Alice: Madness Returns gets launch trailer, free app

Those wanting a dark, psychological take on Alice in Wonderland are somewhat limited for options. There's the original American McGee's Alice, of course, and the comics Lost Girls and Arkham Asylum, and that movie Sucker Punch (not to mention Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, or Marilyn Manson's possibly-cancelled Phantasmagoria)... alright, so those wanting a dark, psychological take on Alice in Wonderland are spoiled for choice. But none of those came out this month, whereas Madness: Alice Returns does %26ndash; and with a trailer and iOS app to go with it, no less.

Here's the launch trailer for the game, with plenty of combat-heavy gameplay footage to supplement the emphasis on the game's grim 'n' gritty story offered elsewhere in the launch campaign. What do you make of it? %26ldquo;Like a Tim Burton movie, but with more third-person combat and a Giant Enemy Crab%26rdquo; is basically what you came for, right?

Above: The app's madwoman-shaving minigame in action

If your interest in Madness Returns tends more toward the madness-and-metaphors storyline, EA has also launched a new iPhone/iPad app containing an %26ldquo;interactive storybook%26rdquo; that bridges the gap between the first game's story and this one. The app, whose background music turns out to be oddly calming while you're writing up a news story, is free from Apple'sApp Storeand will be on Android soon. If none of these options apply to you, you can also play the storybook at theMadness Returns Facebook page. The actual game launches on June 14.

Jun 2, 2011