PSM first review not so good

[coloneilfrost]

"A poor pace potholes the proceedings. The game lingers on its jumping puzzles, reveling in presenting us with open vistas that require navigation across partially invisible pathways, weighted platforms, billowing air vents, and ever-shifting floors. With this limited vocabulary, Alice chugs and chugs and chugs. Timing challenges are added and overdone, and some are additionally hampered by the need to shoot targets with a Pepper Grinder gun saddled with a manual aim system that is imprecise at best. The game tops off its overlong, overly gimmick-reliant platform navigation with heroine-crushing blocks, spiked platforms, and flame spitters. In the end, we’re not jumping and soaring across Wonderland but simply grinding it out." it sounds to me that he sucks at the game. anyways dont trust this review! theres still hope.

[DragNviper13]

Regardless of reviews I love Alice in Wonderland...and besides it comes with the first game so you cant mark that off

[Enixfreak117]

Some reviewers really don't know what they are talking about, im sure this game will still be awesome

[Hoborg]

Dont care, I love Alice. The first game wasn't for everyone either.

[Quickdraw]

i think this person is looking at the game too closely and not picking out what made this game successful to begin with.

The fact of the matter is everyone has a good understanding of alice in wonderland story, people were drawn to this game due to the fact it turned wonderland on its head and made it demented and twisted.

Its unique way it portrayed classic characters were awesome, especially the Cheshire cat, he was in fact purrrrrrrrrrrrfect.

these are least my main two points for wanting the game im not sure about the rest of you.

[coloneilfrost]

i think this person is looking at the game too closely and not picking out what made this game successful to begin with.

The fact of the matter is everyone has a good understanding of alice in wonderland story, people were drawn to this game due to the fact it turned wonderland on its head and made it demented and twisted.

Its unique way it portrayed classic characters were awesome, especially the Cheshire cat, he was in fact purrrrrrrrrrrrfect.

these are least my main two points for wanting the game im not sure about the rest of you.
to me it sounds like he sucked at the game he was complaining that this game is a grind and complaining about the puzzles

[Quickdraw]

to me it sounds like he sucked at the game he was complaining that this game is a grind and complaining about the puzzles

always plausible, but a reviewer for a game can't really write a review if they suck badly, should be based on the core features. it doesn't look that challenging, maybe they are just so use to triple aaa titles smaller games that are unique are overlooked.

even the little mini games look well fun and should be simple and fun to play.

I always take what reviewers say as a grain of salt, you as a consumer have your own choice to make regarding the purchase, its untimely what you think more than a reviewer to if you feel you like the look of a game, good portion of times, reviewers get things wrong, remember they are only 1 person with their own views and takes on a game.

[Strid]

That's a "review" that would make me actually pay attention to a game.

Hard, check
Like the first, check
etc.

I was worried like hell this would get dumbed down, either way I was buying it, but this is great news.

[The Destroyernatorer]

Some reviewers really don't know what they are talking about, im sure this game will still be awesome

You're implying this reviewer doesn't know what he's talking about when he's played it, and seemingly, you haven't?

Okay then...

Anyway, I do hope this game is good. Fingers crossed there's some more positive reviews on the way.

[superassassin]

I am a big fan of the first Alice when it came out for pc. This new one was pretty fun, I enjoyed the first level but then it the pace seemed to slow down after that (I remember feeling the same though for the first Alice too though). Being a fan of the first, I definitely appreciated this one & it was a lot of fun for me. The story had some dark & twisted elements, doesn't really take shape until the end levels. I do remember being initially more impressed with the soundtrack from the first Alice compared to the new one... I actually enjoyed the old alice music so much I remember copying the .wav files from the original game cd to my ipod. All in all, good game, and there was one level that really switched it up and stood out, fun to stomp around... I think it's a safe bet all former Alice fans will enjoy this one as well

[bigmaples]

the game is very repeatative and gets boring after about the second chapter, if you enjoy jumping from thing to thing over and over, youll love it!

