Acquiescence
Member
Mohonky said:
An aggregated score of 70 on Metacritic is not "panned."
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Alice: Madness Returns |OT|
- Thread starter The M.O.B
- Start date
An aggregated score of 70 on Metacritic is not "panned."
CaseyTappy
Member
Finished this last Friday and enjoyed every minute of it , disturbing story though that made somewhat sense in the end .
Will play it again someday on the hardest setting .
Will play it again someday on the hardest setting .
Angry Fork
Member
These days it is unfortunately. He probably means it should've gotten at least AA (or higher) scores and not ones in the 60s.Acquiescence said:
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
Acquiescence said:
I was under the impression that the score on launch was lower (64 or something), and that number at that time is the only one that matters for most of the sales. (see the Jim Redner Duke Nukem Forever 'incident' and his column on it)
Sure, praise like in this topic and a raise in meta-score after launch (perhaps due to critics measuring their impression against user impressions) might provide a game with some legs , but those are usually not as big as the first week sales. At least, that's the pattern for retail.
Digital sales probably are much more 'long tail' shaped and more affected by other factors (like user praise and holiday sales), but those numbers are not publicly available. And when they are, they can't be verified. :\
Femmeworth
Banned
Ooh, I really like the chapter four dress.
Attackthebase
Member
I am still loving Alice (but it feels so long!). I am on Chapter four, but damn it all, I'm at a part that I have no idea how to pass. I'm hoping when I play later today, it'll click for me.
I'm pretty much at the very beginning of the chapter. I just got into the cardhouse. Trying to figure out how I cross to the other side. Gah! It's probably simple, but I can't seem to figure it out.
Attackthebase said:
One side has a button that raises a invisible bridge and the other side has a button that opens the door. Place a bunny on the bridge one and then hit the door button. You have to be fast and personally I used shrink to get under the door in the nick of time.
Vampire On Titus
Member
Acquiescence said:
It was significantly lower before, like 62 or something. Surprised to see such a late game raise in Metascore.
Good to see, still not what it deserves though. Hopefully word of mouth will keep on spreading.
Attackthebase
Member
Grisby said:
Thanks for the help, I'll keep this in mind when I play later today.
Femmeworth
Banned
Finally finished it. -_- Jeez, chapter 5 seemed endless. The ending was about what I expected.
azentium said:
A lot of people have a hard time adjusting to the dated gameplay of the first one, in Madness Returns you can get a brief re-run of what happened in the first one so you won't miss out on the story. The first one is still a unique experience from the 2nd, it all comes down to whether you can deal with the dated gameplay.
Acquiescence
Member
EchosMyron1 said:
Exaggerated. The PS3 version has been 71 for the longest time, whilst the 360 version at its lowest was 68.
I still think it's a huge stretch claiming this game has been panned by the critics. Duke Nukem Forever is a game that has been panned and with good cause: no one who has played both games would consider Alice: Madness Returns to be anywhere near the same level of shittyness as DNF.
cybercircuit1
Member
azentium said:
It's a horrible game, but I enjoyed the subtle nods to it in what I've played so far.
Joe Molotov
Member
Acquiescence said:
You sure about that?
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
oh wow. That is just awful.
MidgarBlowedUp
Member
Mohonky said:
+ comfy couch, surround sound for me.
I beat it the other day. Took me just under 12 hours with a 87% completion.
So GAF, when or where are the DLC outfits for the PC version?
RadioHeadAche
Member
I'm really enjoying the game, and I just finished chapter one. I am really irritated, though because I went through the entire chapter carefully checking everything and looking for all the pig snouts and I ended up missing several things. Stuff like this really doesn't help my obsessive compulsiveness.
Just beat it tonight. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've never been a platforming fan. I also know and care very little about the story of Alice in Wonderland.
I absolutely loved this game.
I don't know that I've ever been so at odds with just about every review out there, aside from Giant Bomb's. It is certainly not without its flaws and shortcomings, but the amount of things that this game does well surely outweigh the negatives by a substantial margin. I don't know where these hyper-critical reviewers came from all of a sudden, when higher-profile games seemingly get free passes on comparable issues on a regular basis.
I wish the ending had been handled better (I've no problem with what happens, but the presentation was sloppy and lacked emotional weight), but overall Alice was one of the most pleasant, unexpected surprises of this generation. The diverse world that Spicy Horse created is affecting and extremely memorable. Such a refreshing change from the tired, unimaginative visual design and game worlds we've been seeing too much of lately.
I hope some Spicy Horse employees have visited this thread; they need to see the well-deserved praise that's been expressed here.
I absolutely loved this game.
I don't know that I've ever been so at odds with just about every review out there, aside from Giant Bomb's. It is certainly not without its flaws and shortcomings, but the amount of things that this game does well surely outweigh the negatives by a substantial margin. I don't know where these hyper-critical reviewers came from all of a sudden, when higher-profile games seemingly get free passes on comparable issues on a regular basis.
