Rockstar Games Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne

This is not a first person game. You stand behind him. The footsteps are exceedingly loud and annoying. With today’s technology, I am surprised this is still being sold. I am sad to say I bought all 3 of the Max Payne series. It was a regretful purchase.

I love this game, and have been playing it since it game out on PS2. I own an Xbox, but the deciding factor for me to buy this when I was much younger was my uncle just giving me the controller as a Survival-type game thing was loading up on Hard-Boiled difficulty, and said “Try this out.” I was in disbelief, as I was probably like 8 or 9 at the time, and although I was a fan of games even as violent as Manhunt and The Punisher, it was like.. He gave me the controller to survive on the hardest difficulty all the while I had never played, only watched him. Needless to say, I got killed time and time again, but I loved it. I recently stumbled across some of my favorites on Amazon so I decided to dust off the Halo edition Xbox and put it into the entertainment center. Point being, this game is legendary, the one after it.. Not so much.. But Max Payne 2? A must have if you see a copy on here anywhere. And they’re all below $20 including shipping. I highly recommend it, honestly.

For myself

This review may contain minor spoilers. It was written specifically to those who have played the first game and are interested in the sequel.

Max Payne 2 is a third person action shooter. Obviously, this title is the sequel to Remedy’s Max Payne–but as a sequel, it seems forced, as if Remedy and Rockstar were cashing in on the success of the first game, or simply felt obligated to make another title with Max. The storyline is not nearly as compelling as the first game, and as unrealistic as Max Payne was, Max Payne 2 is downright ridiculous at parts. No longer directly motivated by the death of his family, or by the fact that he is a framed cop on his own, the game had to provide a reason to keep the relative feel and gameplay of the original. Max has, apparently been authorized to kill, as, though now officially once more a law enforcement officer, he is still killing mobsters rather than arresting them. Motivation for continuation of the game now comes from Mona Sax, who was shot in the first game but was hinted at surviving. Very quickly, Max falls in love with Mona for no reason at all, other than she’s an attractive woman. The relationship between Max and Mona has no substance to it, and at times I wondered if I was playing a “cut” version of the game that didn’t feature some more backstory to how Max had been dealing with his family’s death over the years, or some scenes actually adding depth to Max and Mona’s relationship. The gang war is a lot less compelling than the one in the original. The removal of the drug elements also serve to reduce the mature, dark elements of the original, which are replaced with the more common themes seen on modern games, such as language and sexual themes. Throughout the game, Max experiences mortal wounds which he somehow recovers from, such as being crushed by scaffolding, getting shot in the back, getting shot in the head, and being trapped for an extended period of time in a burning building. This game also lacks a lot of consistency from the first game. All of the actors in the graphic novel panels have been replaced, and everyone’s voice actor was replaced except for James McCaffery. The graphic novel panels in general are also not as effective this time around–panels are used multiple, multiple times, and the game is shown from a sort of “flashback” perspective that is presented ineffectively.

However, Max Payne 2 does beat out Max Payne in terms of game play and graphic. Bullet time is more enjoyable this time around, and there are a lot more weapons that can be used to take out the bad guys. Overall, would I recommend this game now, in 2011? Well, I decided to go back and play the Max Payne series after enjoying Remedy’s Alan Wake and seeing that Max Payne 3 was on the horizon. If you’re just looking to try out classic Xbox titles, I would recommend Max Payne, but not Max Payne 2. Additionally, if you enjoyed Alan Wake, you’ll likely enjoy Max Payne 1 a lot more than Max Payne 2, due to the similar themes of being motivated by a lost wife. BUT, if you’re looking to try the Max Payne series in preparation for Max Payne 3, I would recommend giving this title a quick run through.

Arrived quickly but one was broken in the package.