I find it interesting that the psychiatrist tries to use hypnosis to have the kids (and Alice) to forget their trauma, and yet throughout this game you find those doors to be able to remember more fully what happened. Super interesting, love it
Bumby actually uses Alice to help him prepare and comfort the kids in his processes. Part of the need to remove her memories consistently is to quell any rememberance of her part.
BTW I think between Alice's age, Priss getting her a place and Bumbys comment at the end about her replacement I think Alice worked at the orphanage rather then being kept there, I think its supposed to be implied she was like his assistant and that's why she was so mad at herself. Just a theory.
yeah, i always thought it was pretty explicitly told that alice was more of one of the care-takers for the kids rather than an orphan in there being taken care of. the kids seem to treat her more like a big sister/nanny, but then again, it's been a while since i played the game so i could be misremembering.
Exactly. She's the maid/part time nanny in exchange for the therapy services. She blames herself for ignoring all the abuse even though it was happening right in front of her all along. Although arguably, she wasnt ignoring it on purpouse so much as she was another victim of Bumby's ""therapy"" until she finally snapped out of it.
I love how the Dollhouse level kind of starts off subtly creepy, then gets more in your face the more Alice remembers. Like, when I saw the first of many doors that are between a doll’s legs, I just went “…Oh.” realizing what that meant. I think even the Cheshire Cat sees how messed up things will get because during most of his dialogue, he’s sarcastic and cryptic. But once you get deeper into the Dollhouse level, all he can say is “Be careful, Alice.”
Nobody ever mentions the true hero of the game... Hollow Yves. He helps pad the game out and forces you to explore the lush environment to find more teeth for him so he can power up your weapons. Without Yves, you'd never level up your Hobby Horse! Plus he really helps butch up her outfits. 💀 I do question who is he and how is he related to Alice, I don't recall him from the books.
Not gonna lie I've been waiting for this vid, played these games last year and was bummed that basically no one has covered them they are such thought provoking games
4:05 Alice isn’t just staying at the orphanage, she has some sort of job there, hence bumby asking her to run an errand for him. I think it’s either got something to do with cleaning or taking care of the children there. towards the end of the game bumby says he’s waiting for her “replacement”. I hope this helps a bit
(core) this was really well done, thanks for this. i love the bit where you said in the first game alice is at war with wonderland but in the second is in union with it, never considered that before. but yeah for us with similar trauma (unfortunately) and amnesia from PTSD, this game absolutely nails the drive for the truth while not wanting to find out what your brain is so scared of you knowing, as well as how abuse unfortunately manifests and works.
Dude I loved this game. I played it when I barelly spoke any english at all, so it was quite impossible to understand stuff... But just the gameplay, the aesthetic, omg this video hits home hardcore! Awesome vid!
You did another great job! What was really cool too was how Alice’s costumes were different in Wonderland. Like she was in sync with her environments unlike the first game where she was always an outsider. Then in the end when it shows her externalizing her wonderland outfit in the real world that’s like her establishing her dominance over her environs, rather than accepting the miserable state things are in. Great video as always! 👏👏👏
What a brilliant video, you are so talented and speak with such care and love for the art behind this game - which is one of my favourites. You deserve so much more love and recognition. New subscriber here! Well done on your beautiful video essay.
I wouldn’t be surprised if American McGee took inspiration from the real life Charles Dodgeson (aka Lewis Caroll) when it came to creating Dr. Angus Bumby. Both were Oxford grads who were too close for comfort with their colleagues’ daughters. Not to mention the whole pedophilia thing. 🤢
Thank you for finally getting around to this little gem! On the surface it's beautiful. But underneath it is a dark story full of twists and turns. Both games are great in my opinion and truly works of art! Stay mad and have a lovely day! ;)
Alice brainrot led me here. Proceeded to watch a bunch of your other videos. Good stuff! Also, I think the point about intimacy through the player being the only one to truly understand Alice herself explains some of the game's cutscenes. Specifically when a character like Pris or Nan Sharpe gives you their unfiltered thoughts and prayers. Who else could they be talking to other than us directly, and why else would they do it at all? I know, "no shit, Sherlock" and all that, but still! I think it was deliberate!
