American McGee is taking us down the rabbit hole again with Alice: The Madness Returns. It has been 10 years since we have had a glimpse of the old Cheshire cat. Similarly for Alice, about 10 years have elapsed since the time period depicted in the original game.

I remember fondly American McGee's Alice. It was dark, foreboding, and violent. It was truly a walk through the mind of someone who had descended into madness, yet still somehow filled with delight. Back in the day before 3D was chic, Alice even worked well with my old school 3D-shutter glasses and my old TNT2 video card. With great gameplay mechanics, cutting edge graphics, and an engrossing story, Alice was a game I played over and over again, enjoying every puzzle, and every swing of my croquet mallet.

Because of this experience, I am hopeful Alice 2 can live up to the pedigree of its predecessor. Recently, Computer and Videogames Magazine relayed American McGee's comments about the sequel:

He called Madness Returns a violent action experience and described how Alice was an idealized version of herself in Wonderland being strong, beautiful and confident. He also described every enemy in Wonderland as a puzzle, players will have to work out weaknesses for each.

This does sound a lot like the original, and I am thrilled. The reason that the first game was so successful was because it took gamers to a dark, yet familiar world. And just because Disney made Alice in Wonderland into a "sunshine and lollypops" story, does not mean that was the only way it was meant to be told. Check out the newest teaser trailer to see what I mean:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utvrb_1c2x0

The first teaser trailer was released back in July, and offered an identical vibe: dark, violent, and even a little disturbing. Alice 2 appears to offer a similar experience as the original game, except with much improved graphics and sound. It really is amazing what a difference 10 years can make.

So what do you think of the trailer? Are you ready to go down the rabbit hole and find out what madness lurks in Wonderland?

Alice: Madness Returns is due to come out in Q4 of 2011, for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Source: CVG