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Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Review for Xbox
Posted on Monday, December 15, 2003 @ 12:12:09 am E.S.T The original Max Payne raised the bar for action games in a number of ways. Max Payne, most obviously, was the first action game to use slow-motion or “bullet-time” gameplay effectively. This alone made Max Payne a success, but its powerful noir story and graphic novel components also worked to deepen the gameplay and immerse the gamer. Max Payne 2 keeps the structure of its predecessor intact while adding to and improving on a number of aspects of the gameplay.
Visually, Max Payne 2 accomplishes a great deal. The first time you see Max you'll be shocked. Gone is the grim look which Max had previously worn at all times, and to take its place, an eerily realistic face has been put into place . Max looks like a new man, and this goes for the other characters in the game as well. Another aspect of Max Payne 2’s visuals which are quite impressing are the lighting effects. For an action game such as this, such details aren’t usually expected, but you’ll be pleased to see that Rockstar has exceeded most gamers' expectations. It seems that every texture in the game is much smoother than they've previously been. On the whole, Max Payne 2 serves up some great visuals; they push the XBOX to its limits and make the game seem even more extraordinary than it already is.
It seems that many people overlook the sound in action games such as this, but in Max Payne 2, it’s nearly impossible to miss. The bits of audio you’ll hear uncover secrets of the plot, and while approaching a room you can hear your enemies having conversations. An even more gripping aspect of the sound is the truly amazing voice acting. Not only is it fantastic, but it really helps to mold the characters and bring them to life. Every character seems individual, and it really helps to create a more immersive game. Sounds good, right? It gets better.
Max Payne 2 does a great job recognizing what its gameplay is all about. This time around Max has some new tricks up his sleeve, perhaps the greatest of all the major improvements being bullet-time 2.0. In addition to the classic shoot-dives, Max can use the new bullet-time 2.0 to slow gameplay while still moving at a normal speed. This becomes useful in the more difficult areas of the game, which have become much more common now that the enemy AI has been beefed up.
Enemies in Max Payne 2 are much smarter than they had been in the past. Adversaries are more skilled, aggressive, quicker to take aim and much better with explosives. Although a bad throw will occasionally cost them their lives, enemies this time around have much better accuracy with explosives. The enemy AI is more than satisfying. Although enemy AI is great, the addition of cooperative AI to the Max Payne series is also a superb new feature you'll want to take advantage of.
Another wonderful aspect of the gameplay is the much more interactive environment. As Max, you’ll be able to interact with various people you’ll come into contact with. These good Samaritans may turn over some helpful items and in some cases take arms and cover your back. Luckily, your comrades will never get caught on corners or stuck behind inanimate objects (I’m looking at you SOCOM 2). The cooperative AI found here is nearly flawless, with a few exceptions. Every now and then you'll decide to pull off a shoot dive, only to take some serious damage from your comrades firing at the same target. While this is not a major problem, it sometimes tends to kill the mood of working together with some of the people in the environment. Interaction with other people is a great addition to the Max Payneseries, plain and simple. It seems to be a big part of the gameplay in Max Payne 2, and even the inanimate objects surrounding you are quite interesting to interact with.
Now there's a guy you don't want to run into.
Max Payne 2’s physics are simply amazing; to say anything less would be an utter lie. Anything you touch in this game is going to give feedback. Whether you bump into a chair or a box, the feedback you get is marvelous. Objects around you will fall and roll, whether it's you running through them or the body of an enemy crumpling to the floor. Much of this movement has been motion captured. The same physics apply to your enemies as well. The corpses of your enemies get blown all over the place, and often take brutal falls through objects or off ledges. The physics engine on the whole helps to make this game feel very solid and fluid. Even when you’re not in a firefight, you never lose your interest in the game.
Max Payne has been hailed for its strong story and graphic novel, and Max Payne 2 is no exception. Beautiful cut scenes and sections of the graphic novel build up as you progress through the game, and the gritty noir story unfolds, imprisoning your interest in the game. Any newcomers to the series fear not, a quick graphic novel is available to fill you in on the events of its predecessor. The only problem with such a powerful story, it that it causes the game to be rather short in length. The game only runs for around 12 hours, which considering the gripping story is not as bad as it sounds. However, no matter what amount of time you spend playing this game, it is going to be fun.
Max Payne 2 is exactly that, fun. Lately it seems that games are analyzed over and over, and an important aspect gets overlooked. Max Payne 2 features some great gameplay and a boatload of weapons to keep things interesting. When it all boils down, this game is both technically marvelous, as well as being a fun experience. While playing this game, you’ll never be bored. For many that is a big part of what sitting yourself down and playing through a video game is all about.
Overall, Max Payne 2 features a slew of new weapons, moves, visuals and a great story. If you didn’t like the first game, don’t slam the latest installment just yet. Max Payne 2 corrects many of the problems the first game experienced, while building on its strong points. Although there is not a whole lot of replay value, and the game is rather short, you’ll definitely want to find some means of playing this game. If you’re even the slightest fan of action games, you do not want to miss Max Payne 2. Review By: Kent Mackowiak - 5584 Reads
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Review Scores for Xbox :
| Gameplay |
| 9 |
| Graphics |
| 9 |
| Sound |
| 8.5 |
| Replay |
| 7 |
| Overall |
| 8.7 |
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