Customer Reviews

Max Payne 2 The Fall of Max Payne

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Never has there been a crime game saga like that of "Max Payne". It has revolutionized it's genre of gaming. "Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne" is a mesmerizing follow up to the original. The first one set the standard and this second chapter followed the original very well. Once again the game has a breath- taking storyline filled with stunning visuals of brutal and mesmerizing action. This time we guide Max through the web of controversy revolving around his love interest Mona Sax. At the climax we see her perspective as we have the chance to guide her through the adventure as our battered hero is fighting for his life. The game holds your intrigue throughout and delivers a heart pounding climax at the end. After completing the detective mode you then test your endurance in 4 more intense perspectives of the crime epic of Mr. Payne. This one is an original along with its predecessor. The "Max Payne" saga will go down as one of the greatest and most influential games in video game history.

When the original Max Payne hit PC users in 2001, it was generally considered a success. Bullet Time in videogames was still a shiny new concept and the unexpectedly over-the-top "film noir" style kept fans shooting away, despite complaints that, really, you were just doing the same thing over and over.

To a lot of people, however, Max Payne was a game that was far more than the sum of it's parts. Many people (myself included) fell in love with the gritty, absurdly heavy style of the game. Those that didn't really "get it" complained about Max's constant use of insanely overwrought metaphors, ever-present gloom, and ridiculous storyline, but everyone who was able to see it as the campy homage that it was had a blast.

When part 2 was announced, I was thrilled. Max Payne is a series that lends itself pretty well to a sequel because, really, you don't have to change much about the game mechanics. They're pretty simple, and they work fine. It had already come to light that there were going to be no fundamental changes beyond some minor tweaks to Bullet Time and a completely different plot, so it sounded good to me.

And, upon playing through the game in one sitting, that's exactly what I got.

What this means is, if you liked the first Max Payne, you'll like the second one, if you didn't, you won't. Easy as that. Gameplay is IDENTICAL. There are a few alterations to some of Max's moves and skills (i.e. There are now deeper levels of Bullet Time, attained by winning gunfights while under the effects of slo-mo) and a few new weapons (An AK-47 and a somewhat impossible dual-Desert Eagle approach) but that's it.

The really marked improvements over the first game in the gameplay/technical regard are the graphics, which are gorgeous (and Max no longer looks horribly constipated), and the physics engine, which now means Max can bump into and knock over things.

The biggest change, though, is the level design, which is absolutely outstanding. The Fun House stage gets special mention for sheer brilliance in showing what can be done within the game engine if you're creative enough, and thankfully the more annoying stages from the first game (namely, Max's fever dreams) have been completely redone to be much more playable.

Plot wise, this game has me with some mixed feelings. The story is much tighter this time around, and both it and the rest of the game feel toned down from the slightly insane events of the first game. Depending on what you actually thought of the first game, this can be seen as either a good or bad thing.

For example, while the game has kept the much-beloved "graphic novel" storytelling, Max's own personal narration on things (read: some of the most ridiculous metaphors ever recorded) has been mostly dropped in favor of dialouge. There's no massive snowstorm this time around to act as a parallel to Max's own battle, and neither killer designer drugs, evil corporations, shadowy secret societies, or the occult play a role in the story. Instead we have the less fantastic but more solid plot concerning gangsters, lovers, assassins, and lots and lots (and lots) of bullets.

Again, this garners mixed feelings. If you liked Max Payne 1 but thought it was just a little too warped in the story department, then part 2 will be dead-on for you. Personally, I slightly prefer the story from part 1, but there's no denying that Max Payne 2 is the better game in all other regards, and it's not such a radical departure that it feels weird. This is still Max Payne, and the game developers were well aware of this, make no mistake.

On a final note, someone on the Dev. Team also figured "Hey, since the game is M-rated, why have we been censoring the curse words, anyway?" It's a good question, and one I was asking myself during Max Payne 1. I don't think that games should be loaded with curse words just for the fun of it, but when I have a mob foot soldier calling me a "freakin' cop" repeatedly, I almost feel more insulted than if he'd just let fly with the F-word. I mean, Max Payne (either of them) make no bones about the fact that they're adult games, and they're already violent enough that kids should be nowhere near them, so maybe we could actually let our mafia bullet-sponges let out a blue word or two?

