Alice: Madness Returns

Last updated

Alice: Madness Returns
AliceMadnessReturns.jpg
Developer(s) Spicy Horse
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Director(s) American McGee
Designer(s) American McGee
Artist(s) Ken Wong
Writer(s) R. J. Berg
Composer(s)
Engine Unreal Engine 3
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Alice: Madness Returns is a 2011 action-adventure game developed by Spicy Horse and released by Electronic Arts for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game is the sequel to American McGee's Alice (2000) and was directed by series creator American McGee.

Contents

Alice: Madness Returns follows Alice Liddell, a young woman suffering from trauma caused by the death of her family in a fire. Alice was discharged from a psychiatric clinic and now lives in an orphanage for mentally traumatized orphans under the care of Dr. Angus Bumby. To get rid of the trauma and learn the truth about her past, she once again falls into Wonderland, where a new evil force has corrupted it.

Gameplay

Alice as seen in Madness Returns, wielding the Vorpal Blade Madness Returns screenshot.jpeg
Alice as seen in Madness Returns, wielding the Vorpal Blade

Alice: Madness Returns is played from a third-person perspective. The player controls Alice for the entirety of the game for running, jumping, dodging, attacking, and shrinking.

In combat, Alice gains a small number of weapons that can be utilized in several ways. Her primary weapon is the Vorpal Blade, a decorated kitchen knife. The remainder of her arsenal is somewhat akin to the benign and mundane items that take on a deadly quality in Alice's tainted Wonderland in the first game. The Pepper Grinder becomes a crank operated Gatling gun, used to attack at a distance and pepper pig snouts. The Hobby Horse is used as a sledgehammer to inflict heavy damage and break barriers and defenses. The Teapot Cannon fires tea sieves that explode to cause heavy damage and, like the Hobby Horse, break barriers. By collecting teeth that are dropped by foes or found scattered about the levels, the player can upgrade these items to more powerful versions. Two other weapons cannot be upgraded, primarily because they are more defensive than directly offensive: the Umbrella acts as a shield that can be used to deflect and reflect most incoming projectiles; The Clockwork Bomb is a time-delayed/remote-controlled rabbit alarm clock that does a minimal amount of damage to enemies, but its usefulness is better illustrated as a decoy, as well as a weight to keep switches temporarily depressed.

Alice's health is tracked by a number of rose petals. Should Alice's health fall to zero during gameplay, the player is forced to start at the most recent checkpoint. They can also regenerate health by going into giant purple flowers. Falling off platforms into bottomless pits or dangerous liquids do not damage Alice but restart her at a nearby platform. The game also introduces Hysteria, which can be used when Alice's health is very low, and it can only be used for a limited amount of time.

While working on each level, the player can discover various secrets. A primary mechanic is to use Alice's shrinking potion to reduce in size, allowing her to walk through small spaces like keyholes, but also reveals invisible platforms and surfaces; after returning to normal size, these platforms slowly fade back to invisibility, requiring the player to remember their location. Pig's snouts, which make noise when the player is close, can be struck with the pepper grinder to reveal new paths. Radula rooms provide a short challenge to the player, which on completion grants a jar of paint; obtaining four jars earns the player another rose for Alice's health. Memories can be picked up that provide voiceovers revealing parts of the game's backstory.

Upon completion, the player can start a new game plus, letting them play through the game again but keeping all their weapons and upgrades from the previous attempt. From the menu, the player can also review the memories that they have found within the game.

Synopsis

Setting

Within events of the first game, Alice Liddell, believing herself responsible for a fire that consumed her home and her family, escapes into a twisted version of Wonderland. While held at Rutledge Asylum for treatment, Alice was able to conquer her doubts, and eventually was released from the ward. Madness Returns takes place in 1875, a year after Alice's release. [4] [5] [6] Alice, now 19 years old, [6] resides at an orphanage in Victorian London, under the care of Dr. Angus Bumby, a psychiatrist who uses hypnosis to help his child patients forget their memories. Though she believes that she is fine, Alice still suffers from hallucinations of Wonderland.

