Max Payne 2 – The Fall of Max Payne Review
The next chapter of the Max Payne series has arrived and we are reviewing it today. In the first Max Payne, Max had been framed for the death of his wife and children. He thought after the ordeal he went through finding the murderers, it was over, but it wasn’t. Today we will be doing our first game review. Game reviews will be brief and straight to the point.
Here is the package; 2 CD's weighing in at over a gig in space
I picked up Max Payne 2 at a local shop for about $59.99 plus tax. Max Payne 2 is a film noir love story created by Rockstar Games and that is shown throughout the excellent box art, which looks like a novel. The manual is easy to read but very brief and should have had more information to spare. Then again, most just open and play the game without reading the manual…
Nice and some ownage action
When you start up Max Payne 2, you will have a cool illustrated-like menu. Within the modes, it includes a “Previously” which gives you the inside scoop on what happened on Max Payne 1 if you haven’s played it (like me). Max Payne 2 consists of a comic book storyboard sequence when you finish every level. These sequences are very unique and guide you throughout the story of the game. All the original characters such as Mona are back. Mona becomes one of the main characters in this game besides Max and does get a bit steamy in later chapters. Max Payne 2 is split into different chapters and parts like a novel.
The graphics on Max Payne 2 are very good. It’s got great character animation and motion. Floor textures could be better, there are some bland 2D sprites, explosions shake like they are supposed to, and you can interact with the environment around you. Overall graphics are very good and if I rate it, it would get an 8.
Gameplay
Max Payne 2 has very good gameplay. It is easy to pick up and play and the storyline will keep you guessing. One example is when you get lost and try to find where to go. Max Payne 2 is all about finding out where to go. When you are in the apartment, you have to find your way out and that sometimes becomes a challenge, which is a good and bad thing at the same time. You can even interact with people. The more people you interact to, the more information you will gain and sometimes it leads you with some help. The coolest part of the game is obviously Bullet Time. Bullet Time is when you right click on your mouse and you have a set of time that Bullet Time can be used and the hourglass is just that. When in Bullet Time, there are some nice Matrix style effects. While in Bullet Time, the world slows down but Max Payne does not, this is when you will have the advantage over the bad guys dodging bullets and kicking their asses. Max Payne 2 has a nice cinematic. That is when you use the Sniper and conduct a headshot, you will see the bullet traveling and hitting the bad guy. This is really cool to see up close.
Bullet Time!
Sound
On the sound department, Rockstar Games does a good job. The narration in the comic book-like storyline and character voices are clear and easy to understand. Special FX is also impressive. The Max Payne 2 menu has a nice background song that is created with a violin.
Conclusion
Max Payne 2 is a love it or hate it game. I think anyone who likes games or for that matter, people who hate playing games, should play Max Payne 2. It has an intriguing storyline, Bullet Time is really fun, and there are many more things to like about this game. The only thing that comes to my mind of what Max Payne 2 lacks is replay value. There is no multi-player mode and Bullet Time is basically the only thing that makes you want to play again. Overall, Max Payne 2 is a game you need to play.
I rate Max Payne 2 a…
8/10!
Pros and Cons
+
Storyline
+ Easy to play
+ Bullet Time wows me
- More in the manual wouldn’t hurt
- Replay value is sparse
- No multi-player