Max Payne 2 does just that, and thank God. In the same way that The Sopranos does, Max Payne 2 lets it all hang without actually drawing attention to it, and the result is dialouge that sounds a lot less, well, video game-y.

So, bottom line, Max Payne 2 is an outstanding game in it's field, which is straight-up, heavily stylized action. It's about as long as the first game, has better graphics, has MUCH better level design, and is really everything fans of the series could have asked for. PC and Xbox versions are near-identical, so go with whichever is more comfortable, and get ready for a Max Payne love story.

A violent, bullet-riddled, hard-boiled love story, but is there really any other kind?

When Max Payne first came out in 2001, I was blown away. The voice-acting, action sequences, bullet-time, incredible story, along with a great cast of characters. In Max Payne 2, everything is better or improved. One thing that made this game so great was its story. Torn between right and wrong, love and hate, not to mention a dark tragic past, is a great background to set the story. This is perhaps one of the best games ever made on any system. I have this game for the computer. I reccomend that you buy it for pc. You can download cool mods,etc. In addition, the ending you could see coming frim a mile away. However, the ending is great but very sad. After the last scene, the song "late goodbye" plays which fits in with the theme of the game. Never have I played a game that contains so much emotion and violence. PARENTS!! THIS IS GAME IS NOT FOR YOUNG KIDS. This is a game that is truly hard to top. The only bad thing was that it is short. The story alone is a good reason to buy the game, not to mention bullet-time. The story unfolds like a movie, which makes for an incredible gaming experience.IF YOU DONT HAVE IT ALREADY, BUY IT. Now i am waiting for max payne 3 to come out and raise the standards for action games again.

The innovative Grand Theft series gets all the press, but for me, Max Payne is tops. As far as 3rd-person action/shooters go, it can't be matched. The graphic novel cut-scenes are compelling and, along with the moody orchestral score ( think the Angel theme ), really draw the player into Max's noir state-of-mind. Yeah it's short, but a game this fully imagined and atmospheric is a rare thing. If only all M-rated games were as sophisticated and intelligent. Sure there's blood, profanity, and a little sex, but it's never excessive or gratuitous and it serves to enhance the grim story, always reminding the player that this ain't Marioland. To wrap it up, every single aspect of this game is expertly done: Gameplay, levels ( the theme/amusement park is genius ), sound, voice-acting and story. Highest recommendation, can't wait for #3!

Now that i have played this film noir love story, i can understand why so many people compared it to enter the matrix. It's ten times better. Matrix fans will have fun with the bullet time perfection, but max payne fans will appreciate everythign else. It is important that you know the first game story in order to fully understand the second though. The graphics are gorgeous, just one look at Mona Sax and her twin desert eagles and i tihnk you'll agree with me. The story-line is thick and twisting with dead ends here and there followed by an alternate route blocked by bravado and scum just waiting to eat your rapid deadly lead bullets. Ten minutes into this game it does get a little to difficult for those first timers but if you stick with it it gets ten times better and equally harder as the story unfolds. Nothign is as it seams in the world of max payne, when the sky is blue, the ground is red, and when your clips are empty, the danger is closer then ever. MAx is back and better then ever. Deffinately not a flick for the kids though, blood, gore and plenty of profanity. Stilll worthy of classic reference, this one should go down in xbox history as one fo the best action games ever put out by rockstar or any other gamign company for that matter. It's Max alright, yet it remains unique.

I was a little nervous about purchasing this game considering some of the complaints I've heard. Fortunately I found none of the complaints to be true and ended up loving this game more than the origional. The main knock that I heard was that the game was too short. Rather I found myself satisfied with the game length. It was neither too short, yet the story wasn't drug out to annoying lengths.

The graphics look great and I was impressed with your ability to interact with the environment. Most objects are movable and after a heavy gun battle, the room looks like you'd expect it. Blood on the walls, bullet holes everywhere, chairs and bottles knocked over. Graphically I noticed very few glitches...maybe 3 throughout the entire game.

