Alice Madness Returns Chapter 1 The Hatter Must Be Found

| 11-05-2021
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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/YMMV/AliceMadnessReturns

  1. Alice Madness Returns Chapter 1 The Hatter Must Be Found 2
  2. Alice Madness Returns Chapter 1 The Hatter Must Be Found Free

May 14, 2011  Alice: Madness Returns Preview - Chapter 1. It takes a few hours to get through the Mad Hatter's domain, and during that time, we were shown new techniques and introduced to new enemies one at.

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  • Anticlimax Boss:
    • The March Hare and the Dormouse, much like the first game, are built up to be early bosses as you search for Hatter's arms and legs, but the only thing of note they do is try to impede your progress in your quest. They both flee after you break their machinery and defeat all the enemies in their area. At the end of the chapter they prepare to fight her inside a Humongous Mecha, but are ejected from it when the Mad Hatter throws a big ol' teapot at it.
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    • The Executioner chases you through the Queen of Hearts' castle and the now-rotting hedge maze, and is completely invincible... that is, until a cutscene kicks in where Alice finds and eats the cake that makes her grow much bigger in size. She simply stomps on the Executioner, who is now so scared he drops his scythe.
    • To be honest, the only realBoss Fight in the game is the final one against the Dollmaker on the Infernal Train.
    • Judging by the level design and concept arts there should be a boss battle at the end of each chapter. They're absent probably due to budget/deadline reasons.
      • Actually it's because symbolism. The March Hare, The Dormouse, and the Executioner are all parts of Alice's mind. They're all set up as if they would be boss battles because Alice thinks she's the problem. But she's not. Bumby is. So he's the only boss fight because he's the only real enemy.
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  • Awesome Art: The game's art direction is the most acclaimed aspect of the game, and for good reason. Every single asset looks lovingly hand-crafted, not to mention the impressive 'moving papers' animated cutscenes.
  • Badass Decay: Last seen as a towering, shrieking 300-foot tall monstrosity spread across Wonderland, the Queen of Hearts is now trapped in her rotting kingdom, physically resembles Alice's older sister Lizzie (Alice's superego according to Mcgee), and besides Caterpillar is among the few helpful people in Wonderland.
  • Bizarro Episode: The Dollhouse initially seems to be this. Unlike the other levels, there are no hints or suggestions of dolls anywhere to foreshadow the theme of the next level, and Alice is abruptly placed there without so much as an entry cutscene. There are also no inhabitants from the original Wonderland to be found, aside from the Cheshire Cat, and the level of disturbing imagery reaches previously unprecedented heights. Of course, it later turns out to be perhaps the most important step in Alice's journey, as it is here that she finally learns the full truth of her family's demise as well as the real-world abuse of the orphans in Dr. Bumby's care.
  • Breather Level:
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    • Cardsbridge, the first level of chapter 4. No enemies, no disturbing imagery, just peaceful jumping puzzles as you wind your way towards a horrible rotting castle inhabited by your worst Wonderland enemy.
    • All of chapter 6, what little there is, is a breather after chapter 5. No enemies, no platforms, no secrets; there's literally nothing at all except the final battle and a few cutscenes to close off the plot.
  • Complete Monster: Dr. Angus Bumby is Alice Liddell's shrink who uses hypnosis to erase Alice's traumatic memories of her family's death. Bumby's motivation is that he is the one who started the fire that burned down her house and killed said family, in an attempt to cover his tracks after raping Alice's sister Lizzie. Nowadays, he makes a profit on the side via pimping the children in his orphanage, who he's brainwashed and broken into Empty Shells. Bumby justifies his actions by acting like Lizzie was simply playing hard to get; claiming that he was providing a service to the community; and thinking that Alice would be better off as a prostitute. In his 'Wonderland' persona, the Dollmaker, Bumby feeds the Insane Children-now turned into dolls-to the Infernal Train, with even the greatest villains of Wonderland terrified of him and his actions.
  • Crossover Ship: Alice/Daniel is pretty popular, due to their similarities (both being British, both mentally scarred etc.)
