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Bring in the funk, bring in the payne

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: November 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

No question, the most entertaining story for the year. Yes, there are times when I wondered if all the romance was needed, but it developed the characters, and made the game feel like a film noir interactive movie, not a video game. The fighting is fun. The ragdoll bodies made shooting bad guys entertaining, if only just to watch them fall, spin, get knocked back, break joints and so on. And without giving away any story line, fans of the first max payne will be happy to see the inclusion of previous characters, and yes, they are actually developed and not just thrown into the story.

Lets honestly talk about what i didn't like and why this game didn't get the full 5 stars. The first is that bullet time 2.0 is cleaned up so well that a gammer like me blew through the game in 6 hours--the fighting was far too easy. I often took my time shooting someone, leting them recover, hitting them again and just watching the rag doll motion. Also like with max payne 1 you cannot progress to higher levels without beating the lower levels. A nice idea, but not everyone wants to run through a game 2 times before getting a chance at real life death. I only was breifly held up for one part in the game the "lets snipe and protect a character" portion that is added into too many games right now. And the hang up was for about 15 minutes late a night until i found my rhythm.

But on the plus side, the game is dark, tragic, and gives you a sense of power like only max payne has. To date its the only game i've seen pull off bullet time and that includes "enter the matrix". I loved it, and can't wait to see this game become one of many innovative, entertaining interactive-movies in the max payne series.

Worth playing for one reason: bullet time

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: October 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Here's a review, without any BS. Max Payne 2 is a mediocre shooter, plus one absolutely fantastic gimmick: "Bullet time". That's it, plain and simple. Bullet time and slow-motion cinematics are what make this game good. Without them, this game would be a 2-star bargain bin game. Case closed

This is because as far as shooters go, there is very little else good about this game. AI is abysmal - enemies constantly blow themselves up with grenades and don't know how to use cover or flank you. Level design is repetitive and totally unimaginative (with the exception of the weird "Funhouse" level). Most of the game you are going through repetitive brown and gray environments, walking along wooden planks and scaffolding. Over and over again. Unreal 2 was panned by everyone for its level design, but Max Payne 2 is worse.

Worst of all is the laughable "Film Noir" story and the intrusive cut scenes and dialog. This game has cutscene after cutscene after cutscene, at least for the first half of the game. You shoot five bad guys and then sit through a cut scene. Then you shoot four more bad guys and sit through a cut scene. This might be nice for a 60-hour RPG, but it's inexcusable for a game that only takes you an afternoon to finish anyways. On the bright side, it does pick up a lot about halfway through the game.

The story for the game is convoluted, it makes no sense, and it resolves next to nothing at the end. I don't mind a mindless action game if it has a simplistic and unobtrusive story. Red Faction 2 is a perfect example of this kind of game. Max Payne 2, however, has a psychedelic weirdo Clockwork Orange-style instead of the simple and straightforward one in the first game.

And then there's the horrible dialog, which is more full of Film-Noir parody than the first game. The dialog is so intrusive that it spoils any chance that you have of developing genuine feelings for Max and Mona. This is a shame, because the love story could have been a great part of the game. As it is, the romance between them is too unbelievable. Remedy spent too much time writing demented metaphors, and not enough time just coming up with a story that makes sense.

But to overcome all that, there's "bullet time", which is so great that it overrides any faults that the game has and makes it worth playing, albeit at reduced price. "Bullet time" is simply the coolest feature ever added to an action game, and you can play it for hours and hours without getting sick of it. One nice change to "Bullet time" for this game is that your supply regenerates between battles, so you can gun down six guys in a room, all in slow motion, and not worry about not having any left for the next battle. Bullet time combined with rag doll physics makes for endlessly exciting gun battles. Gunfights in Max Payne 2 are pure shooting goodness. Blowing away a guy in slow motion with a shotgun and watching him crash backwards through a glass window is a sight to see.

The other thing that I love about this game are the TV shows that you get to watch and the conversations that you get to listen to. There are a lot of funny things happening around you, especially the TV shows like "Lords and Ladies" and "Dick Justice". I would guess that there is at least 35 minutes worth of TV shows that you can watch in the game. Overall, the environment feels very alive and realistic. More so than most other games.

Max Payne 2 is so absurdly short that you will be done with it in a day, even if you play it casually. Given how much filler and extra material is in this game, I would say that it only provides about 3 or 4 good hours of action. It is fun to replay, but it is still a poor value at full price. I definitely recommend getting this game to experience bullet time, but don't pay top dollar for it.