Plot

During an errand, Alice is struck by a hallucination and believes herself to be in Wonderland again. Though initially idyllic, the peaceful land quickly becomes corrupted by an entity called the Infernal Train that rampages through it, leaving behind the Ruin, a force that attempts to stop Alice. Alice meets with the Cheshire Cat who affirms that it is some outside force, not Alice, that has caused this corruption, and urges her to seek out former friends and foes to discover the source of the Train. Throughout the rest of the game, Alice briefly returns to reality between episodes occurring within Wonderland. In the real world, Alice learns from the family solicitor, Wilton J. Radcliffe, that her older sister, Elizabeth (nicknamed "Lizzie"), was first to die in the fire, despite being the farthest from its source, and had been locked in her room.

Within the corrupted Wonderland, Alice attempts to learn more from Wonderland's various citizens, including the Duchess, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Dormouse, the Mock Turtle, the Walrus and the Carpenter, the Caterpillar, and the White King. She is ultimately told that the Queen of Hearts still lives despite her defeat at Alice's hands before, though in a diminished capacity. At the Queen's castle, Alice discovers the Queen's true form, which resembles her younger self. The Queen reveals that an entity called the Dollmaker created the Infernal Train and is the one corrupting Wonderland.

Returning to London, Alice starts to recall her memories of the night of the fire and realizes that Dr. Bumby is responsible for the death of her sister and her whole family. She comes to the conclusion that Dr. Bumby is attempting to erase the memories of the fire from her mind and, as he has done with other children, trying to leave her (and the orphans) as "blank toys" to be taken by abusive masters and child molesters for a price. Furious, Alice confronts both Dr. Bumby in the real world at the Moorgate station and the Dollmaker, Dr. Bumby's Wonderland counterpart, in her fantasy on the Infernal Train. Dr. Bumby admits to his crimes, and even attests to setting Alice's home on fire after Lizzie refused his advances, removing any witnesses to having raped her that night. He points out that by wiping out her Wonderland, he will make her forget the events of that night, while he continues as a member of high society and secretly sells young children for prostitution. Alice defeats the Dollmaker in Wonderland, giving her the strength in the real world and in her mind to push Dr. Bumby into the path of an oncoming train, killing him.

As Alice leaves the station, she finds herself in a hybrid vision of London mixed with Wonderland, Londerland. Alice wanders into the unknown terrain as the Cheshire Cat monologues that Alice has found the truth that was "worth the pain fighting for", and Wonderland, though damaged, is safe for the time being.

Development

Rumors of a sequel to Alice first developed shortly after the original game was released to critical and commercial success, though at that time, the development team behind the original were working on the ultimately-canceled spin-off, American McGee's Oz. As the development of the movie adaptation of American McGee's Alice took longer and the original game became more of a cult classic, in 2007 interest at Electronic Arts rose in a remake of the game and work was started on a sequel. [7] However, when the movie adaptation fell through, plans for a sequel were shelved, and remained so for nearly a decade. At the February 2009 D.I.C.E. Summit, EA announced a sequel, which at the time had the working title The Return of American McGee's Alice. [8] [9] Two pieces of concept art accompanied the announcement, along with the information that the original game's writer and executive producer would also return for the sequel. [10] In November of that year, a fan-made trailer (with the title "The Return of Alice") was mistaken by gaming news outlets as an official teaser for the game, in which Alice is in therapy after a relapse nine months following the events of the first game, and appears to hallucinate an image of the Cheshire Cat in place of her doctor. [11]

At EA's Studio Showcase in July 2010, more details about the game were shown, including its current title, Alice: Madness Returns. In addition to further pieces of concept art and actual, in-game screenshots, the first official teaser was released. Despite (or perhaps because of) the fan video eight months prior, it also portrays Alice in therapy: after being hypnotized by her doctor in a bizarre office filled with prosthetic arms hanging from the ceiling, as she opens her mouth to speak, large amounts of blood and teeth pour out. As the game title appears, a whispering voice is heard saying, "What have you done?" [4] During the 2010 Tokyo Game Show, new assets, including a second trailer, were released. Alice is seen strolling through a London street, and eventually approaches an area littered with toys and a toy store window, which contains a set depicting the Mad Hatter, the Dormouse and the March Hare taking tea. Suddenly, she sees an image of her deceased parents in the window's reflection but turns around to find no one there. The window begins to burn and the silhouette of the Queen of Hearts appears before it explodes in flames, and the Queen's tentacles drag Alice into the inferno. Like the previous trailer, it ends with a voice saying "What have you done?" [12]

