Alice: Madness Returns

Alice: Madness Returns

Developers
	Spicy Horse
Publishers
	Electronic Arts
Engines
	Unreal Engine 3
Release dates
Windows	June 14, 2011
Reception
Metacritic	75
IGDB	72
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase, DLC, Subscription gaming service
Modes	Singleplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	Third-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	Action, Adventure
Art styles	Stylized
Themes	Fantasy, Horror, Victorian
Series	American McGee's Alice

American McGee's Alice
American McGee's Alice	2000
American McGee's Alice (2011)	2011
Alice: Madness Returns	2011

General information

Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Game activation that used to occur when launching the game for the first time. The January 14, 2022 patch has removed this requirement.

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail
Amazon.com
Microsoft Store		Included exclusively with Xbox Game Pass for PC as part of its version of EA Play.
Origin		Standard Edition only. Included with EA Play.
Steam		Standard Edition only. Included with EA Play (Steam).
(unavailable)
Games for Windows Marketplace (unavailable)
Green Man Gaming (unavailable)		Complete Collection also available.
Humble Store (unavailable)		Complete Collection also available.

The Complete Collection includes a remaster of American McGee's Alice plus the Weapons of Madness and Dresses Pack DLC.

EA-related DRM has been confirmed to have been removed on the Steam release of the game as of the January 14, 2022 patch.

Monetization

Type	Notes
DLC	Alternate costumes with unique properties and upgraded weapons.
One-time game purchase	The game requires an upfront purchase to access.
Subscription gaming service	Available via EA Play.

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
Weapons of Madness and Dresses Pack	Adds upgraded versions of weapons once the base version has been unlocked in the story and 6 dresses for Alice with unique properties.

Essential improvements

Skip intro videos

Use the -nostartupmovies command line argument

Disable intro videos in AliceEngine.ini

Go to the game's configuration file(s) location and open AliceEngine.ini with a text editor. Search for the following lines: StartupMovies=Intro_EA.bik StartupMovies=Intro_SH.bik StartupMovies=TechLogo_Short.bik Comment out these lines with a semi-colon as shown: ;StartupMovies=Intro_EA.bik ;StartupMovies=Intro_SH.bik ;lStartupMovies=TechLogo_Short.bik Save the changes. The game should immediately start on the title screen.

Force enable Weapons of Madness and Dresses Pack DLC

This configuration tweak also unlocks a menu option to launch the remastered version of American McGee's Alice within Alice: Madness Returns's main menu if the former is also installed in the correct launch location.

Enable the Complete Collection's features in DefaultEngine.ini

Go to <path-to-game>\Game\Alice2\AliceGame\Config and open DefaultEngine.ini with a text editor. Search for the following line: GIsSpecialPCEdition If set to FALSE, then change this value TRUE, as shown below: GIsSpecialPCEdition=TRUE For owners of the 2000 version of American McGee's Alice but not the Complete Edition of Madness Returns, the Alice1Path can be set to wherever the original game is installed. The executable Alice.exe must be present at that location. Both an absolute path or relative to AliceMadnessReturns.exe are allowed. Save the changes. Upon reloading the game, all dresses and special weapons should be selectable via the Equip button in the main menu. Also if the correct path is set, the first game should launch from the main menu.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Alice Madness Returns\AliceGame\Config\
Microsoft Store
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/19680/pfx/

Some settings such as key bindings are stored in GameConfig_PC.CFG for each save game profile.

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Alice Madness Returns\AliceGame\CheckPoint\
Microsoft Store
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/19680/pfx/

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Origin
OneDrive		Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud
Xbox Cloud

Video

In-game video settings.

Graphics feature	State	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution			Non-16:9 resolutions are letterboxed.
Multi-monitor			See the WSGF entry.
Ultra-widescreen			See the WSGF entry.
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)		Slightly dynamic. Default FOV is 70 in the London sequences and usually 90 during Wonderland gameplay. To adjust FOV, see Field of view (FOV).
Windowed		See Windowed.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		See Borderless fullscreen windowed.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)		Enabled with 16 samples by default. For other levels, see Anisotropic filtering (AF).
Anti-aliasing (AA)		Anti-Alias is x4 MSAA.
Vertical sync (Vsync)		Enabled by default. To disable Vsync, see Vertical sync (Vsync).
60 FPS		Capped at 31 FPS. To raise the frame rate cap, see High frame rate, however, it can potentially cause timing-related issues.
120+ FPS		See High frame rate.
High dynamic range display (HDR)		See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Field of view (FOV)

Bind FOV commands to keys in AliceInput.ini

Go to the game's configuration file(s) location and open AliceInput.ini with a text editor. Add the following line under the [Engine.PlayerInput] section: Bindings=(Name="NumPadOne",Command="FOV 90") Save the changes. Using NumPad 1 should allow to change the FOV in-game. Pressing it again may be needed after completing a level or after certain cutscenes. Notes Other keys and values can be used, as long as they are not already assigned to a different action.