I wish the ending had been handled better (I've no problem with what happens, but the presentation was sloppy and lacked emotional weight), but overall Alice was one of the most pleasant, unexpected surprises of this generation. The diverse world that Spicy Horse created is affecting and extremely memorable. Such a refreshing change from the tired, unimaginative visual design and game worlds we've been seeing too much of lately.
I hope some Spicy Horse employees have visited this thread; they need to see the well-deserved praise that's been expressed here.
Cheesyhobo
Member
Bought this game and played for an hour. Instantly regretted my purchase. GAF, you need to convince me to keep playing. The level and artistic design is truly dire compared to the first Alice, it seems like this game is composed of nothing but flat platforms with different color schemes. The rudimentary hack n slash gameplay is already grating on me. Please tell me it gets better.
bloodforge
Member
Finished this a couple days ago, loved every minute of it.
Joe Molotov
Member
Cheesyhobo said:
If you don't like the first hour, you're not going to like any of it. Sorry.
Cheesyhobo
Member
Joe Molotov said:
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Looks like I should have listened to the reviews.
If the rest of the game is like this I have to ask why fellow original Alice fans are digging this game so much. The level design is nowhere close to the original.
It's sad that the 3rd person shooter is so misrepresented these days that some guys giving impressions of the game don't seem to get it. Have people forgotten how these kind of games play?
I'm also surprised Vinny from Giant Bomb is having such an issue with the combat. To me, it plays a lot like Zelda's combat.
Just finished Chapter 4. It's my favorite chapter thus far, and I love how the Executioner bit was resolved. LOL!
Somehow I missed 4-5 memories and I have no idea how because I thought I searched everywhere.
I'm also surprised Vinny from Giant Bomb is having such an issue with the combat. To me, it plays a lot like Zelda's combat.
Just finished Chapter 4. It's my favorite chapter thus far, and I love how the Executioner bit was resolved. LOL!
Somehow I missed 4-5 memories and I have no idea how because I thought I searched everywhere.
Cheesyhobo
Member
JohngPR said:
I just beat it again yesterday, as I held out this long on Madness Returns because I wanted to replay the original Alice first, it's been a long time since I first played it. Obviously not a perfect game, but in terms of art and level design it's mostly as inspired as I remember it to be. Definitely not the monotonous trudge Madness Returns has been after 2 hours of gameplay.
Attackthebase
Member
I finished Alice a few nights back, and I thought it was fantastic. The game had its problems, but overall, it was a refreshing change of pace compared to all the "bro-games" that are constantly being released. June was awesomeness of Alice. This month will contain the awesomeness of Catherine and El Shaddai. :-D
ShockingAlberto
Member
So i've finished Alice yesterday.
I've feared you guys overhyped me on chapter four, but nope - it was fantastic from start to finish.
Chapter five though...
Not that i didn't like the level, puzzles were ok, but god dammit.
Story was great too, i just didn't liked
Also, i didn't get one scene
Graphically it's one of the most impressive games to date, next to Witcher 2 and patched Crysis 2. My physx was set to medium and fpses dropped a bit when there was a lot of particles in the air (pepper grinder particles + smoke, crushed ground when using Horse, cracked chess boards etc), but it was a glorious sight.
Also the sheer amount of different assets they managed to cram into the game is astonishing - different looking switches, levers etc.
Game dragged a bit in places (chapter 2, 3 mainly), but overall it's seriously one of the best i've played in a while.
I've feared you guys overhyped me on chapter four, but nope - it was fantastic from start to finish.
Chapter five though...
Ive never been so disturbed by anything before, and it got darker and darker... I was so creeped out that I blazed through the levels fast, didn't want to do much exploration and missed a lot of collectibles.
Story was great too, i just didn't liked
how prematurely they revealed what happened with the fire. They could have revealed the real culprit a chapter later.
in the asylum, with bald Alice, trepanation etc. Was it a flashback to before or was it quasi-real?
Graphically it's one of the most impressive games to date, next to Witcher 2 and patched Crysis 2. My physx was set to medium and fpses dropped a bit when there was a lot of particles in the air (pepper grinder particles + smoke, crushed ground when using Horse, cracked chess boards etc), but it was a glorious sight.
Also the sheer amount of different assets they managed to cram into the game is astonishing - different looking switches, levers etc.
Game dragged a bit in places (chapter 2, 3 mainly), but overall it's seriously one of the best i've played in a while.
This is the most puzzeling part of the game.rakhir said:
After finishing the first game, you find out that Alice has been released from Rutledge Asylum, but she still suffered from mental problems caused by the memories of her family's deaths. Pris Witless got her a job at Dr. Angus Bumby's Houndsditch Home for Wayward Youth, where he continued to "treated" her by making her forget her past through hypnosis.
A year later, though Alice does not physically return to Rutledge, she suffered from a hallucination of being back in the asylum. In the level Alice walk around with a straightjacket, lobotomized, remembering various treatments that where conducted on her. She also sees visions of people she knew talking about her getting back to Rutledge, due her mind going unstable again. Alice wakes up and its simply a hallucination.
