A really great game that hasn't gotten the attention it deserves.
If you enjoyed the first game, you will most definitely enjoy this game. Alice: Madness Returns bring backs the exceptionally well done mood and environment that made the first game so charming. The world you are dropped into is really a pleasure to play through and really demonstrates a great creative and also demented style.
This sequel improves on the first in so many ways. The combat mechanics are really good. You've got a small handful of weapons that you can make use of as well as the ability to dodge or block projectiles. There's a good number of higher difficulty creatures in the game that require strategy and practice to beat which makes the game more than just a button smasher.
On top of the combat mechanics, the game introduced a bunch of collectible items to the game with various rewards. The most common are teeth that you can spend (as you choose) on upgrading your weapons. You can also find Pig Snouts that reveals secret paths or grant health items and teeth. There are Radula rooms that provide permanent boosts to your health. And then there are memory and bottle items. These items don't really provide much in the way of rewards other than some interesting dialog they add and artwork that's unlocked in the menus.
The game keeps track of how many of each of those items you've found and missed in each chapter which can give you a challenge if you're a completionist type like me.
There is also a fair amount of platforming and trap type puzzles throughout the game. One design decision they made they makes them more enjoyable is there is little penalty to falling or getting caught in a trap. If that happens, you're just re-constituted at a point very near where you were last standing without losing any progress or state. The only time you may have to go back is if any enemy kills you; the game will reload the most recent auto-save.
An element that is both a plus and minus for the game is its length. Games like this a typically pretty short but this game is quite long. After my first playthrough, I thought perhaps is was a bit too long. The diversity of enemies and combat styles aren't varied enough to keep the game going quite as long as it does and it does start to wear a bit by the end, but only a little.
There is however a satisfactory variety in environment. There are basically 5 chapters that each have their own style and flavor. There's also a number of points were you have to engage in mini-games that provide a totally different experience than the rest of the games, including one that's a bit like an old-school side-scroller.
I can't imagine this game was terribly successful in the market as some of the reviews aren't so great and it hasn't gotten any attention in the news. I really thinks that's tragic because this is a really great game.