The graphic novel style is still here and some people found that a bit annoying. This unique way of storytelling was used in the origional to save money and evidently it worked well enough that they've decided to stick with it. My only problem with it is that sometimes this slows the game down. It's nice to have a little breather after a difficult level and watch as the story advances, but sometimes the break was way too long. The story can get a little cheesy, but this is something I've come to expect from Max Payne.

One thing I noticed is that the weapon selection is exactly the same as the first one. While there are quite a few guns to choose from, there could have been a few additions just to keep things interesting.

Overall this is a great sequel and well worth the money, especially if you enjoyed the first game.

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.

Max Payne 2 may be shorter than the first one but everything is so much better in this game that it will leave you more than satisfied.

First of all, let's talk about graphics. If you're into PC games than you might simply look at Max Payne 2 on the X-box and say that the graphics are just okay. But if you're anything like me you will be deeply satisfied with the detail of the graphics in this game. While Max Payne 1 had good graphics, Max Payne 2 has graphics that are sharper with a lot more attention paid to the small things. In this game you can brush up against things and knock stuff over and shoot bad guys into crates (which look very cinematic in slow motion). I love these features and gives the game a much more realistic feel than Max Payne 1.

Next, the sound is superb. The voiceovers are fantastic (just like in the first Max Payne). The background music gives a very haunting mood to the game and really gets you into the story. Also, the sound effects are crazy. The sounds of gunfire are intense and are some of the best gun sound effects that I've ever heard in a shooter game.

Now, let's move on to the plot. While Max Payne 2's plot isn't quite as captivating as Max Payne 1's was it still draws you in due to some fantastic voiceovers and character twists. The ending of this game is reason enough to get this game.

For those of you who played the first Max Payne and like the gameplay you will be pleased to know that the gameplay has basically remained the same.

Now one thing I see not being brought up here is Max Payne's nightmare levels. Players of the first Max Payne might remember those pain-in-the-@$$ levels trying to jump from one very thin board to the next wondering what the hell the point was. Well, you can now rejoice because while Max Payne 2 does have the nightmare levels, they don't have any frustrating challanges like that anymore. This time you basically get to walk around and enjoy what goes on around you and get more into Max's head at the same time. Bravo!

I have heard some people complaining about Max Payne not being innovative enough but I don't see their points. Why mess with a winning formula? The graphics are great, the characters are captivating, and the controls are some of the most user friendly that I've seen in a shooter in a while. Especially now that the Max Payne 2 is only $10.00 there is absolutely nothing to complain about!

Max Payne 2 will not let you down especially if you loved the first Max Payne game. Get it and enjoy it! I guarantee you that once you play it you will, just like I am, be waiting quite impatiently for Max Payne 3!

Nice graphics on Xbox. Strictly scripted--interesting plot--but very little freedom of choice. Basically, I played through the game without stopping, watched all the cutscenes and everything, and the game didn't even take ten hours. Maybe like six. No puzzles. Minor exploration. Lots of gunning down dudes. Cute plot points, lots of film refs (I esp. liked the running parallelism between Max's story and an in-game TV show called "Address Unknown"...a dead ringer for Twin Peaks.). The girl is hot. The guns blaze. It's a cool game, but way, waaaay too brief. Glad I rented it.

Look for the secret room in Part One, Chapter Seven. "In Memoriam, Miika Forssell." Very cool.

I never played Max Payne the first one. I decided to check out the sequel and see what is the big deal with everything. First of all Max Payne's story line keeps you guessing throughout the story, things you might never guess happens. In the begining, it is a little confusing when you are in the hospital and you see the chief dead, but you will catch on. Game play wise the game is also ranked high, Max's movement is realistics so are the enemies, facial expression are real most of the times(except when they talk), Bullet Time is a little repetive, however it is not a - at all. Graphics is definitely improvement over the first one. Replay value is pretty high because it only has 3 parts and each has about 6 or 7 chapters, so there is only about 20 missions and you can play it on several difficulties so you might play it again.

Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 9
Story line: 8.5
Replay Value: 7.5
Overall: 8.5