On February 14, 2011, MSNBC's "In-Game" website unveiled the third teaser trailer as well as a brief interview with American McGee regarding the game. [13] The third teaser depicts Alice wandering around an initially beautiful Wonderland, eventually coming across the Caterpillar, who transforms into a giant, menacing butterfly as the landscape is attacked by fiery phoenixes and turned into a nightmarish world reminiscent of the original game's landscapes. Alice finds herself sitting at a tea party with the Mad Hatter, March Hare and Dormouse. The Hatter sends a robotic teapot to kill Alice, who in turns stabs it to death in the eye with the Vorpal Blade. Then, a voice asks "What have you done?" A fourth trailer, showing gameplay footage for the first time was released on March 4, 2011. [14] The trailer featured possible gameplay in Victorian London, new costumes and weapons for Alice, the reprised roles of some of the voice cast from the first game, and the appearance of old and new characters including a resurrected Jabberwock and the Dodo; after the trailer the Cheshire Cat says "Now it's time to put your blade to work". The player can also hear Alice's Vorpal Blade being equipped as the title card comes up.

GameSpot released footage of a gameplay demo whilst interviewing an EA executive producer Joel Wade in April. [15] In the video, numerous details about the game were revealed. Wade explained storywise after Alice left Rutledge Asylum, she is an orphan and now lives in an orphanage, and the home's director is helping her. Gameplay showed Alice can unlock and use several weapons, which can be upgraded by collecting teeth throughout the game. Weapons including the Vorpal Blade, the Pepper Grinder which acts as a projectile machine gun-like weapon, the Clockwork Bomb, the club-like Hobby Horse, and the explosive Teapot Cannon. Alice also collects "memories" that are part of her quest to recall forgotten memories from her past. Enemies are described as having "puzzle elements", namely their weak point which the player must figure out to defeat them. On May 20, 2011, a prequel to Madness Returns, titled Alice: Madness Returns Interactive Story, was released as an app exclusively for iOS. A port for Android phones was developed. The app plays like a book that requires you to interact with illustrations and at many times allows you to play mini-games. The story covers the events even before the original game all the way to the events directly before Alice: Madness Returns. On June 3, 2011, a final launch trailer was released. This showed some bosses, Alice fighting enemies, the Cheshire Cat giving Alice hints, and more. At the time of release, Madness Returns had a final development budget of $9 million. [16] In 2013, American McGee admitted that he wished he had had more time to polish the game by compressing the action, removing a lot of the "filler" content and fixing some of the annoying bugs. [17]

Merchandise and Promotion

Following Alice, EA decided to follow a similar route of a heavy focus on manufacturing action figurines but did favour accessories over full pieces of clothing and continued with knife replicas. The soundtrack was released digitally for promotional purposes on 17 May, 2011. [18] Clothing was screen-printed and showcased through t-shirts. Action figurines of Alice, Card Guards and the Cheshire Cat were distributed by Diamond Select Toys, as of San-Diego Comic-Con 2011 there was an exclusive Minimate of Alice released. [19] [20]

Cover of The Art of Alice: Madness Returns The Art of Alice Madness Returns.png
Cover of The Art of Alice: Madness Returns

In 2011, Epic Weapons released both the Alice: Madness Returns Vorpal Blade and the Vorpal Blade mini set for kids. Along with the Vorpal blade, there was a packaged deal with the American McGee's Alice Vorpal Blade that came with the display stand, originally sold separately. [21] [22] For a special edition replica, 'Alice: Madness Return Teapot' was sold by Epic Weapons as a fully functional teapot, based off the creature 'Eyepot' within the game. [23] Mysterious American McGee's fashion brand, created 'Chaos' symbol related accessories, including necklaces and wallets. [24] The official artbook of Alice: Madness Returns "The Art of Alice: Madness Returns" written by R.J. Berg, was released on 17 May, 2011, complete with concept ideas and character designs. [25] Art prints are available through Mysterious and have been created over years by several different artists, also to be signed by American McGee when purchased. [26] Merchandise from Alice: Madness Returns is still purchasable as of 2024.