[bloodswan]

Generally reviewers are too subjective for me to give a damn. In fact the only real reviews I read these days are on this site as there is info on the achievements and that itself is my own subjective choice as I do enjoy getting achievements so I'm obviously going to check out a review from like minded people. I have thoroughly enjoyed many games critics have blasted and not cared for games that were glorified. Each person is looking for something different in a game and there will be plenty of Alice fans out there who will enjoy it I'm sure. I am new to this franchise but I will be keeping an eye on it as the demented nature of the game is intriguing me.

[Major Bones]

My opinion of game reviewers and film critics came from way back in the day when I was watching Siskel and Eibert. They both gave Braveheart thumbs down, and I went and saw the movie anyways. Needless to say, siskel and eibert can kiss my butt, because that movie rocked.

[bawrash]

I am in strong belief that if you dont like a game you shouldn't review it and much like other people say i think he spat the dummy cause he was shit at it.

[DERVISH888]

I think reviews should show both Pros and Cons. If it is all good or all bad, disregard (in my opinion).

If it is nothing but positive comments, it is likely fanboy praise.

If it is nothing but negative comments, it is likely a hater or someone just bashing on it to stir everyone up.

Unless of course it is Operation Flashpoint. That game just blew. Hahaha! Just playing... Everyone calm down. : )

[chicken10der]

i've played through chapter 3, and the review is spot on. i wanted to make up excuses for it as well like most of you are doing, but once i actually played it, man, holy crap this game is such a boring grind. the argument of "it's a platforming game, of course it has jumping!!" will lose out once you realize just how crappy it is. the mario galaxy games have fun platforming. alice's idea of fun platforming is jumping from one pillar to another one that goes slightly up and down (which doesn't even matter because you can make any jump from any height), then you meet a character that needs some menial task performed before they let you pass (which is always 'run around and collect a few of these things then come back'), then repeat for hours on end.

also, i am close to 10 hours in, and there is NO STORY WHATSOEVER. i am completely serious.

just like you guys, i really wanted to like this game (it looked so awesome in every preview), but it's just a big turd. accept it.

[Strid]

just like you guys, i really wanted to like this game (it looked so awesome in every preview), but it's just a big turd. accept it.

No, having played the game and loved it, I will not "accept it" coming from someone who doesn't even seem get it to begin with. You're entitled to your opinion and others are entitled to theirs all the same, grow up.

Like the PSM reviewer, this game seems totally lost on you, and that's OK. Every once in a Blue Moon it's bound to come about that a game is created to appeal to those of us who have been patiently awaiting the sequel to a classic (without it getting "Streamlined") for 10 years; rather than trying to make it appeal to a new crowd who's just goin' to drop it after an Easy play through that took them 10 hours and then turn around and call the game "short and easy".

This game uses an old-school take on platforming, for some of us we don't need innovation, much less useless innovation, in every single game we play, we just want good games, period.

[Ozbaab]

Gamereactor.se just published their review, a solid 8/10 :)

http://www.gamereactor.se/recensioner/27896/Alice%3A+Madness+Returns/

[sleepydumbdude]

I preordered this game not expecting decent reviews. I actually expect it to be below average gameplay. My wife wanted it though and I'm hoping to enjoy the story and playing the first game again.

[Genetic Carnage]

This game is not nearly as good as the first. To each his own, but a lot of people on here sound way too desperate to want to like it. I am that fan of the first game so much so that I bought all the action figures from Toys R Us and Tower Records.

But this game is not nearly as good as the first. The soundtrack is incredible, I will give it that. There are parts that really had me laughing, I'll give it that too. But it tries TOO hard to be like the first. This would be great as a PC game, but on the XBox, the controls are too stiff. No ability to grab a ledge? That's awesome when I "float" on the lip for a full 20 seconds, then fall off because the game decides I didn't make the jump enough. And if you want to tell me that I too suck at the game, look at my gamerscore. I've beat one, or maybe two games.

This game is like the new Duke Nukem, it would have been outstanding when the last one was released, but now I expect so much more. It's a charmer, and has its moments, but it's not a top tier title by any means.