Use Flawless Widescreen[citation needed]
Be aware that a modified game .exe is needed for the tool to work. Download Flawless Widescreen 1.0.12. Turn on Show hidden files in Windows and extract the files. Run the tool and select the Alice: Madness Returns plugin. Set the Additional FOV Modifier to a higher value like +30.0 and click Set FOV Boost.

Windowed

Use -windowed command line argument
Note: To return to fullscreen, launch the game by using the -fullscreen command line argument.

Disable Fullscreen mode in AliceEngine.ini
Go to configuration file(s) location and open AliceEngine.ini with a text editor. Search for the line Fullscreen= and set the value to False. Save the changes and close the file.

Borderless fullscreen windowed

Use GeDoSaTo[citation needed]
Install and run GeDoSaTo. Click Edit Settings and create a profile named AliceMadnessReturns. Add forceBorderlessFullscreen true to the text editor and click Save. Click User Whitelist and add AliceMadnessReturns and click Save.

Anisotropic filtering (AF)

Adjust anisotropic filtering in AliceEngine.ini
Go to configuration file(s) location and open AliceEngine.ini with a text editor. Search for the line MaxAnisotropy= and set it to the desired value (up to 16). Save the changes and close the file, then right-click AliceEngine.ini, go to Properties and set it to "read-only".

Vertical sync (Vsync)

Disable Vsync in AliceEngine.ini
Go to configuration file(s) location and open AliceEngine.ini with a text editor. Search for the line UseVsync= and set the value to False. Save the changes and close the file, then right-click AliceEngine.ini, go to Properties and set it to "read-only".

High frame rate

Raising the frame rate above its original 31 FPS cap can cause issues of varying severity, such as worsening the effects of the inverse-mouse acceleration, hit-detection issues, cutscenes not triggering (when facing the Card Executioner) and infinite loading screens when reloading a save with a previously locked frame rate. These issues can occur at any higher frame rate, but seems to worsen in relation to how high the framerate is allowed to go. It is therefore recommended to cap the game to 60 or 120 FPS, and restore the default if any timing/scripting/loading issues occur.

Raise frame rate cap in AliceEngine.ini
Go to configuration file(s) location and open AliceEngine.ini with a text editor. Search for the line MaxSmoothedFrameRate= and set it to either 62 for 60 FPS or 122 for 120 FPS. Save the changes and close the file, then right-click AliceEngine.ini, go to Properties and set it to "read-only". Notes For more information, see the Unreal Engine 3 page.

Input

In-game key map settings.

In-game camera settings.

The controller layout for the game.

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping		Not all controls are available to be remapped, however, those can be changed in AliceInput.ini.
Mouse acceleration		Suffers from negative mouse acceleration (the camera moves slower on faster mouse movements).
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support		Game's first launch brings up activation window which requires keyboard. Creating save game profile and some in-game menus cannot be navigated with controller.
Controller remapping		Controller layout cannot be remapped in-game, however, they can be modified by editing AliceInput.ini.
Controller sensitivity		Controller sensitivity cannot be changed in-game, however, it can be modified by editing AliceInput.ini. See Change controller sensitivity.
Controller Y-axis inversion

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers
Xbox button prompts		Xbox 360 variant.
Impulse Trigger vibration

DualShock 4 controllers

Generic/other controllers

Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback		Enabled by default.
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

Enable Walking on keyboard

Manually bind Walk to a key
Go to the configuration file(s) location and open AliceInput.ini with a text editor. Search for the [Engine.PlayerInput] section, then add the following and save the changes: Bindings=(Name="LeftAlt",Command="Walking") Notes LAlt must be held to walk, however, this can be bound to another unoccupied key. Walking speed on keyboard is higher than using a controller.

Change controller sensitivity

Change controller sensitivity

Go to the configuration file(s) location and open AliceInput.ini with a text editor. Search for the [Engine.PlayerInput] section, then edit the following values and save the changes: Vertical sensitivity: LookRightScale=300 Horizontal sensitivity: LookUpScale=-250 Vertical sensitivity whilst aiming (e.g. Pepper Grinder): LookRightScaleForFP=500 Horizontal sensitivity whilst aiming (e.g. Pepper Grinder): LookUpScaleForFP=-350 Notes Negative values are for inverting the axis.