Here the problem though, most of the hallucinations in the game is based on reality. If Alice did get a lobotomy, she would now be a plant. While in the game she looks fine and can take care of herself.
A year later, though Alice does not physically return to Rutledge, she suffered from a hallucination of being back in the asylum. In the level Alice walk around with a straightjacket, lobotomized, remembering various treatments that where conducted on her. She also sees visions of people she knew talking about her getting back to Rutledge, due her mind going unstable again. Alice wakes up and its simply a hallucination.
Here the problem though, most of the hallucinations in the game is based on reality. If Alice did get a lobotomy, she would now be a plant. While in the game she looks fine and can take care of herself.
ROBOKITTYZILLA
Member
Just completed the game, finally.
I really enjoyed chapter 2, especially the underwater segments but I'm glad the other chapters didn't drag on as much. The paper Alice 2D platforming scenarios were probably my favorite part of chapter 3. So much goodness in chapter 4 though. It's definitely my favorite:
Chapter 5 had a nice level design and some fun enemies (
) but I found myself rushing through most of the area, eager to finish the game. I missed most of my completion items here.
I finished with 97% completion without using any guides (most items missed in chapter 5). I'm probably going to do a Nightmare difficulty, New Game+ with the DLC equipment and use a guide to get all the stuff I missed. Steam reports 21.5 total hours logged but I did spend a lot of time taking in the scenery, snapping screenshots, searching for secrets, and occasionally left the game running to eat. I probably spent about 12-15 actual hours playing the game. I'm sad that it's all over.
I really enjoyed chapter 2, especially the underwater segments but I'm glad the other chapters didn't drag on as much. The paper Alice 2D platforming scenarios were probably my favorite part of chapter 3. So much goodness in chapter 4 though. It's definitely my favorite:
The cardbridge area, the creepy atmosphere, the card guards, the executioner, giant Alice, the crazy asylum segue into chapter 5, etc.
Chapter 5 had a nice level design and some fun enemies (
lol at Bitch Baby
I finished with 97% completion without using any guides (most items missed in chapter 5). I'm probably going to do a Nightmare difficulty, New Game+ with the DLC equipment and use a guide to get all the stuff I missed. Steam reports 21.5 total hours logged but I did spend a lot of time taking in the scenery, snapping screenshots, searching for secrets, and occasionally left the game running to eat. I probably spent about 12-15 actual hours playing the game. I'm sad that it's all over.
MushroomSamba
Member
rakhir said:Chapter five though...Not that i didn't like the level, puzzles were ok, but god dammit.Ive never been so disturbed by anything before, and it got darker and darker... I was so creeped out that I blazed through the levels fast, didn't want to do much exploration and missed a lot of collectibles.
Yeah, those giant baby doll enemies sent chills down my spine. I could barely stand all that baby torture imagery...I just wanted to be done with that level as quickly as possible.
I didn't really like the minigames for that chapter either.
The rolling baby head didn't control all that well and the puzzles were pretty lame. The 2D platforming segments in chapter 3 were my favorite. I liked the chess puzzles too, but I wish they were a bit more challenging.
Ajemsuhgao
Member
Cheesyhobo said:
Level design has changed a lot, yes, but I don't think it's bad by any means.
The one thing I DO miss a lot from the original Alice, is the combat/weapons. Combat in this game is fine and all, but...soooo limited. Once I got the Hobby Horse, I never touched the Vorpal Blade ever again. The weapons in the first game were actually fun to use, and all had varied enough abilities that you had reason to use all of them. I really miss the old weapons
And the original Cheshire Cat voice actor, but he's such a minor character now that it doesn't really matter.
cybercircuit1
Member
Ajemsuhgao said:
I haven't played much so far, but I thought the actor had changed as well. According to IMDB, though, it's the same guy: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0413996/
Ajemsuhgao
Member
TheOddOne said:
How so? I died more on the
oriental art style'd minigame
I thought i missed some information there, but apparently not.TheOddOne said:
Thanks for clarification.
Heh, and i've rarely used the Horse apart from chapter 3 and that burrowingAjemsuhgao said:
fish-dudes
I don't think anything limits the combat as much as our own preferences.
Oh god, he voiced Sheriff Bahg in Puzzle Agent? That's hilarious.cybercircuit1 said:
Ajemsuhgao
Member
rakhir said:
Limited in weapon selection, and how varied the battles could really be. I don't mean limited as in the game limits you to only using certain things against certain enemies.
The original Alice had...9 or 10 weapons if I remember correctly. This game has what, 4 and a bomb? The umbrella does not count as a weapon.
cybercircuit1 said:
I refuse to believe this. He sounds completely different.
Ajemsuhgao
Member
Deadbeat said:
I actually enjoyed Brink. It started out slow, but once you got into the higher levels, with the better abilities, it was pretty fun.