Alice: Otherlands

The artbook of Alice: Otherlands, was released on 30 October, 2015 along with several digital assets on Kickstarter for being unable to sell physical copies once the campaign had ended. [27]

Alice: Asylum

Since Alice: Asylum was not completed, American McGee has allowed fans to download the full Alice: Asylum design bible of concepts, pitches and character designs for free on Patreon. [28] [29] Several designs for casual clothing were created but never came to fruition.

Reception

Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Windows version 74% based on 15 reviews and 75/100 based on 29 reviews, [30] [43] the Xbox 360 version 73% based on 49 reviews and 70/100 based on 67 reviews, [31] [34] and the PlayStation 3 version 71% based on 35 reviews and 70/100 based on 52 reviews. [32] [35]

Alice Liang from 1Up.com gave the game an B-, praising the platforming and controls but felt the game did not live up to its full potential, stating: "Sadly, Alice: Madness Returns provides a visually interesting world, with competent gameplay mechanics, but it ultimately fails to completely draw the player into the depths of its promised insanity to satisfaction." [36]

GamesRadar+ included it in their list of the 100 most overlooked games of its generation. Editor Jason Fanelli felt that it was a worthy sequel yet also felt that players would have to overlook problems to enjoy its qualities. [44]

Sequels

Alice: Otherlands

American McGee has stated that he had envisioned the Alice series as a trilogy. In May 2011, McGee reported that a story had already been created for a potential third game, but stressed that it would only be produced if the audience desired it. [45] In June 2012, McGee reiterated his intention to develop a third game, titled Alice in Otherland. McGee revealed that the game would be released episodically, and stated that it "would allow Alice to go into the minds of all these characters she encounters, and it opens up the possibility where you could play as Alice and you can enter into a player's mind, change the landscape, and then basically psychologically adjust the character in doing so. Imagine an MMO where the missions aren't locations, but they're people." However, he said that the game was unlikely to be produced soon due to a lack of interest from Electronic Arts. [46]

On March 14, 2013, McGee posted on his Facebook page that he would have the opportunity to discuss a third Alice game with EA during the Game Developers Conference. He did not specify whether or not this would follow the desired plot of Alice in Otherland, but claimed that the funding for the project would most possibly be done through Kickstarter. [47] On July 15, 2013, McGee announced that a campaign for the production has begun on Kickstarter to help fund the project, titled Alice: Otherlands, a series of animated film shorts. To help promote the campaign, McGee released a video on his personal YouTube and Vimeo accounts, explaining the concept of Alice: Otherlands and how the funds will affect the production of the film. [48] [49] The video can also be viewed on its Kickstarter website.

Alice: Otherlands successfully reached its Kickstarter goal on August 4. [50] On August 21, McGee confirmed that the campaign has achieved its "stretch goal" to secure Susie Brann's (Alice's voice actress) and Roger L. Jackson's (the Cheshire Cat's voice actor) involvement on the project with an extra $50,000. [51] [52] To award the backers who donated to the project, McGee gave special merchandises, such as autographed posters, digital copies of the DVD and art book to those who donated $500 or more. Additionally, all backers had their names added to the credits of the film. Due to legal constraints, DVDs and Blu-rays were available for backers only, while the short films were distributed digitally for the public for free on various digital formats. [53] An art book titled The Art of Alice: Otherlands was developed by artist Alex "AlexCee" Crowley. [54] Originally, Alice: Otherlands was set to be released sometime in December 2014, but has been pushed back due to production delays. [55] On October 30, 2015, the digital assets for Alice: Otherlands were released on various streaming platforms, such as YouTube and Vimeo, and are available for download on the official site. [56] [57]

According to McGee, Alice, now 20 years old, [6] will enter the minds of two [58] famous historical figures, Richard Wagner [59] [60] and Jules Verne, [61] and discover the horrors of the human subconscious. Alice will learn of an "insidious evil lurking in every corner of Victorian London" with the intent of capturing its inhabitants in a nightmarish "prison of the mind". The two film shorts vary in length, have their own unique animation style, and a different soundtrack composed by Chris Vrenna and Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys. [62] [63] In several interviews, McGee expressed his desire to make Alice: Otherlands into a video game as originally planned, but stated that will depend entirely on the overall success of the animated shorts. [64] [65] [66] He also stated that EA has recently started to show more interest in making an Alice sequel again, but it all depends on the success of Alice: Otherlands and Spicy Horse games. [67]