Lastly, I LOVED Deadly Premonition, so I will play this one to the end too, but I wanted to add my two cents for the people that are on the fence. Rent it first and see if it's for you, that's all I ask. :woop:

[Genetic Carnage]

This game uses an old-school take on platforming, for some of us we don't need innovation, much less useless innovation, in every single game we play, we just want good games, period.

This doesn't make a damn bit of sense by the way. "Old-school take on platforming"? Are you referring to the camera spinning around you mid jump? Or like I mentioned, the "not quite registering a jump so you die for the 100th time"? "Old-school" gameplay is QUITE different from old school game DESIGN. That's what this game suffers from. It has heart, as did Deadly Premonition, but it is not well put-together.

[DarthSoth]

the game is very repeatative and gets boring after about the second chapter, if you enjoy jumping from thing to thing over and over, youll love it!

Well it is a platformer. I'm not too far in but so far I am enjoying the game. It has been a long time since I played the first game but so far this is what I was expecting form the game. I definitely laughed when I first fired the pepper gun. Has some humor in it. It is definitely a twisted vision of wonderland very much like the first game was. The first one wasn't very well reviewed either. It was one of those games that either you liked it or you hated it. It wasn't the best at a lot of things it did, but it was good enough at them that as long as you were game fro the ride you could have some fun with it. I'm getting that same kind of feeling from the second one.

[Strid]

This doesn't make a damn bit of sense by the way. "Old-school take on platforming"? Are you referring to the camera spinning around you mid jump? Or like I mentioned, the "not quite registering a jump so you die for the 100th time"? "Old-school" gameplay is QUITE different from old school game DESIGN. That's what this game suffers from. It has heart, as did Deadly Premonition, but it is not well put-together.

Sounds like you have some issues there, neither of those things are happening to me. And neither of those things have anything to do with anything old-school related.

[Genetic Carnage]

Sounds like you have some issues there, neither of those things are happening to me. And neither of those things have anything to do with anything old-school related.

It has everything to do with old-school game design. Old games didn't have the memory to pull off what new games can. Assassin's Creed allows you to miss a ledge, grab it, and pull yourself up. The only old school game that had it was Tomb Raider, and that's why it went on to sell millions. Here we are in 2011 and this game doesn't have that ability? There's no reason for it. It isn't for the "challenge" or any other nonsense. That should be in every single game by now.

[neverendr]

I admittedly prefer the first game so far, but I have to qualify that by saying that Alice on pc is one of my all time favorite games.

I also can't fault the new Alice title, it seems that most of the complaining comes from the level of difficulty, which was to be expected by those who played the first game...it's like bashing (insert Cave title here) or Devil May Cry for being too difficult. I'm enjoying the game quite a bit thus far, having played something around four hours into it. I can't see myself suddenly changing my opinion of the game as I move further into it.

I take all reviews with a grain of salt, just as I take extremely positive or negative comments and reviews from x360a users at face value. There are a few posters I tend to trust more than others when they comment on a title, just as there are many I know to never listen to, as they do nothing but complain about everything.

At any rate, I'm enjoying it, your mileage may vary.

[Strid]

It has everything to do with old-school game design. Old games didn't have the memory to pull off what new games can. Assassin's Creed allows you to miss a ledge, grab it, and pull yourself up. The only old school game that had it was Tomb Raider, and that's why it went on to sell millions. Here we are in 2011 and this game doesn't have that ability? There's no reason for it. It isn't for the "challenge" or any other nonsense. That should be in every single game by now.

I'll start off with this, to each their own. I respect your opinion, but I disagree with your points. Just wanted to say that before you thought I was running around here looking to be pick a fight with you.

This whole grabbing ledges automatically after you fall junk or auto-platforming that happens in most games these days, like the two latest Tomb Raiders (As well as the remake with the option to auto-grab turned on), AC, and Enslaved, to name a few, are to make them easier to play, plain and simple. Let me remind you while AC is up on the board, Altair couldn't even swim.

