American McGee’s Alice has long captivated gamers with its unique blend of shooter-inspired action and surreal 3D platforming. While the sequel, Madness Returns, may not have had the same impact on all players, it remains a worthy experience. However, for PC gamers, the journey has been somewhat bumpy since its 2011 release due to a problematic port. Fortunately, a dedicated modder named Wemino has stepped in to enhance the gaming experience with their newly released custom patch, aptly named MadnessPatch.
Enhancements and Features
This fan-made patch is impressively feature-rich, addressing many of the issues that have plagued the original port. Key improvements include:
- Texture Enhancements: The patch significantly upgrades the game’s textures, providing a more visually appealing experience.
- Subtitles Scaling: Subtitles now scale correctly for resolutions above 720p, ensuring that players can follow the narrative without strain.
- Camera Adjustments: The camera has been optimized for ultrawide resolutions, enhancing immersion for players with modern setups.
- Stability Fixes: The patch addresses crashes and rectifies broken physics that occur at high framerates.
- Windowed Mode Support: Players can now enjoy the game in windowed mode without encountering issues.
With these enhancements, it’s hard to imagine returning to the unmodded version of the game.
The modding community has previously delivered remarkable projects, such as EchoPatch for the horror FPS F.E.A.R. and VorpalFix for the original Alice game, both of which have garnered positive feedback. This new mod has not only impressed fans of the Alice series but has also caught the attention of its creator, American McGee, who expressed his approval with a simple yet enthusiastic “Wonderful” on social media.
Despite his efforts to persuade EA to support a third installment in the series, McGee ultimately decided to abandon the idea after realizing the company had no interest. He encouraged fans to move on, stating that the possibility of a new game had never been more remote. Nevertheless, the Alice games continue to stand out as bold and intriguing time capsules of creativity, and now is an excellent time for players to revisit them on PC.
For those looking to dive into this enchanting world, Madness Returns is currently available on Steam for a modest price of ten dollars. However, the original Alice game remains elusive on digital storefronts, leaving fans eager for its return.