More of the same isn't really a bad thing...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: October 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Three things you should know:
1. Gameplay has been significantly enhanced. Levels are much larger, and full of tons of entertaining stunts and tricky situations to work Max out of. Enemies are much, much smarter, throwing their arms around corners to spray down hallways, and calling "Cover me!" to each other. Toss a grenade into a room, and you can hear furniture toppling as they scramble to get away from it. The addition of AI helpers is excellent, and the previous game's focus on bullet-saving has been tossed out the window.....Max Payne 2 gets difficult FAST, and within a few minutes of gameplay, will require you to trade hailstorms of bullets with opponents. Unlike in the original, the game is no longer a match of "who shoots first," with such excellent aim and strategy, it becomes a fast-paced challenge of rolling from cover to cover, tossing grenades, and using liberal bullet-time.
2. Story and plot are not much better. While the dialogue is significantly less cheezy, (and remember, it was cheezy on PURPOSE in Max Payne 1) it still falters here and there, making it in some senses worse than the original's....the plot's a bit blurry in the beginning, a thin set of excuses to carry Max from one gorgeously-constructed arena to the next. And on this, MP2 delivers: The plot allows for a much wider range of environments and challenges than its predecessor. While most of MP1 looked like the same damn place, now, each location is rendered to the fullest with colored lighting, weather conditions, and attention to detail that truly separate them from each other. I began skipping through the graphic novel sequences after a bit, partially out of impatience, but wished I'd listened more after finding myself in each new surprising area.
3. Graphics are amazing. Max Payne 2 is by far the most visually impressive game yet (soon to be upstaged by Half-Life 2) and even on mid-range machines, the improvements are stunning. Real-time physics make gunbattles gorgeous, as bodies twist around like marionettes on strings of bullets, crates topple over and glass objects collapse into dust. Shoot a baddy in the head and it snaps back, laying him out flat against a radiator, which clanks and falls to the floor under his weight. A much more impressive bullet-time regulator is in place here, allowing you to see lead scream past Max even in real-time, but filtering out less impressive or important shots. (And of course, Payne's ground-breaking fire effects are back, better than ever) Tiny touches like perfect puffs on the wall and muzzle-flash reactions on nearby objects fill out the visuals into an utterly believable experience....MP2 isn't just beautiful, it's devoid of most the imperfections that would give it away as a game. After ten minutes of play, you're no longer "awed" by the visuals, simply disgusted by the visuals in every other game.

Payne Rules!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: October 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you were a fan of the first, you'll love this! The visuals are awesome. I just got through to part 2 of the story tonight. The funhouse chapter was so cool (not challenging at all, just a visually stunning environment to walk around in). They really did a good job with it. Bullet time and environmental interaction is so much better. Sound is better too. I want to add more, but I don't want to spoil all the cool stuff you're gonna see (Mona baby!). Get this!

Perfect Film Noir Gameplay

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: November 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Max Payne is a film noir mature gaming title that involves gunfights and long, drawn out, introspective speeches full of cliches and pouring rain under a dark, starless sky.

There are probably few shooter players left who have not heard of the Max Payne game. Its original graphics and storyline made it a must-play for many.

Max Payne 2 is set in New York City, and the hero has had a rough life. Now he runs into a woman he thought was dead and sets out on a tale of betrayal and shooting. Lots of shooting. This isn't a game for puzzle solvers or for those who want to explore the intricate detail of a quest's lore. It's about blasting your way through problems and finding the best way to get rid of those enemies.

There are great graphics, great sounds, great bullet-time effects. But the thing that stands out in most peoples' minds is the cliche-ridden dialogue that gives the game its atmosphere. You can't escape it. It's like a thick fog in London, swirling all around you. It permeates the game and gives it depth.

So watch all of those classic Philip Marlowe movies, and then get set for Max Payne, where you control the story.

SO much fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

For some reason, I went into this worried that it wouldn't be as good as the original (since game sequels - as with most sequels - rarely are). Boy was I wrong! Though the believability of the storyline is stretched at times (I dislike when little-used characters from the previous incarnation take on incredible importance in a sequel), it was nevertheless a really well-done story.
As for the gameplay, the constant starts and stops at the beginning (as you're getting into the story) can be a bit aggrivating, since you may find yourself thinking "Hey, I would have rather done that myself, than had it shown to me through a cutscene!" but that doesn't stop me from giving this 5 stars. My enjoyment well out-weighed any minor annoyance.
It's an especially great bargain of a game now that it's under $15! Even if you didn't play the original (which I do recommend), pick this up - great, cheap fun.

