Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Man and Mona, Sittin’ in a Tree…
By Susie Vee

PLATFORM: PC

PUBLISHER: Rockstar

DEVELOPER: Remedy

GENRE: 3rd-Person Shooter

ESRB: Mature

SCORE:

One of the most pleasant surprises of 2001 was a game called Max Payne. Famously delayed for years in development limbo, when finally released it took the gaming world by storm. An addictive mix of action genre clichés, it was the first game to make good use of the now-clichéd “bullet time” concept.

A simple enough idea – slowing down time temporarily – but it took standard run-and-gun gameplay and added a new strategic level. Mind you, this was before every third game on the market had some kind of bullet time functionality.

Add to that the groovy story, film-noir-style cut-scenes and, most important of all, fantastic art direction, and you had a game we couldn’t stop raving about. The only real problem we had with Max was that it was over too quickly. We couldn’t wait for an add-on, expansion pack or even a full sequel.

Our wishes have been granted, and Max Payne 2 is here to provide more of the same. It’s essentially unchanged, which is largely a good thing. The graphics look even better, the returning cast gets a makeover with real actors’ faces and there are some new gameplay twists.

If you loved the original Max Payne even half as much as we did, this is a must-play title.

Now that we’ve got the glowing praise out of the way, there are a few minor problems. The gameplay has, if anything, become easier. Bullet time seems more generous, and regenerates quickly on its own, so you never face running out of it. In the first game, rationing this magical ability was a major factor. Health-restoring pain killers and ammo also seen more common, reducing the challenge on the default difficulty.

Additionally, many of the things we loved about Max Payne have become common over the past few years – dark gritty cop stories, the whole Matrix-style bullet time thing – so the sequel lacks the startling originality of its predecessor. But our main problem with Max Payne 2 is that the excellent level design and art direction have been wasted on so many unoriginal levels.

What sold us on the first Max Payne was the very first level, where Max was in a photo-realistic New York subway station. After seeing so many bad renditions of the Big Apple in games, we were so shocked to see it done right that we had to play that subway level several times over, just to savor it.

By contrast, Max Payne 2 starts you off (after a brief prelude in a hospital) in the clichéd abandoned factory, and from there moves to construction sites, industrial sites and various other places strewn with boxes, crates and barrels – every gamer’s bane.

While we would have liked to see some more originality in the levels – especially early on in the game – there are still a few truly memorable ones, including a super-creepy Coney Island style amusement park attraction that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Even better – this time you get to play not only as Max, but also as his hit-gal girlfriend, Mona Sax. She had a bit part in the original game, but here she’s Max’s foil, and even makes it to the cover of the box. Mona plays just like Max, but the few levels where you control her are a very nice touch.

The same graphic novel style cut scenes are back, along with the melodramatic voiceovers. Both are slightly over the top, but add a lot to the character of the game. Although we did notice a few suspiciously fake Brooklyn-style accents among the cops in the game. We also were more aware of the general linearity of the levels this time around – but that may be because so many games in the last two years have stressed non-linearity.

Max Payne 2 is a great game that combines high level design and production values with accessible gameplay. In a vast improvement over the original, it even features some playtime as the female protagonist. But, most importantly, Max Payne 2 is just plain fun – one of the few games this year we’ve had to force ourselves to stop playing to go to bed at night.