Alice: Madness Returns

18 cert, EA, Xbox 360 (also PS3, PC) ***

As the title suggests, this isn't the friendly Alice of Lewis Carroll's imagination. Instead, it's American McGee's twist on the tale, with a gothic Alice wielding a Vorpal Blade. The story picks up with Alice in an orphanage. You play between drab Victorian London and Wonderland, now dark and dangerous, populated by enemies with names like "Insidious Ruin". The object is to piece together Alice's memories and find who is responsible for the fire that killed her family, and figure out what's happened to Wonderland. Combat is fun to a point, allowing you to switch between weapons to take on enemies that range from annoying mechanical flies to badtempered robotic teapots or black slime. But as much as Alicedraws you in, it's let down by some poor camera work and repetitive gameplay. Stylish but flawed.