You have such a wonderful and articulate way of speaking about these games and it's nice to watch someone enjoy these Alice games as much as I did. Your commentary about the themes of Madness Returns are spot on and I found myself agreeing with a lot of what you said. Keep making videos, you've got a great skill for this sort of thing! ^^
Silent hill 2 destroyed me emotionally but Alice left me shocked and horrified I mean when you realized what Bumby did specially to the kids. I never expected this kind of dark but it was nice that some devs decide to tell this kind of heavy stories or topics cause they are real.
@@sonder1028 this may be on the nose but maybe the queen on hearts is literally supposed to represent her heart? It’s said that your heart hardens after trauma and I think they suggest that in the first one too? Iunno! Keep making videos please you’re great lol
Wanna know whats worse? Madness Returns is based in 1875 England, which was known for its huge "child ring". Some would refuse children food among other things to keep them tired, exhausted, what have you to make them easily manipulated into doing that their predators wish
I’m about to write a dark arc in my series and I would be lying if I said that the Alice series didn’t shape my execution of my favorite kind of horror. I don’t care as much for bloody murder, axes, chainsaws, and death traps. But I feel such things are good flavor for the TRUE horror. The horror of the uncomfortable truths of the world around us and the internalized consequences for abuse.
I always thought the face of the queen was meant to represent her sister in this version instead of young Alice herself. No clue if that's true tho obviously That's just always been my reading on it
I played this game around the time it first came out, I really enjoyed it, and want to play it again. I really enjoyed how you tell this, and your voice is definitely one I could listen to, talk about any video game on the planet, and I would watch! I'm glad I found, and subscribed, you have an awesome take on explaining!
I loved this game years ago... before i could read and understand english. But later when i could undertand what they all say... well now i'm obsessed.
i bet Mcgee and developers were inspired by Zdzisław Beksiński or Hans Giger at some points, especially in Queensland. Also, i think Melanie Martinez and Jazmin Bean's music fit the dilogy vibe perfectly
i dont know if youd be up for it but i recomend reading/doing a video on the alice asylum design bible, if the game cant be made i think the incredible story should be spread anyway (make EA regret breaking mcgees spirits...)
I find Alice having black hair now being really weird because she's 19 and suddenly her hair is black like I know then as people get older their hair gets darker but Alice in the first game was clearly a redhead but now she has ebony black hair it makes no sense I actually kind of liked it I'm just wondering did she dye your hair because it would have definitely got darker but not that dark
unfortunatley this is where the age of the engine shows most lighting in this game turns alices hair pitch black but it does shimmer in a brownish red when shes in direct light the games concept art and actual model has her still as a brunette!
@@yourrandomperson that's EA for you.. holding onto an IP they deem too valuable to return to mcgee, but it's not quite good enough for them to fund a sequel? heart-breaking news considering the amount of love, work and time put into the design bible for the third installment.
@@pendragcn I know, it was a slap in the face for everyone who has ever cared about this franchise. Well, that’s life, I guess. We can only hope that one day EA will finally be forced to stop their practises, and we won’t have more situations like Alice case.
Enjoyed your Alice analysis vids.16 year old you really missed out with the 1st game, wonder how she'd have received the story of 2nd. Hope the game ran ok while you played it. The PC version is known for being a bit buggy, while the console versions ran fine. I don't like horror games, love horror adjacent games like this, as well as SOMA and In Sound Mind. The latter also delves heavily into psychological themes.
The red queen isnt Alice's inner child, she's Lizzy. Also Alice is Bumby's assistant, not just living at the orphanage. Both of these facts were confirmed at the end of the game. Alice recognizes the red queen as Lizzie on the train ("My, Lizzie... What is this train's destination?"), plus she generally looks like Lizzie. And Alice mentions assisting Bumby when she confronts him as the dollmaker ("My mentor is an abuser and purveyor") and is shown to be helping him with errands and such at the beginning of the game.
i think the game is cool especially The art style, but the main villain bumby is incredibly cringe 1-dimensional, inept & lame it really messed up the story also the way he dies too is stupid, he just lets her defeat him without even Trying to fight back or Stop her, also bumby Has no character or mentioning except The one secret messages Hidden in the game, but that doesnt do much over all hes the worst part of The game & is just a Strawman for social Commentary that Says wgat already Has been said a Thousqnd times.
