Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, is a story about a tortured man. Max is a man who lost his family and his life in one single instant. In the original action classic, Max hunted down those responsible for the deaths of his family and it seemed as if he would finally be able to move on, but that would never happen. Max would once again be placed in the thick of a drama so intense, that his mind would become lost in the shuffle, and that’s where we are with the release of his latest journey. You play Max Payne a supposed officer of the law that is pulled between the threads of what is right and wrong. Fans of the original game might be happy or disappointed with the fact that most of Max’s convoluted riddles are gone. Being replaced with more general, but equally thought provoking statements that help bring the story full circle. Max is forced to deal with love after death (himself mentally, and of his family) and the darkest depths of the crime world in what has turned out to be one of the most intelligent action games in recent memory. The sequel fixes many problems that plagued the original, while of course, creating a few new ones, but the game has enough excitement, action and adventure to keep even the pickiest critics at bay. One cannot deny that the formula of Max Payne has become cloned many times lately, but something remains undeniably fresh about his second outing.  

The plot is simply too deep to delve into during the course of a review, but it can be generalized. Max Payne is still recovering from the death of his family and has returned to the police force. Max follows a lead on an important case and comes up against a mysterious group of thugs called the “cleaners” (you will find out why). What starts out as a simple job, turns into another mind trip for Max as he runs into the supposedly dead Mona Sax (fans may remember her from the first game). Can she be trusted? Does he truly love her? These are all questions that are eventually answered because as stated before, Max Payne is very much a story driven game. The game is played through the third person and you once again have a killer selection of weaponry that can be suited to any type of situation. From the Beretta to the old time favorite sniper rifle, there will be many ways to dispose of your enemies. The controls have translated very well from the PC on to the Xbox controller and while it really does feel like a PC game, the controls have been mapped out to treat you fairly well. You can jump, crouch and of course shoot-dodge which has been Max’s signature move since day one. It’s much easier to maneuver with it now and sometimes it can prove to be more effective than the actual bullet time. Speaking of that bullet time, fans may notice quite a change in the way that much touted feature works. In the first game, everything would slow down and you would have a much better aim, in the sequel, everything else slows down, but you don’t. As you rack up the consecutive kills, everything else becomes slower, while you in turn become faster. Bullet time is much more helpful in this game because you can now have a better concentration on what you plan on doing in any given situation. Of course, you can’t go around guns ablaze all the time because reality is bound to catch up with you, if your depletion of the bullet time meter doesn’t get to you, your extremely low supply of painkillers will.

Max Payne 2, just like its predecessor, features some brutally difficult AI. Its not that they are in any way smart, but they come in bulk, and numbers, and rarely take their finger off their trigger. You can see yourself dying quite a few times before you get your strategy down the way you want, and thanks to the quick save, this is made much easier. Speaking of painkillers, where are they when you need them? Its not that there aren’t a lot in the game (believe me, Max Payne 2 is more generous with health packs than your average Doom game), it’s just that they are never there when you actually require their assistance. Cherish those little pills because they will make or break you in the game. Max Payne 2 has this sincere knack of drawing you into its world. Its slick level design (the annoying dream sequences from the first have been replaced with ones that simply mess with your mind at times) and awesome story will keep you coming back for more. Well that is, if there were more. Max Payne 2 is a short game, and some will say even shorter than the first. The experience is so enthralling that when it ends, you simply want more and more. As with the original, you can play over the levels that you really liked when you are finished. As for a second playable character, it really isn’t a big deal. You are able to play Mona for a few missions and while her levels are very entertaining (especially her last), they along with the rest of the game, don’t last very long.  

Considering that Max Payne 2 is a PC port, we are looking at one of the best in terms of translation. The graphics did take a somewhat noticeable hit in the texture area, but the most impressive thing is how slick the framerate turned out to be. It’s clear to say that the Playstation 2 version received the short end of the stick because the framerate for the most part remains fast and consistent. The textures are vibrant and come alive in the way that an action game of this scope should, and it is of course expected that the comic strip story scenes look excellent, so it’s no surprise that they do. The cityscapes have been wonderfully represented here. If anything lacks in the graphics department, it would be the sometimes clunky real time cut-scenes, and of course the enemy models which don’t seem to have taken a big upgrade from the first game. Max Payne 2 also puts the havocs physics engine to work, and surprisingly it took not hit in the translation from the PC. Bodies and boxes fly around, and while they do lack weight or any true purpose in the scheme of gravity, its still great to watch. What can be said about the sound? Not much aside from how well it has been produced. From the excellent voice acting to the eerily realistic weapon sounds, Max Payne 2 screams ambience. The music relies heavily on somber piano tunes and the main theme is surely one to go down in game history.  

So there you have it. Max Payne 2, is an excellent action shooter that should please any fan of the genre. While its PC roots are sometimes too obvious, the translation to the Xbox has turned out an almost perfect result. The action genre may becoming too much of the same old stuff, but the fact remains that if you loved the original Max Payne, more of the same should be no problem to you. With a deep though provoking storyline and slick overall presentation, Max Payne 2 has set a new standard for action shooters. It may be short and it may be difficult, but its one wild ride while it lasts.