Personally, I hate it, it takes very little skill to platform in those types of games, though they are still very fun games (beggars can't be choosers these days in this hobby). Hell, the developers even -seemingly- realize this to a point, that's why the games have way more focus on combat, at least on the TR and Enslaved front, and other things aside from platforming.

The classic TR games were never about combat, not at all, there was always very little of it, comparitivly there still is, but for a TR game, the more recent ones have had a hell of a lot more of it. The majority of the first three games were platforming and puzzle solving. They didn't even have the auto grabs like they do now, you had to manually grab a ledge. My guess is that you played Anniversary with the Auto-Grab option on (should be on by default) and guessed they all were like that in the beginning?

Anyway, Tomb Raider went on to sell millions because it was something new, especially Laura (as a character) and her abilities to scale, and well past that, it was a damn good game as was II and most of III. Hell, look what happened to the series after that point, the point where they started this auto-platforming junk, they dipped, they dipped hard. I, II, and III are notoriously difficult, especially when it comes to timing jumps, lining them up, etc., the platforming mechanics. Nothing, absolutely nothing is automatic in their original versions. There was absolutly nothing easy about any of these games, nothing at all. Afterall, this was still back in the days when gamers would slam a game if it was too easy, well opposed to how it is now, minus the worldly wonder of Demon's Souls.

At the very least, you can't say they didn't soften this game up a lot. The worst penalty for missing a jump is that you start back damn near where you left off at the miss. Though I'm not sure if this changes for any difficulty past Normal. And then count in the fact that Alice can now somehow dodge on par with Bayonetta and is a capable melee fighter.

[bigchiefwally]

game informer gave this game a crappy review too...i just read reviews to look at screenshots and get the basic jist of things. i have had this game pre ordered for a while, some guy at gamestop practically begged me to pre order it so i did. (never played the first one before today) i can honestly say that this and mortal kombat have been my two best purchases in a while. i can see alice not having much replay potential, i dont think i even wanna touch the nightmare achievements, but a fun game regardless

[Shoulders]

I am totally new to this game so what I wanted to ask is it worth a rent or a purchase?

[CoregBlue1]

I am totally new to this game so what I wanted to ask is it worth a rent or a purchase?

i was really looking forward to it, since the first announcement and i am also new to this game. I just really liked the idea of this bad fairytale.

i think its a great game.

[Garlador]

I am totally new to this game so what I wanted to ask is it worth a rent or a purchase?

It would depend on what you want and who you ask.

Since I love platformers (and there's far too few of them), this was an instant buy that has pleased me endlessly. Tight controls, gorgeous art style, creepy and beautiful music, fun combat, clever puzzles, tons of collectables, an intriguing story, imaginative characters and monsters...

BUT... some people just don't like or appreciate platformers. Even here, I'm reading "the platforming is dull... all you do is jump jump jump all over the place". To me, that's like criticizing a shooter for having too much shooting or complaining that long single-player games need to a multiplayer function of some kind. Either you "get it" and you accept that, yeah, the platforming isn't going to change too much, but what is there is good, or you can't because you expect something more that the game simply didn't aspire to give.

For my money, Alice is a beautiful, tight, imaginative, creative, engaging game with everything I want from a platformer, especially since it seems no other game besides Mario has the nerve to release one in this shooter-driven market.

I would suggest giving it a rental, though. This game wasn't designed for everyone; it is not a mass-market appeal game. It has its niche, and you either fall into it or you don't, just like some people just won't ever like a FIFA or MADDEN game ever because they're not sports games fans or some people hate fighting games. This isn't a God of War or Devil May Cry action-adventure game; it's a puzzle-driven platformer that goes slow and steady, offering up enrichment and rewards for exploration and thoroughness. Combat is entirely secondary (though serviceable).

But, really, this is a personal 8.5-9/10 for me. It has its faults and flaws (some pacing issues), but overall I am enormously happy with it.

The fact that you get the original American McGee's Alice (worth the $40 I paid for it all on its own), and this was just a bargain. Two great games for the price of one.