I've watched various reviews of this game before, but this is the first time I see the villain being described as a "doll maker who makes children numb to be played with". Somehow, this description makes it ten times worse than what it is (it is bad as fuck, but the words themselves give the Doctor such a darker image...).
I find it interesting that the psychiatrist tries to use hypnosis to have the kids (and Alice) to forget their trauma, and yet throughout this game you find those doors to be able to remember more fully what happened. Super interesting, love it
Ahh, well, now that I got further into the video, but that explains why, whoop
Bumby actually uses Alice to help him prepare and comfort the kids in his processes. Part of the need to remove her memories consistently is to quell any rememberance of her part.
BTW I think between Alice's age, Priss getting her a place and Bumbys comment at the end about her replacement I think Alice worked at the orphanage rather then being kept there, I think its supposed to be implied she was like his assistant and that's why she was so mad at herself. Just a theory.
yeah, i always thought it was pretty explicitly told that alice was more of one of the care-takers for the kids rather than an orphan in there being taken care of. the kids seem to treat her more like a big sister/nanny, but then again, it's been a while since i played the game so i could be misremembering.
Exactly. She's the maid/part time nanny in exchange for the therapy services.
She blames herself for ignoring all the abuse even though it was happening right in front of her all along.
Although arguably, she wasnt ignoring it on purpouse so much as she was another victim of Bumby's ""therapy"" until she finally snapped out of it.
I thought she was a patient there. Attended therapy but didn't belong to the doctor and live in the orphanage like the other children.
A GAME THEORY
I love how the Dollhouse level kind of starts off subtly creepy, then gets more in your face the more Alice remembers. Like, when I saw the first of many doors that are between a doll’s legs, I just went “…Oh.” realizing what that meant. I think even the Cheshire Cat sees how messed up things will get because during most of his dialogue, he’s sarcastic and cryptic. But once you get deeper into the Dollhouse level, all he can say is “Be careful, Alice.”
Nobody ever mentions the true hero of the game... Hollow Yves. He helps pad the game out and forces you to explore the lush environment to find more teeth for him so he can power up your weapons. Without Yves, you'd never level up your Hobby Horse! Plus he really helps butch up her outfits. 💀
I do question who is he and how is he related to Alice, I don't recall him from the books.
TRUE! I considered writing a section on him, but I felt the video was already too long
Not gonna lie I've been waiting for this vid, played these games last year and was bummed that basically no one has covered them they are such thought provoking games
4:05 Alice isn’t just staying at the orphanage, she has some sort of job there, hence bumby asking her to run an errand for him. I think it’s either got something to do with cleaning or taking care of the children there. towards the end of the game bumby says he’s waiting for her “replacement”. I hope this helps a bit
She's the maid
Indeed. She gets the same form of therapy as the rest of the children, however in repayment Alice is the maid, runs errands, and so on.
9:49 "Caught my very own river nymph." I straight up was expecting to see the start of skyrim for a sec 😅😅
LMAOOO
(core) this was really well done, thanks for this. i love the bit where you said in the first game alice is at war with wonderland but in the second is in union with it, never considered that before. but yeah for us with similar trauma (unfortunately) and amnesia from PTSD, this game absolutely nails the drive for the truth while not wanting to find out what your brain is so scared of you knowing, as well as how abuse unfortunately manifests and works.
Dude I loved this game. I played it when I barelly spoke any english at all, so it was quite impossible to understand stuff... But just the gameplay, the aesthetic, omg this video hits home hardcore! Awesome vid!
You did another great job! What was really cool too was how Alice’s costumes were different in Wonderland. Like she was in sync with her environments unlike the first game where she was always an outsider. Then in the end when it shows her externalizing her wonderland outfit in the real world that’s like her establishing her dominance over her environs, rather than accepting the miserable state things are in. Great video as always! 👏👏👏
But also, holy shit, the opening scene is fricken fire
What a brilliant video, you are so talented and speak with such care and love for the art behind this game - which is one of my favourites. You deserve so much more love and recognition. New subscriber here! Well done on your beautiful video essay.
