Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

"Short, sweet, and to the point"

When Max Payne first dropped on the PS2, it was a solid sleeper hit. Basically, you play the role of Max Payne, a fugitive DEA undercover officer whose family had been slain by the same mobsters who framed him for murder. Your goal? To wage a one-man war against the bastards who screwed you over.

What made Max Payne stand out was the Bullet-Time feature, which allowed you to slow down time a la ''The Matrix''. Although the novelty of Bullet-Time special effects was wearing thin, Max Payne managed to pull it off well.

Combined with the dark, gritty story and narration, Max Payne was a treat to play.

Now Max Payne is back in this killer sequel. The sequel takes place after the events of the first, and apparently things are not what they seem. For the sake of preserving the integrity of the storyline, I'll leave it at that.

So how does the game stack up? Read on.

Graphics 10/10
MP2 completely blows away the original in the graphics department. You'll notice Max's ''new'' look immediately. Gone is the polygonal, squinty-faced mug. In its place, an astonishing realistic face. Max talks and his lips move. The characters are astonishingly life-like. Still, compared to the PC, the PS2 is a little behind. Nonetheless, you can't judge a book by its cover, no?

Sound 7/10
The first MP was somewhat sparse in terms of music. There would be the occasional music here and there, but for the most part it was you, your footsteps and the sporadic zip-and-whine of gunfire. Even with this, I felt the music could have been improved when it was used.

Gameplay 10/10
Too bad the highest score is a 10, because I'd give it a 15. Bullet-Time is back and stupidly better than before. At first, you don't notice much slowdown. But as you drop a bad guy, Max's Bullet-Time gauge changes color and stuff slows down EVEN MORE. Chain together multiple kills and we're entering ''Holy-crap-I-can-actually-see-the-bullets-whizzing-by-my-head-and-why-is-everything-blurry'' mode. It's so much more improved and you'll find yourself slowing time, even if it's just to take down one measly bad guy. The little reload cinema is awesome too and very well done. There's also a new feature that allows Max to hold an explosive, like a grenade, and still have a gun. It's much better than having to switch back and forth while eating lead from enemies. As an added bonus, you can wield two, count 'em <u>two</u> Desert Eagles! Sweet. MP2 is a tad more difficult than the original, but it sacrifices some length. Still, there's just enough to take players on a wild adrenaline rush.

Replay Value 9/10
There's a plethora of hidden modes to unlock and play through. Some, like Hard-Boiled Mode are ramped-up, while others like Dead On Arrival Mode are reserved for only the most hardcore gamer. There's definitely something for everyone.

Overall 8/10
There's nothing majorly wrong with Max Payne 2. Really. It's got everything the first part has, with some key improvements. You'll definitely have a blast playing it.

Rent or buy?
I'd say you rent it and then buy. The plot's a little thick, so if you don't have the original, you might as well bag that too. It's only an additional $20 or so. Get ready for the rush of your life...

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/12/03