Alice: Asylum

In September 2017, American McGee announced that he was working on a license proposal for the third installment of the Alice franchise, tentatively titled Alice: Asylum. McGee explains that his license proposal would consist of "artwork, design outline, and financial/business model" which has been sent to EA in July 2018. [68] The pitch deck was being partially funded through the membership platform Patreon before being cancelled in April 2023 after a publishing pitch was rejected by Electronic Arts. [69] Furthermore, McGee announced that he is no longer interested in pursuing future projects regarding the Alice franchise, even if EA were to reconsider their stance with production of the game. [70]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March Hare</span> Fictional character from Alices Adventures in Wonderland

The March Hare is a character most famous for appearing in the tea party scene in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

<i>American McGees Alice</i> 2000 video game

American McGee's Alice is a 2000 third-person action-adventure video game developed by Rogue Entertainment under the direction of designer American McGee and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Games banner. The game was originally released for Windows and Mac OS. Although a planned PlayStation 2 port was cancelled, the game was later released digitally for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, via downloadable content for its sequel.

Queen of Hearts (<i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i>) Character from Lewis Carrolls novel Alices Adventures in Wonderland

The Queen of Hearts is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. She is a childish, foul-tempered monarch whom Carroll himself describes as "a blind fury", and who is quick to give death sentences at even the slightest of offenses. One of her most famous lines is the oft-repeated "Off with his/her head!" / "Off with their heads!"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American McGee</span> American video game designer (born 1972)

American James McGee is a retired American video game designer. He is best known as the designer of American McGee's Alice, its sequel Alice: Madness Returns, and his works on various video games from id Software.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mock Turtle</span> Fictional character from Alice in Wonderland

The Mock Turtle is a fictional character devised by Lewis Carroll from his popular 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Its name is taken from a dish that was popular in the Victorian period, mock turtle soup.

Caterpillar (<i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i>) Fictional character

The Caterpillar is a fictional character appearing in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

<i>Bad Day L.A.</i> 2006 video game

American McGee presents: Bad Day L.A. is a 2006 third-person action video game by American McGee. Players assume the role of Anthony Willams, a former Hollywood agent turned homeless man in Los Angeles. During this time LA is ravaged by both natural and man-made disasters. Anthony only wishes to save himself, though through the course of the story he becomes an unwilling savior. The game's attempted tone is one of political satire, targeting all spectra of politics.

Works based on <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>

Lewis Carroll's books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871) have been highly popular in their original forms, and have served as the basis for many subsequent works since they were published. They have been adapted directly into other media, their characters and situations have been appropriated into other works, and these elements have been referenced innumerable times as familiar elements of shared culture. Simple references to the two books are too numerous to list; this list of works based on Alice in Wonderland focuses on works based specifically and substantially on Carroll's two books about the character of Alice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dormouse (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland character)</span> Character in Alices Adventures in Wonderland

The Dormouse is a character in "A Mad Tea-Party", Chapter VII from the 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

<i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (2010 film) Film by Tim Burton

Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay written by Linda Woolverton and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The film stars Mia Wasikowska in the title role, with Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, and Crispin Glover, while featuring the voices of Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, and Timothy Spall. A live-action adaptation and re-imagining of Lewis Carroll's works, as well as a remake of Disney's 1951 traditionally animated film, the film follows Alice Kingsleigh, a nineteen-year-old who accidentally falls down a rabbit hole, returns to Wonderland, and alongside the Mad Hatter helps restore the White Queen to her throne by fighting against the Red Queen and her Jabberwocky, a dragon that terrorizes Wonderland's inhabitants.

Gryphon (<i>Alices Adventures in Wonderland</i>) Fictional character from Alice in Wonderland

The Gryphon is a fictional character devised by Lewis Carroll in the popular 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. True to the conventional view of a griffin, he has the head, talons, and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.