Thank you so much ☺️
I wouldn’t be surprised if American McGee took inspiration from the real life Charles Dodgeson (aka Lewis Caroll) when it came to creating Dr. Angus Bumby. Both were Oxford grads who were too close for comfort with their colleagues’ daughters. Not to mention the whole pedophilia thing. 🤢
Thank you for finally getting around to this little gem! On the surface it's beautiful. But underneath it is a dark story full of twists and turns. Both games are great in my opinion and truly works of art! Stay mad and have a lovely day! ;)
Alice brainrot led me here. Proceeded to watch a bunch of your other videos. Good stuff!
Also, I think the point about intimacy through the player being the only one to truly understand Alice herself explains some of the game's cutscenes. Specifically when a character like Pris or Nan Sharpe gives you their unfiltered thoughts and prayers. Who else could they be talking to other than us directly, and why else would they do it at all?
I know, "no shit, Sherlock" and all that, but still! I think it was deliberate!
Thank you! :D
You have such a wonderful and articulate way of speaking about these games and it's nice to watch someone enjoy these Alice games as much as I did. Your commentary about the themes of Madness Returns are spot on and I found myself agreeing with a lot of what you said. Keep making videos, you've got a great skill for this sort of thing! ^^
Thank you! I'm glad you think so :D
Silent hill 2 destroyed me emotionally but Alice left me shocked and horrified I mean when you realized what Bumby did specially to the kids. I never expected this kind of dark but it was nice that some devs decide to tell this kind of heavy stories or topics cause they are real.
it felt flat imo, it was so poorly
Done.
"After a year from getting out of the asylum, Alice attends a psychiatric appointment."
Ahh, the best way to show off that ☆~*spicy mental health*~☆
Lmao that’s how it be 😅
@@sonder1028 are you sure this is really Alice because I'm pretty sure this is more of Alice's sister than Alice herself
@@sonder1028 you know she's a grown up which Alice's sister was a grown up
@@sonder1028 and like Alice's sister has brown hair and like Alice herself has blond hair
@@sonder1028 and like Alice's sister literally has the name Alice in it this is actually be Alice's sister
damn now i kinda wanna sketch up some spooky wonderland stuff
Well this was a nice surprise. Thank you for covering this game, let's just say its really close to my heart, so thanks.
Of course! :)
Wonderful video! One thing though, I was under the assumption the red queen was supposed to look like Lizzie. Not sure where I heard that.
I was wondering about that, in that end part on the train Alice also says “my Lizzie” when she confronts the queen…that parts a bit of a mystery to me
@@sonder1028 this may be on the nose but maybe the queen on hearts is literally supposed to represent her heart? It’s said that your heart hardens after trauma and I think they suggest that in the first one too? Iunno! Keep making videos please you’re great lol
this alice series is just fantastic!! i could listen to you talk about these games all day
I wish they had a book in the paper art style. Would love something like that
Wanna know whats worse?
Madness Returns is based in 1875 England, which was known for its huge "child ring". Some would refuse children food among other things to keep them tired, exhausted, what have you to make them easily manipulated into doing that their predators wish
I'm not gonna deny that happened
But bumby is a lazy representation
Of that.
I’m about to write a dark arc in my series and I would be lying if I said that the Alice series didn’t shape my execution of my favorite kind of horror. I don’t care as much for bloody murder, axes, chainsaws, and death traps. But I feel such things are good flavor for the TRUE horror. The horror of the uncomfortable truths of the world around us and the internalized consequences for abuse.
I always thought the face of the queen was meant to represent her sister in this version instead of young Alice herself.
No clue if that's true tho obviously
That's just always been my reading on it
ive watched another analysis that also refers to the queen as young alice but alice herself calls her lizzy
This was a wonderful explanation on this fantastic yet unsettling game!
I played this game around the time it first came out, I really enjoyed it, and want to play it again. I really enjoyed how you tell this, and your voice is definitely one I could listen to, talk about any video game on the planet, and I would watch! I'm glad I found, and subscribed, you have an awesome take on explaining!