Send console commands to the game

Manually bind console commands being sent to a key

Go to the configuration file(s) location and open AliceInput.ini with a text editor. Under the header somewhere with the rest of the listed key bindings, append the following: Bindings=(Name="NumPadFive",Command="exec commands") Save the modified INI and set it to Read Only, so the game cannot undo the changes just made. Under %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Alice Madness Returns\Binaries, create a plaintext file called commands with no file extension Use a plaintext editor to specify the command you would like to run in the following format: sendtoconsole COMMANDHERE Notes Other keys besides NumPadFive may be substituted. Editing AliceInput.ini requires a restart, while commands can be changed and saved on-the-fly. Some basic Unreal commands, such as "ghost", "fly", "walk", "suicide" will work but have unusual side effects. Other basic Unreal commands, like "open MAPNAMEHERE" will crash the game. A full list of commands supposedly supported by the game can be found in AliceInput.ini under the [Engine.Console] section.

Audio

In-game audio settings.

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		Music, SFX and Voice.
Surround sound
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Polish				Fan translation, download.
Brazilian Portuguese				Brazilian Portuguese translation by Tribo Gamer
Russian				1) Fan translation by Erebus Production /w ZoG Forum Team 2) Fan translation by Vorpal Team 3) Fan voice-over by Gremlin Creative Studio 4) Fan voice-over by «ElikaStudio» 5) Fan translation by ZoG Forum Team 2011 (outdated, replaced by Erebus Production translation).
Spanish
Turkish				Fan translation, download.

VR support

3D modes	State	GG3D	Notes
Native 3D			Labeled as "3D Stereo" under Video settings.
Nvidia 3D Vision
TriDef 3D
iZ3D
vorpX		G3D Officially supported Game, see vorpX gamelist.

Issues fixed

Infinite loading screens

Reloading a save file with an uncapped frame rate may result in an infinite loading screen.

Lower the game's resolution when loading a save
Change the resolution from the main menu to something significantly lower (720p from 1080p for instance). Load the save. Change the resolution back in the pause menu once the game has loaded.

Small subtitle text on larger resolutions

The game's subtitles may appear very small and barely legible on high resolutions. This fix however replaces the stylized font used by the game with a generic one.

Modify the game's subtitle text in AliceEngine.ini

Go to the game's configuration file(s) location and open AliceEngine.ini with a text editor. Search for the following lines: SubtitleFontName=WarfareFonts.Fonts.WarfareFonts_Chrom20 LoadingTextFontName=WarfareFonts.Fonts.WarfareFonts_Chrom20 Replace these lines with the following settings below: SubtitleFontName=EngineFonts.LargeFont LoadingTextFontName=EngineFonts.LargeFont Save the changes and close the file, then right click AliceEngine.ini, go to Properties and set the file to "read-only". The game's text should be larger.

Force resolution with dgVoodoo

Save file progress lost after a crash

Some players have experienced their game progress being lost when the game crashes to desktop.

Repair the player profile[citation needed]

Go to the game's save game data location and back the original profile folder as the following steps will overwrite it. Start the game, create a profile(s) with exactly the same name as the previous profile(s) and exit. Replace the newly created profile(s) with the backed up copies. Start the game select the profile and it will say 0% progress with 0 time but it should resume from the correct place in the game.

Umbrella tutorial bug

During the tutorial with the fight against a Menacing Ruin, the player is asked to use the Umbrella. However, the action cannot be executed regardless of focus or key-bindings.

Apply these strings to DefaultInput.ini

Navigate to <path-to-game>\AliceGame\Config, create a back up of DefaultInput.ini and then open the original file with a text editor. Search for this keybinding string: +Bindings=(Name="E",Command="TriggerBlock true | OnRelease TriggerBlock false") Replace the E key in this string with a different unbound key (e.g. F). Save the changes and close the file. Launch the game, then go to Configuration → Controls and click Default to reset the keybindings. The default bindings should now reflect the modified controls; the remaining controls can now be changed as desired.

Alternative solution
Navigate to <path-to-game>\AliceGame\Config, create a back up of DefaultInput.ini and then open the original file with a text editor. Search for this keybinding string: Key_Block = TriggerBlock Replace it with the following: Key_Block = TriggerBlock true | OnRelease TriggerBlock false Save the changes and close the file. This should fix the game's block key.

