It’s a children’s tale most of us can relate to. You feel a little lost and confuzzled, you ingest something strange a ‘friend’ gives you, and woah baby, the cat is suddenly talking to you and demanding Chinese food.
Despite what you think, Alice in Wonderland actually isn’t an allegorical tale of drug consumption and metaphysical self-exploration. Its author, Lewis Carroll, was in fact making a statement about the monumental shift in science in the 1860s, a time when Euclidian mathematics (where things are grounded in reality) were being surplanted by a new wave of math, a movement that dreamt up bat-shit ideas like imaginary numbers and the hypothosis of an inverted squared triangle’s arse (or, whatever).
Regardless of what Carroll was metaphorically trying to state, it’s accepted that Alice in Wonderland is pretty freaky. The aforementioned talking cats, manic milliners and that whole ‘follow the white rabbit’ side-quest. If something is crazy enough for the Wachowski brothers to incorporate it into one of their films, you know it’s out there.
It’s of little surprise, then, that the Alice tale has been reinterpreted and twisted since its first appearance 150 years ago. The Beatles were big fans (though they espoused the whole ‘let’s get messed up and listen to the Queen of Hearts talking backwards’ notion), as was game producer American McGee (real name).
American McGee’s Alice was released in 2000 on the PC and Mac to critical acclaim. Set after Alice’s second adventure (Through the Looking Glass), an accidental fire renders Alice both an orphan and, no doubt connected with drinking randomly found elixirs and talking to anthropomorphic characters, clinically off her trolley. Institutionalised, the macabre and often saturnine story saw Alice’s insanity as a pernicious force that threatened the very fabric of Wonderland. Players had to not only return Alice to saneness but, in doing so, also save her colourful “make-believe” friends.
News of a sequel to Alice appeared back in July, with American McGee (still his real name) promising another twisted and psychologically harrowing tale of delirium and vorpal blades. Alice has relapsed, the Cheshire Cat once again appearing to her in hallucinations. And off we go again down the rabbit hole.
Alice: Madness Returns is set for release on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in Q4 2011.
Nauraph
Is there some footage of this? Pictures perhaps?
Kovacs
There’s a teaser which we’ve covered on the site. You’ll find it (as always) in the Related Stories section above.
Kovacs
I forgot the “Alice” tag so I ninja-ed it in. Nothing to see here.
:)
Nauraph
I’m sure it wasn’t there before!! There wasn’t a related stories section.. :(
Ah.. and I see it’s a youtube vid, I can’t see those while at work. I’ll check it later today. ^^
Pretty curious why it’s #28 ^^
gordon_strange
This still hasn’t been confirmed for consoles though right?
Off topic: I wonder if Catherine/Katherine will be in the top 100. I’m really looking forward to finding out just WTF is going on in that world
Kovacs
Added a line. Checked the release. It’s confirmed for consoles and PC.
philzy85
Play.com show 25th March 2011 :)
philzy85
PS3 – http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation3/4-/9102222/American-McGee-Return-Of-Alice/Product.html?searchstring=alice&searchtype=gameall&searchsource=2&searchfilters=s{alice}%2bc{362}%2b&urlrefer=search
X360 – http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/4-/9102223/American-McGee-Return-Of-Alice/Product.html?searchstring=alice&searchtype=gameall&searchsource=2&searchfilters=s{alice}%2bc{362}%2b&urlrefer=search
PC – http://www.play.com/Games/PC/4-/9102224/American-McGee-Return-Of-Alice/Product.html?searchstring=alice&searchtype=gameall&searchsource=2&searchfilters=s{alice}%2bc{362}%2b&urlrefer=search
Tuffcub
“bat-shit ideas like imaginary numbers and the hypothosis of an inverted squared triangle’s arse (or, whatever)” – give this writer an award NOW!
Kovacs
Remember me at next year’s GMAs!
;)
philzy85
do you also write wedding speeches? :P
Kovacs
For a fee, I’ll write anything.
philzy85
I can pay you in battenberg slices?
Kovacs
Sorry, I stopped taking payment in confectionery goods after getting stuck with a shed-load of blueberry muffins for a short-story I was commissioned to write about a thawed Lenin’s attempt to invade Mars. Lesson learned, there.
Foxhound_Solid
Cool.
Wonder what is in the top ten?
*ponders*
Sympozium
Whoa!! crazy female
hazelam
now this is a game i’m interested in, never played any of american mcgee’s other games, but i’ve heard good things and they looked pretty interesting.
gordon_strange
I just noticed the addition at the bottom an had to query my own mind. Thankfully you confirmed you had added it otherwise I could well have convinced myself I was falling down the rabbit hole
baggyg
I also loved the first but Bad Day in LA makes me cautious
double-o-dave
Never seen anything about this game before but judging by that trailer its a definite purchase! Shame its not out in time for Xmas, I would have bought it for everyone I know with little kids so their parents would feel happy leaving them to play Alice in Wonderland not knowing the despair their child is about to succumb to!
DrNate86
The original was awesome! I loved the bit in the mental hospital, with all the creepy kids banging their heads against the walls. Great game, can’t wait for the sequel.