Aww thank you so much! :)
I loved this game years ago... before i could read and understand english. But later when i could undertand what they all say... well now i'm obsessed.
i bet Mcgee and developers were inspired by Zdzisław Beksiński or Hans Giger at some points, especially in Queensland. Also, i think Melanie Martinez and Jazmin Bean's music fit the dilogy vibe perfectly
lowkey was waiting for this one too I come to find you might like lost in random its in much of a similar vein
I'm so happy I found your channel, your videos are great to watch and re-listen to while I draw ♥️♠️♦️♣️
I love this game so damn much
i dont know if youd be up for it but i recomend reading/doing a video on the alice asylum design bible, if the game cant be made i think the incredible story should be spread anyway (make EA regret breaking mcgees spirits...)
I may just have to do that honestly
This game was so messed up. I loved it!
Very good video although at the start of the video the framerate is a little weird to watch.
Yeah sorry about that, obs was chugging for some reason :/
17:14 GIRL YOU DID NOT JUST SAY THAT EWWWWWWW
your channel is so killer, lucky I stumbled across this video!!!
Me and my partner love these 🎉keep up the great content 😂
I find Alice having black hair now being really weird because she's 19 and suddenly her hair is black like I know then as people get older their hair gets darker but Alice in the first game was clearly a redhead but now she has ebony black hair it makes no sense I actually kind of liked it I'm just wondering did she dye your hair because it would have definitely got darker but not that dark
unfortunatley this is where the age of the engine shows
most lighting in this game turns alices hair pitch black but it does shimmer in a brownish red when shes in direct light
the games concept art and actual model has her still as a brunette!
I loved these games and I'm really sad the sequel got canceled
What scares me is the 3rd game that hasn't been put out yet is supposed to be her when she was in the asylum
Sadly, the third game is not happening. And in the end, they decided to make it a sequel, not a prequel.
@@yourrandomperson that's EA for you.. holding onto an IP they deem too valuable to return to mcgee, but it's not quite good enough for them to fund a sequel? heart-breaking news considering the amount of love, work and time put into the design bible for the third installment.
@@pendragcn I know, it was a slap in the face for everyone who has ever cared about this franchise. Well, that’s life, I guess. We can only hope that one day EA will finally be forced to stop their practises, and we won’t have more situations like Alice case.
glad I stumbled on this video
for a sec i thought this was a very old video lol
Enjoyed your Alice analysis vids.16 year old you really missed out with the 1st game, wonder how she'd have received the story of 2nd.
Hope the game ran ok while you played it. The PC version is known for being a bit buggy, while the console versions ran fine.
I don't like horror games, love horror adjacent games like this, as well as SOMA and In Sound Mind. The latter also delves heavily into psychological themes.
So glad you liked them 😁 the game ran fine but OBS really chugged while I was recording :/
Yay
The red queen isnt Alice's inner child, she's Lizzy. Also Alice is Bumby's assistant, not just living at the orphanage. Both of these facts were confirmed at the end of the game. Alice recognizes the red queen as Lizzie on the train ("My, Lizzie... What is this train's destination?"), plus she generally looks like Lizzie. And Alice mentions assisting Bumby when she confronts him as the dollmaker ("My mentor is an abuser and purveyor") and is shown to be helping him with errands and such at the beginning of the game.
520 subs let's go
The Queen is lizzie
The story and levels are cool. But the combat is still terrible
i think the game is cool especially
The art style, but the main villain
bumby is incredibly cringe 1-dimensional, inept & lame
it really messed up the story
also the way he dies too
is stupid, he just lets her
defeat him without even
Trying to fight back or
Stop her, also bumby
Has no character or
mentioning except
The one secret messages
Hidden in the game, but
that doesnt do much over
all hes the worst part of
The game & is just a
Strawman for social
Commentary that
Says wgat already
Has been said a
Thousqnd times.
I've watched various reviews of this game before, but this is the first time I see the villain being described as a "doll maker who makes children numb to be played with". Somehow, this description makes it ten times worse than what it is (it is bad as fuck, but the words themselves give the Doctor such a darker image...).