Max Payne 2- The Fall Of Max Payne

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: September 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Max Payne 2, The Fall Of Max Payne is a great game. dispite the fact that the levels arent too long enough. This games has really good graphics and has a good view of a third-person action. The storyline was a bit of a problem. The storyline wasnt too dramamtic and was not as fun as it is. gameplay was indeed good and i am impressed with this game. I give Max Payne a 4 out of 5

some technical features of this game from the max payne website:

FEATURES INCLUDE:

- Storyline - a violent, Film Noir love story between a cop and a femme fatale murder suspect, between Max Payne and Mona Sax. Dark, tragic and intense, the story is a thrill-ride of shocking twists and revelations.
- Max Payne's signature slow motion gunplay has been improved on every level. Get ready for Bullet Time 2.0.
- New guns and new moves make action more cinematic and intense than ever before.
- Fully integrated Havok physics engine allows for interactive environments creating incredible combat scenes. Ragdoll characters and physics in slow motion create breath-taking combat scenes.
- All new AI - cooperative NPC's fight with Max and more believable enemies create tension and more interesting and varied challenge.
- A stunning level of detail: Extremely detailed environments with photorealistic textures, highly enhanced radiosity lighting and extremely lifelike characters (including facial animations & lip synchronization) provide a visually staggering cinematic experience.
- Massive production values - including a motion picture stunt crew, professional talent for voice acting and graphic novels, motion capture and authentic digital source material from New York City.

Max Payne 2 The Fall Of Max Payne

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: October 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Excellent continuation of game one. The only game that I have yet tired of playing. Please follow up with another Max.

One Of The Greatest Action Games Ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: October 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The first Max Payne, made the third-person shooter famous. Max Payne 2 is basically very similar to the first game. Graphics are very improved, bullet-time is improved, and is very well done is this game. Unlike the first game, you needed the bullet-time every now and then, but for Max Payne 2, you really don't need but it is always fun to use. James McCaffrey returns as the voice of Max Payne, which is a relief, because only a few of the original voice and picture cast return to for this game, the character model of Max Payne is different, and besides James McCaffrey, almost the whole voice cast is different but they are better at voice acting which is what makes this game very unique.

Again, gameplay is very similar, but the fun part is, you can do a little more wondering around in this game in certain levels. The story is told the same way the first game was, very comic book like. Playing this game is almost watching a full blown movie, with the voice acting, the pictures, and the gameplay. The game is a little shorter, but with the cinematic scenes, it feels longer. Some really well crafted levels in this game, i love the level where Max Payne is trying to get out of a burning building, that was really good.

There are your occasional errors, especially on the PS2 version, which does limit a lot of the rooms you can go into. The Xbox and PC version are the better versions, but if you want the best version, go for the PC version.

Also, there is an error on the very first line of the game, and i'm sure i'm not the only one who noticed. The character Mona Sax says, "God, how did i become such a damsel in distress", that voice is Julia K.Murney, who was the voice for Mona in the first game. Wendy Hoopes takes over the role for the rest of the game. I don't know why Murney didn't do the rest of the game.

Overall, 10 out of 10, Max Payne 2 is just a brilliantly designed game that was worth the wait and the delays, even though many games have tried to copy its bullet-time, only the Max Payne games can do it right. Can't wait until Max Payne 3 which is now in the works.

The past was a gaping hole...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First off, what a title! Anyone who knows anything about Film Noir knows that love is totally non-existent in that bleak world.

The story is very typically noir. You're a cop (and a one with a few screws loose at that), with a bad past. A murdered wife and entanglement in god knows how many mob/mafia/criminal plans. Unluckily for you, you end up falling in love with Mona Sax - my favourite character of the game. Throughout the story you are double-crossed numerous times by various allies, and sometimes those who you thought were enemies become those who you have to rely upon. Some of this was a little predictable, but for the most part the game is able to surprise.

Game play is trying, but fun. Health, in the form of painkillers, is hidden well, making fighting your way through a room full of armed gangsters almost as tough as it would be in real life. The array of weapons is impressive and the bullet time feature is a lot of fun to play with, especially if you reload whilst in slow motion - causing Max to perform a neat little twirl that wouldn't be out of place in the Matrix.

From time to time, the story's direction seems unclear and you are left stumped, but it won't remain this way for long, as Max is always on had to give a little audio tip to set you back on track. The game's only other main point of frustration can be found in the 'protection' levels, where you are required to play bodyguard to another character. The second instance of this, in particular, can be very difficult - though thoroughly rewarding!

If you find your mood dampened by the endless list of hole metaphors Max employs, stop by the televisions in game and listen to the tales of 'Dick Justice', the always entertaining spoof of Max Payne.

Take your time to enjoy this game.

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