Alice: Madness Returns (to Steam after five-year hiatus)

Curiouser and curiouser…

A cult platforming classic has returned to the Steam platform some five years on from its initial disappearance. Alice: Madness Returns, the second title in the twisted American McGee’s Alice series, was pulled from the Steam platform by publisher Electronic Arts back in 2016, but was quietly returned to the PC platform this past weekend.

Developed by indie outfit Spicy Horse and originally released back in 2011, (yep), Alice: Madness Returns sees our gothic heroine tumble down the rabbit hole once again, spells in tow and rusty carving knife, (or “Vorpal Blade”), in hand. The sequel to the severely underplayed 2000 release American McGee’s Alice, Madness Returns featured frenetic combat and abstract puzzle-solving, all set against a weird and dystopian take on Lewis Carroll’s literary Wonderland.

Launching on PS3, PC, and Xbox 360, the PC edition was suddenly removed from the Steam platform due to verification issues, though it was still available via EA’s own dashboard store, Origin. Desperate fans have since been known to roll out big bucks for legacy Steam keys in order to add the title to their Steam libraries. But it seems that this market will no longer be necessary, as Alice: Madness Returns is now readily available to purchase on Steam once again, priced at just under $20.

As for a sequel, well, it continues to be an ongoing struggle. American McGee has pitched the idea multiple times, even drawing up a concept package, but is yet to convince EA to take the plunge. Outside of the gaming realm, the long, long-running efforts to adapt American McGee’s Alice for the big-or-small screen continue. David Hayter, the voice of Metal Gear Solid‘s Snake, is currently penning a TV adaptation for Radar Pictures, with hopes to attract the attention of a broadcaster or streaming service.