Red Queen (<i>Through the Looking-Glass</i>) Fictional character

The Red Queen is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Lewis Carroll's fantasy 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass. She is often confused with the Queen of Hearts from the previous book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), although the two are very different.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spicy Horse</span> Defunct Chinese video game developer

Spicy Horse was a Shanghai-based independent video game developer started by American McGee, Anthony Jacobson, and Adam Lang in 2007. It was announced on July 23, 2016, that the company is closing its doors to focus on smaller indie development. The studio is best known for Alice: Madness Returns, the sequel to American McGee's Alice.

Numerous video games were released in 2011. Many awards went to games such as Batman: Arkham City, Portal 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Madden NFL 12, NBA 2K12, WWE '12, WWE All-Stars and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. 2011 also marked the worldwide release of the Nintendo 3DS.

<i>Akaneiro: Demon Hunters</i> 2013 video game

Akaneiro: Demon Hunters is a dark fantasy, free-to-play video game that was developed by American McGee's company Spicy Horse. It was originally announced for release in 2012. Whereas McGee's earlier games, American McGee's Alice and Alice: Madness Returns, draw heavily from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, Akaneiro: Demon Hunters adapts the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale, throwing her into the setting of feudal Japan. It was successfully crowd-funded through Kickstarter and was released as browser game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portrayals of Alice in Wonderland</span> Fictional character

Alice, the main protagonist of Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), has been adapted to several media.

<i>Wonder.land</i> Musical

Wonder.land is a musical with music by Damon Albarn and lyrics and book by Moira Buffini. Inspired by Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), it had its world premiere at the Palace Theatre in Manchester in July 2015 as part of the Manchester International Festival. The musical moved to London's Royal National Theatre in November 2015 before opening at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in 2016.

<i>Fault Milestone Two</i> 2015 video game

Fault Milestone Two is a visual novel developed by Alice in Dissonance and published by Sekai Project for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux. It is the second entry in the Fault series, and is set immediately after the events of Fault Milestone One. The game features no player choices, and follows the characters of Selphine and Ritona, who were transported across the world following an attack on their kingdom of Rughzenhaide. Together, with their newfound friend Rune, the game follows their attempt to return to Rughzenhaide to confront the forces that lead the attack.

<i>Ravenlok</i> 2023 video game

Ravenlok is an indie action role-playing game developed and published by Canadian studio Cococucumber and released for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on May 4, 2023. The game follows a young girl named Ravenlok, who finds herself pulled away from reality and into a fantasy land cursed by an evil Caterpillar queen.