  • Demonic Spiders: Depends on the difficulty being played on. Once the 3x damage multiplier gets applied on Alice, the various enemies that usually connect hard hits frequently(and dodging from Alice's attacks quite often) will start to look like these.
  • Ensemble Dark Horse: The Carpenter is wildly popular and considered the best character in the game. Even American Mcgee himself said that he's his favorite.
  • Faux Symbolism: Alice prominently wears a necklace of the Greek letter omega. At the bottom of the front of her dress are the alchemical symbols for copper (which is upside down for some reason) and tin. These and other alchemical symbols also show up in the environments. However, there does not appear to be any kind of meaning behind how they are used.
  • 'Funny Aneurysm' Moment: The things the orphanage kids say to Alice during the first London segment come off as innocent, if a little odd, first time round. Then you look back on them with the knowledge of what Dr Bumby is using them for. One notable example is this conversation between two little boys- 'She [Alice] hates being touched' 'Who likes it, then?'. They're being used as prostitutes. You do the math.
  • Game-Breaker: The fully-upgraded Teapot Cannon. Shatters enemy defences with one hit, is able to kill them with another.
  • Goddamned Bats: Quite a few enemies may qualify, but especially the Bolterflies and Ink Wasps if they make contact.
  • Good Bad Bugs: This, which will in about twenty minutes get you an 80G achievement you'd normally have to replay the entire game for.
  • Jerkass Woobie: The March Hare and the Dormouse. Yes they've gone too far, being bad bosses and all, but it's justified revenge in their eyes. Not to mention them being taken down quite easily, it makes them seem ineffective, in a way.
  • Scrappy Mechanic: Pressure pads, specifically when Alice must hold one down with a clockwork bomb then rush somewhere else before the timer runs out. Not so bad when she just has to get to a lift or something. Very irritating when she has to shoot a clock that's so far away most of the time has run out before she even gets there.
    • To find the pig snouts, you need to have VERY good hearing (and that's not counting the invisible pig snouts the game likes to throw at you). If you have a hearing problem, then you're out of luck without a guide.
  • Slow-Paced Beginning: The Foundry, which is only the second area you visit, is easily the dullest area of the game, and one of the longest. This led to many a bad review from people who didn't know it gets better after that.
  • Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped: Children forced into being sex workers. This is a massive problem, especially in third world countries, that doesn't get much attention.
    • Don't let your own issues blind you to reality. Alice saw several red flags (if her scattered memory fragments of him are any indication) that Dr. Bumby didn't have her best interests at heart, but she allowed him to try and erase her memories because forgetting her past was easier than dealing with her pain. She was also so caught up in her own problems that she completely failed to see the abuse that was happening to the other orphans.
  • Uncanny Valley: Not just the Wonderlanders, but if you really find those prostitutes in London attractive, you either have an awful taste in women or a REALLY frustrated Libido.
  • What Do You Mean, It Wasn't Made on Drugs?: Not surprising, considering that the game is a mature parody of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. On its own though, it has flying pig snouts which requires to be shot with a pepper gun, making them disignate followed by a passageway or basket appearing. One moment in the game which can be really considered a 'drug trip' is the beginning of chapter 5, in which you are treated to disturbing hallucinating images and visions as you walk through an insane asylum.
  • The Woobie: Every. Single. Character in one way or another (although there are a few exceptions, like Pris Witless and Bumby). But special mention goes to the following:
    • Alice, who gots through much more mental (and somewhat psychical) abuse and manipulation than the first game, to the point where she's, without a doubt, the series most sympathetic character.
    • Lizzie, who, after she refuses what he wants ('I'm no toy! He wanted me to do things I didn't want to do.'), gets stalked, harassed ('Once the bounder followed me into the Ladies at Waterloo Station. I had to call the attendant.'), and eventually raped and killed by Bumby.
    • The Oysters, who get eaten and maimed by the Walrus.
    • The White King who you have to kill in order to proceed.
    • The poor tortured, experimented-on Dodos.
    • The Mad Hatter, who admits that all he wanted was for everything to go back to normal before being crushed.