Extreme stuttering even in the UI

Extreme Stuttering even in the UI[citation needed]
Occurs when DirectX SDK, a developers' tool, is installed. Ensure that the 32-bit DirectX Control Panel (i.e. the DirectX Control Panel without "64-bit" in the title) is set to the Retail Version of DirectX 9. Find the DirectX Control Panel in the Start Menu, under Programs. On Vista or Windows 7, just type "DirectX" into the search.

Alice: Madness Returns has stopped working (Steam)

If the game crashes constantly at startup, run it as administrator for a more detailed error message.

Install missing PhysX file[citation needed]

Install the latest PhysX. Go into the PhysX installation folder (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation). Search for a file that starts with cudart32_41. For example, one version has a file named cudart32_41_4.dll. A newer version should work as well. Copy that file into <path-to-game>\Binaries\Win32. Rename the file just copied to the previously mentioned cudart32_41_22.dll. If the version in the error message is slightly different, use that one.

Mad Hatter Domain Elevator Bug in Chapter 1

If you don't die on the "Smelling and Regurgitating" section or if you chose first "Cranking Up & Pressing Downstairs" section, you will trigger the bug. By the second time you visit the elevator in the chamber where the Mad Hatter is hanged, it doesn't show you a CINEMATIC when you step on the switch that lowers it. So you cannot progress forward through the game and you are stuck. And you need to restart the whole chapter.

Steps to prevent this bug
You need to bring the menu and click RESTART after Alice has finished the cinematic where she is riding the cup-cart into either the "Smelling and Regurgitating" section or "Cranking Up & Pressing Downstairs" section. If you already got stuck in the elevator, you can use these save files and restart just the section you got stuck onto or the next section or even further (read file description).

Crash during Head Roll Puzzle

When starting the 2nd minigame of rolling the doll head (located in the level with the run down train station labeled "Dollhouse Looking Glass Railway"), upon loading the 3rd part of that minigame the game will crash immediately.

Noclip/Un-Noclip To Avoid Crashing Trigger

See section for sending console commands to the game. In the level right before the game crashes (the game crashes on the loading screen of the 3rd part of the puzzle), send a combination of ghost and walk prior to hitting the level complete loading trigger. This will turn Alice into Alice again, away from being a rolling head ball. Walk into the level loading trigger. Note: Alice must not be in a ghost/noclip state for the level trigger to work. Upon loading the next level of the puzzle, do not press any movement keys until the flamingo has swung and you've gone ghost/noclip. Alice will still be Alice and can't roll through the puzzle as normal. The level will NOT crash if Alice isn't a rolling head (and if you don't press any movement keys as Alice while on the flamingo trigger at the start). Another combination of ghost and walk will allow you to fly to the exit and end the minigame. This will obviously make the 3rd part of this particular minigame 'unplayable', in the sense that you won't be able to play it as a rolling head. However, if your game is crashing on this part anyway, this is the only way around it.

Alternative solution: delete the game's Configs folder
Navigate to the game's configuration file(s) location and delete the Configs folder, then immediately attempt to Head Roll puzzle again. It should resume as normal without crashing.

Crash after visiting and completing Quiz Radula Room

Answer the first question wrong and the second right, or the first two wrong and the third right, etc.
The crash may not occur if answering wrongly until one of the questions is read aloud.

Set PhysX to low until finishing the quest

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	9.0c
Shader Model support	3.0

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Physics	PhysX
Cutscenes	Bink Video

Toggle HUD

Manually bind a key to toggle the in-game HUD

Go to configuration file(s) location and open AliceInput.ini with a text editor. Add the following lines in the [Engine.PlayerInput] section: Bindings=(Name="Divide",Command="ToggleHUD",Control=False,Shift=False,Alt=False,bIgnoreCtrl=False,bIgnoreShift=False,bIgnoreAlt=False) Bindings=(Name="Divide",Command="ShowHUD",Control=False,Shift=False,Alt=True,bIgnoreCtrl=False,bIgnoreShift=False,bIgnoreAlt=False) Save the changes and close the file, then right-click AliceEngine.ini, go to Properties and set it to "read-only". Notes This will bind the / (Divide) key on the numpad to toggling the HUD. Using another key is possible, as long as it is not bound elsewhere already. Setting this file as "read-only" will lock any input settings until the read-only flag is removed from the file.

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum
Operating system (OS)	XP SP3, Vista SP2, 7 SP1
Processor (CPU)	AMD Athlon X2 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6 GHz
System memory (RAM)	2 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	8.5 GB
Video card (GPU)	ATI Radeon X1650 Nvidia GeForce 7600 256 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0c compatible