remorse where she secretly wishes to die and cannot. The game seems to be really dark/morbid and appears to hold the tone and atmosphere at numerous levels pretty consistently.
Really enjoyed the hell out of your commentary concerning the enemy types - AWESOME!
I remember it and will never ever forget it. I still need to play the sequel.
Thank you so much for the content mr.G. So much nostalgia.
Best Alice in wonderland game/story ever honestly. So fortunate to have beaten it twice back in the day. I actually had the ripped version so there was no music in game, made the game that much scarier!
I haven't forgotten this series for a single day. It's great and I have so many memories of it.
The ost for part 1 was crazy. I got chills listening to it
Friggin loved this game so much when it came out... I also remember having the biggest crush on Alice. I played it again not long ago, and I think it holds up: It is an excellent game (and I tend to hate platform games!)
A bit glitchy on widescreen tho. Makes it up with super fast loading and saving. Better than it was in 2000 for sure.
This was the first game that after finishing, I stood up and applauded it. Incredible all the way through.
This is my 7 year old daughter 2nd favorite game. 1st fave is Madness Returns
woah isnt it too violent for you kid.
@@heromedley dude it’s a video game who actually cares. It’s his daughter.
@@christianjohnson2275 ...even A-Rated games?
@@turricanrocks1552 For one they don’t make A rated games anymore. There not even in circulation. That wasn’t even my point. This game Isint rated A, in fact I don’t know why this game is rated M it could easily pass for T now a days, it’s up to the parents to use there best judgment of what there kids play.
@@turricanrocks1552 it's AO-Rated, and that rating isn't even real anymore if I'm not mistaken.
I remember playing Alice 2 on my PC in Stereoscopic 3D. It is one of the most amazing visual experience I've ever had!
Fun fact:the clockwork bomb works as a distraction against enemies
What an under appreciated masterpiece!
These games were so good! I wish we could get a remake or even a remaster
Both games are amazing,the second one holds up great and much better then most of what comes out today...when passion and vision meet😍😍can't wait for the third
Ah yes. That game where letters in the menu were highlighted, so that Load, Save, Delete can be read as LSD.
Truly an underappreciated gem.
When I first played Alice, I wanted them to go the Sucker Punch direction before Sucker Punch was a thing, where Wonderland was her coping with her actions in the real world.
Where at the end when she's walking away from the asylum, there's a flash of it burning to the ground. There were some hints that the bosses were workers at the asylum.
Two of my favorite games of all time! Playing the sequel upon release in 2011 was so refreshing, especially since Duke Nukem Forever came out around the same time and was such a disappointment.
I'm glad people finally decided appericiate the first game, it was always my favorite
If I remember correctly you got the whole 1st game included when you bought the second.
Love this game, loved this review, but I have just a couple of points I disagree on.
Consider this:
First you put aside the dice that summon a fren for you that tanks everyone around - later you're unhappy you have to tank everyone around.
First you put aside the flamethrower that does tons of damage and is extremely cheap to cast, in favor of a Mei wand which is the most easy to handle, but it drains your mana really quick - later you're unhappy you're always out of mana.
Maybe there's a little bit more thought put into this system than you give it credit for.
Also, it's not a Vorpal Blade in the first game. It's a kitchen knife, just a knife.
Thanks for the video, I love to see people remembering this beautiful game.
I still have the cd sleeve w Alice and Hatter sitting at table, framed. (Alice is holding a big knife under the table)
I love the sequel. That dark gothy stuff is beautiful
i remember...honestly i got it installed) wish you would do a Blade of Darkness review someday😀
Let’s give a shout out to EA for removing this game from steam and never putting it back.
Thanks!
🎩
🐍 no step on snek! 🇺🇸🇭🇰
Thank god for cracked games
this game is included in Alice: madness returns for free...
so it would make no sense to have it sold separately :>
snakes are banned
@@yungchop6332
Wrong.
Yarrrr!
Thank you for covering this beautiful pair of games.
I played both of them on Xbox360.
Idk why this came up. I've never seen your videos before but this was an absolutely amazing game. So underrated.
Madness Returns is a masterpiece.