Everything seemed to be going just exactly according to plan for the March Hare and Dormouse. They had some hardships, as Alice had found her way into their domain, slowed down their progress, and managed to help Hatter up and escape the vile Lost & Found that served as his prison. However, in the end, they managed to finish building the train and run it on schedule. Even if Alice and Hatter caught up with them and intended to fight them, all they needed to do was already done. The two half mechanical, half-organic mammals watched as the train left, knowing they couldn't be stopped now.

However, their feelings of achievement and pride suddenly vanished when a steel pillar fell onto the platform on which the two were standing, not even an inch away from where the Hare was standing. His eyes widened in surprise when he heard and felt the crash. His long ears leaned forward and his nostrils dilated as he looked forward to see that the train was destroying everything in it's path.

'Hare...The train! Our domain! Look! Everything's falling to pieces! Our hard work! Hare!' the Dormouse shouted as he panicked, watching part of their factory crumble as the train went.

Alice Madness Returns Chapter 1 The Hatter Must Be Found 2

'I don't understand. I...The creature with big, oozing eyes...he promised...' the Hare whispered in disbelief with his accented voice. 'A train of turmoil and destruction, he said...'

Suddenly, the Hare ran up to the nearest intercom, picked it up, and began to speak into it.

'Attention all workers! We are potentially under attack! All of you get your tails out of the building! Don't stop to grab anything or help anyone! I repeat, leave the building immediately!'

Surely, all the creatures inside the building were scattering about and knocking each other over, trying to get out. A few succeeded, though even if they did, they all flew and ran in random directions away from the domain. The March Hare put the communication device back down and looked at his partner. 'We're damned fools, Dormy.' He turned to the control panel used to release the train and slammed his fist on it. 'Blast and damn! Dormy, do you know what we've done? We've been duped, Dormy! Fooled! Instead of making Wonderland better, we're responsible for destroying it!'

The Dormouse looked on, watching his friend panic and looked back towards the train. 'But...is it too late? Have we failed as beings already?' The Hare nodded. 'Aye...Horrible beings we are.' 'Well, I shouldn't like to think so.' The Dormouse got down on all fours as Hare looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

'Alright, what are you thinking?'

'All hope isn't lost.'

Alice Madness Returns Chapter 1 The Hatter Must Be Found Free

'What are you saying?'

The mouse started to put one front paw in front of the other, walking away. 'I'm going to catch the train.' His walking turned into scurrying as he ran in the direction of the train. 'What? What do you think you're doing?' the Hare yelled. 'Get back here, you idiot!' He began to run after the wheeled mouse, but pillars and debris fell between the two and Hare forced himself to jump back. 'Dormy!' He shouted for the mouse, but alas, he knew his friend couldn't hear him.

Hare suddenly felt someone's presence behind him. His shoulder was grabbed and he was turned around to face his once dear companion. 'Take over my domain...' the Hatter growled. '...Use it to build an infernal train...You monstrous abomination!' Hare forced Hatter's arm off him. 'You're the abomination, you half-witted ogre!' Alice could be seen walking close behind Hatter. 'Did you purposely create that infernal train to destroy Wonderland, Hare?' she asked as she came up. 'Because you're just as bad as Hatter, if not worse.'

'Why don't you shut your mouth and mind your business, you bitch?'

'The destruction of Wonderland is my business.'

'I'm not in the right mind to deal with you lot right now.'

'You ought to get yourself in the right mind, you furry disgrace!' Hatter yelled at the Hare, starting to spit insults at him. Alice walked in front of Hatter and quieted him. 'All that I ask, Hare, is that you tell me what's going on before I resort to murder.' She took out her Vorpal blade and made a threatening motion, moving towards the March Hare. The Hare simply scowled at her and, being as tall as Hatter, knocked her down with his blade arm, only tearing her dress slightly. 'I've got no time to deal with you. I'm in deep enough shit as it is.' With that, he made a huge leap, hopping off towards the train tracks. 'After him!' shouted the Hatter as he jumped in the direction Hare jumped in. Alice, having been left behind, shook her head and ran after the two. 'Idiots...'

Running along the train tracks was the wheeled mouse, panting to catch up with the train. He was carrying himself on his front paws, having no back legs and having to drag his wheels along. Luckily, he ran nearly as fast as a normal rat. When the train was finally in sight, he picked up speed, struggling slightly, but never slowing down. At last, he caught up with the caboose of the train. It towered over him, as he was the size of Alice and the train was so large, it was probably much taller than Hatter and Hare, too. A window opened, revealing the slimy, ugly face that the Dormouse recognized right away.