References

  1. "Alice Madness Returns Makes a Very Important Date for June". Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  2. "Alice: Madness Returns op 16 juni in Europa". Archived from the original on April 19, 2011.
  3. "Alice: Madness Returns Is Adults Only in Japan". Kotaku. May 9, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Our First Official Look at Alice: Madness Returns". Kotaku.com. July 20, 2010. Archived from the original on July 23, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  5. "Interview with American". Gamefanmag.com. June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 McGee, American. "Alice: Madness Returns Live Event". Electronic Arts. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  7. Martijn Müller. "Remake American McGee's Alice in de maak" (in Dutch). NG-Gamer. Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2007.
  8. Crecente, Brian (February 19, 2009). "EA Announces New American McGee's Alice Title". Kotaku.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  9. "The Return of American McGee's Alice Set For PC, Consoles". Kotaku.com. February 19, 2009. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  10. "American McGee Has a Blank Canvas for Alice Sequel". Kotaku.com. February 20, 2009. Archived from the original on February 12, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  11. "American McGee's Blog " Return of Alice (Video Madness)". Americanmcgee.com. November 4, 2009. Archived from the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  12. Plunkett, Luke (September 15, 2010). "Yup, Alice Is Definitely Crazy In Alice: Madness Returns". Kotaku.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  13. Todd Kenreck. "Madness through a looking glass - Ingame on msnbc.com". MSNBC. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  14. "Alice: Madness Returns: Beautiful Insanity Trailer". IGN. March 4, 2011. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  15. "Alice Madness Returns (HD) Gameplay/ Interview". YouTube. April 9, 2011. Archived from the original on July 29, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  16. "AMA - American McGee & Pirate Jam". Reddit. February 16, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  17. Hollingsworth, Katy (July 25, 2013). "Exclusive Interview with American McGee and His Alice: Otherlands Project". GameSkinny. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  18. "Alice: Madness Returns". Spotify. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  19. "American McGee Toys, Action Figures, and Collectibles". September 1, 2013. Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  20. "COOL TOY REVIEW: 2011 SDCC Exclusive Alice Madness Returns Minimate". www.cooltoyreview.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  21. "Alice Madness Returns Mini Vorpal Blade Replica". entertainmentearth.com.
  22. "Welcome to Epic Weapons - Home". September 28, 2011. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  23. "Alice: Madness Return Teapot". September 3, 2011. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  24. "Chaos products". Mysterious. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  25. McGee, American (April 17, 2011). "The Art of Alice: Madness Returns". VitalSource. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  26. "Artwork". Mysterious. Archived from the original on August 19, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  27. McGee, American (October 31, 2015). "Alice: Otherlands Asset Drop – American McGee's Blog". AmericanMcGee.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  28. "Get more from American McGee on Patreon". Patreon. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  29. "Alice: Asylum Design Bible v1.0 PDF". Patreon. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  30. 1 2 "Alice: Madness Returns for PC". GameRankings. June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  31. 1 2 "Alice: Madness Returns for Xbox 360". GameRankings. June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  32. 1 2 "Alice: Madness Returns for PlayStation 3". GameRankings. June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on January 23, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  33. "Alice: Madness Returns for PC Reviews". Metacritic. June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  34. 1 2 "Alice: Madness Returns for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  35. 1 2 "Alice: Madness Returns for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on December 28, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  36. 1 2 Alice Liang (June 16, 2011). "Alice: Madness Returns Review". 1Up.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  37. Smith, Quintin (June 14, 2011). "Alice: Madness Returns Review • Page 2 • Reviews •". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on September 2, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  38. Gifford, Kevin (July 13, 2011). "Japan Review Check: Rhythm Heaven, No More Heroes". 1up.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  39. "Alice: Madness Returns Review". GameSpot.com. June 14, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  40. "Alice: Madness Returns Video Game | Reviews, Trailers & Interviews". GameTrailers.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  41. "Alice: Madness Returns Review - Xbox 360 Review at IGN". Xbox360.ign.com. June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  42. Sessler, Adam (June 14, 2011). "Alice: Madness Returns Review for Xbox 360". G4tv. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  43. "Alice: Madness Returns for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  44. Fanelli, Jason (December 20, 2013). "The 100 most overlooked games of the generation". GamesRadar . Archived from the original on February 14, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
  45. Willoughby, Shane (May 11, 2011). "TGL Interview: American McGee Talks Alice: Madness Returns". TheGamingLiberty.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  46. Gera, Emily (June 5, 2012). "How American McGee left 'Alice' for a world of free-to-play, toy stores and life without EA". TheVerge.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  47. "Timeline Photos". Facebook . Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  48. Alice: Otherlands - Kickstarter Video on YouTube
  49. Alice: Otherlands (Kickstarter video) on Vimeo
  50. "Wooo! We did it!". Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  51. "They're Back..." Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  52. "Stretch Goooooal!". Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  53. "Arrival of Physical Rewards". Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  54. "The Art of The Art Book". Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  55. "Quick Update". Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  56. "Something Wicked This Way Comes". Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  57. "Digital Content Release". Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  58. "Latest update on the Alice: Otherlands Kickstarter". Facebook . Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  59. "A Night at the Opera". Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  60. "Eyeballs, Tentacles, and Monsters". Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  61. "Leviathan - The First Otherlands Script!". Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  62. "Alice: Otherlands". Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  63. "Noble Pursuits". Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  64. "Interview: American McGee's Alice: Otherlands". Softonic. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  65. "Exclusive Interview with American McGee and His Alice: Otherlands Project". July 25, 2013. Archived from the original on September 14, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  66. "Kana's Korner – Interview with American McGee". Archived from the original on February 4, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  67. McGee, American. "A note from American McGee regarding Chains of Darkness". Facebook. Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  68. "PATCHES, PPT, (un)-Packing | American McGee on Patreon". Patreon. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  69. Zheng, Jenny (April 8, 2023). "The Decade-Long Effort To Make Alice: Asylum Has Reached An End". GameSpot . Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  70. "End of the Adventure | American McGee on Patreon". Patreon. Retrieved April 7, 2023.