'You! What have you tricked Hare and I into doing all this time?'

'I told you, I'm improving Wonderland. I thank you and Hare for assisting me.'

'Improve? You're not improving Wonderland, you're destroying it! You used Hare and I!'

'I must admit, you have caught on. My change doesn't benefit you or Hare. Don't feel sorry for yourself. Your efforts did go towards a great purpose.' The creature let out a chuckle.

'How dare you! He trusted you!'

'And his trust was all that I needed. Now I have no need for it or you, either, for that matter.'

A hand attached to strings in the manner of a marionette puppet reached from out of the train window and grabbed the Dormouse by his tail. The wheeled mouse was lifted above the large train and thrown in front of it. He landed on his side on the tracks and began to lift himself up, but not in time.

The March Hare hopped onto a platform a few feet lower than the tracks when a wheel rolled by his foot. He looked up to see the train passing by and then quickly back down at the very familiar wheel. 'No...' When the train had completely passed by, the Hare hopped up onto the tracks. As he feared, what he saw matched his expectations. Dormy's body was in pieces, his blood and organic parts smeared all over the tracks and bits of clockwork having been scattered all around. Hare could recognize his blue and white checkered vest, now horribly torn and mangled, and his head that had the teapot cap knocked off and was nearly squished flat, though not detached from the body unlike one of his arms.

Alice madness returns chapter 1 the hatter must be found full

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Hare let out his emotions, breaking out into sobs. Thoughts of the poor Dormouse flashed through his mind; Memories, good and bad. He remembered when they were all still fully organic and how they used to laugh as Dormy told his nonsense stories. He remembered when they were in the Hatter's lab, how oblivious poor Dormy was. Then it hit him: He hadn't been close to the Dormouse since before they took down the Hatter. The Hare dropped to his knees, sobbing even harder as his ears drooped.

'Dormy...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...'

Hatter and Alice caught up to him minutes later. Hatter observed the bloody mass on the tracks. 'Hmph...He deserved to die, only I wanted to strangle him myself.' Hare turned his head to the Hatter, still crying. 'You shut up about him, you bloody idiot! He wasn't a bad lad...Tried to stop the train.' Alice's eyes widened at this. 'Hare, what did you say?' Hatter interrupted Alice's questioning by spitting more insults at Hare. 'He was you're friend and you killed him! If it weren't for your business with the train, he'd still be here! But no! You're responsible for his death as well as others, you destroyer of Wonderland!'

Hare stood up, wiping his tears with his only organic hand. 'This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you...' He glared right into Hatter's eyes, seething. '...you bloody monstrosity!' Hare swung his bladed arm at the Hatter, impacting the left side of his chest. Hatter put his hand where he had been stabbed, then removed it, looking at his own blood. He then threw a punch at Hare and pushed him against a pillar. Hare forced Hatter back by stabbing him again. Before Alice knew it, the two were caught in such an intense and violent battle that blood was seething from their mouths. 'Hare!' Alice called. 'If you and Hatter could stop fighting for one moment, tell me what happened! Why did you build the train and why did the Dormouse try to stop it?' Neither the Hare or the Hatter heard her, for each was too busy trying to kill the other. As they fought, the domain began to crumble above them. 'Hatter, you promised to help me!' Alice shouted, the noise from their surroundings blocking her out.

The Hatter and Hare continued to fight, knocking each other against pillars and spilling their own blood, until the entire domain finally fell. Before either could notice, the debris of the buildings fell on top of them both, crushing their bodies and making them unable to breathe. Luckily, Alice took cover and was left standing. She looked at the large pile of debris that the former friends were crushed under. 'Why did they have to go and get themselves killed? Blast...' She sighed. 'The March Hare and the Dormouse may have been responsible for building the train, but Hare said something about the Dormouse trying to stop it. If they didn't intend to destroy Wonderland, who does?' Suddenly, Alice felt herself surrounded by the tea from the destroyed factory. She woke up just in time.