Max Payne 2 improves on the original in every way, resulting in a dark, stylish and thrilling masterpiece.
One of the most lauded aspects about the original game was the stunning presentation and use of graphic novel panels for cut-scenes and story exposition. This gave life to the story, and delivered it more stylishly and emotionally than it could have otherwise. The cast of characters were brilliant and fleshed-out, supported by a tremendous array of voice talent. The sequel delivers on all of these aspects of the presentation, Firstly, the premise. Set after the events of the original, Max Payne has left the DEA and has since become a NYPD detective, after being heralded a hero by Alfred Woden. His relationship with Mona Sax has grown, and he endures more nightmares about his lost ones and the ones of present. Billed as a noir thriller, Max Payne 2 is a love story at heart, and plays on those emotions throughout the story. The plot here is brilliant, fleshed-out and moves along with many twists and turns, followed by some cool revelations and a fantastic finale. It is a story that is more emotional than the original, and more focused. Max Payne's motivations become clearer, and this insane psychic study is told with great execution. The fade-in plot devices are better serviceable for the story, and are clear and well-placed. For the second time in succession, lead writer Sam Lake has delivered another phenomenal script that gives even more personality to the characters and more dimensions to each plot point. I didn't want the story to end, which is a good sign of a great story.
You'll discover, early on, that Max Payne is a character of great complexity. Filled with bad thoughts and aching nightmares, Payne keeps trying to lift himself but, just as he thinks he's rising, he's dragged back down by something else. A strange, distant attachment is developed with this character – we want to help, but have no control. It's something that is both involving and moving. You can't help but provide sympathy to the broken NYPD cop who is trying to get back on his feet.
The rest of the cast are pretty remarkable. Mona Sax is an intriguing character who plays with Max's psyche, but gives a constant reminder that he still has somebody left to care for. She's sly, secretive and rather seductive in getting to Max. She has an unpredictable persona that always keeps you guessing. There are also other characters such as Max's new partner Valerie Winterson, a more developed Jim Bravura and other criminals like Vinnie Gignotti, who is actually quite amusing. Vlad Lem returns – and Max's only real help.
The sound design is again incredible here. Another standout performance from James McCaffrey is the highlight, among other members of this tremendous voice cast. All characters are expertly voiced, with impeccable timing and intelligent. The sound effects are again top-notch, with explosions and bullets stealing the show on this part. The soundtrack is also brilliant, with exceptional piano pieces and a powerful orchestral score. The narrative voice overs are superb and the graphic cut-scenes feature sound effects that are pretty much perfect.
The visuals in Max Payne 2 are absolutely incredible. The opening scene in the City Hospital shows of the immediate improvements to the overall design over the original. Lighting is phenomenal, mirrors and floors have reflections and water, fire and smoke effects are outstanding. Animations are fantastic and the character models have been greatly improved, thanks to some brilliant motion capture. Weather effects are near-realistic, and the environments you'll see in Max Payne 2 are not only better than the original, but stunningly designed. Whether it be warehouses with great blood effects or meticulously crafted apartment buildings, Max Payne 2 delights. Explosions look terrific, the in-game cinematics are outstanding and the art direction- is awe-inspiring. The framerate is super smooth and it runs very well. Definitely one of the best-looking games around.
One of the biggest changes to Max Payne 2 is it's gameplay. While not completely different, it has come with many welcome tweaks and improvements. Firstly, the game opens up incredibly. Awaking from a hospital bed, Max must escape to safety. Here you are provided with a look at the again great controls. The controls are somehow even better than the original, and gives the player easy leverage for taking out enemies. Bullet Time, the highlight of the first game, is back and has received great upgrades. The system is more responsive and lasts longer, giving you more chances to pick off multiple foes. When you kill enemies, Bullet Time regenerates, giving the game some great momentum in battle. In addition to this, the Bullet Time meter will flash yellow, meaning the effects slows down even more, giving Max better accuracy and more time to manoeuvre. Speaking of manoeuvre, Max has not only better speed in his movements, but has better movements. Max will roll toward enemies for quick, stylish kills, and will also fling his arms around his back in a 360 degree turn, which is just awesome. The absolute best part of the improvements is the fact that once bullet time has ended, and Max is still shooting, he will stay on the floor until he has stopped firing. If there are enemies behind him, he will turn over onto his stomach for flashy kills. This is incredibly cool when dispatching two enemies in Bullet Time, then dropping to the floor for a final two kills. It's a system that has reached its potential and will cater for many exciting and awesome moments throughout the game.
In terms of weaponry, there is still a great arsenal at hand. Aside from the usual handguns, shotguns and machine guns, there are some new additions such as the MP5, which has a sight for efficient shooting. There is the Striker shotgun which is devastating in killing groups of enemies. There is also an AK-47 like weapon and an M4 Carbine rifle. The Colt Commando may have gone, but these weapons are just as good. The Dragunov sniper rifle is an improvement over the first game, and handguns are more effective. Also, as many people could complete the first game with just dual Ingrams, the other weapons in Max Payne 2 are equally effective, giving good flexibility to weapon experimentation in different gunfights. Another cool feature is that Max can now melee, as opposed to simply using explosives, which adds a grittier edge to fights. A good feature is that Max can carry secondary explosives while wielding weapons, so can throw grenades while shooting, which is better and handier than previously.
AI has also seen many tweaks. Firstly, enemy AI is now less aggressive which helps players new to the game. Enemies will now take cover and will also roll into different pieces of cover. AI will now interact with each other, tell each other where to go or how to approach a fight with Max. There are also some sections where Max Payne is partnered by friendly AI and the results of this inclusion are mixed. While sometimes effective in dealing with enemies, they often run straight into enemies or plain sight. Some AI, such as Mona, are very good takes on the ally partner, but most of the time this system is flawed and mostly unneeded, because Max is so good alone. There are also some entertaining conversations between enemies; whether it be discussing movies or being turned on by erotic television channels, these moments are always interesting and funny. Enemy AI also responds well to fire, and if they are set light they will scream and run around, which is more realistic.
One thing I love about the gameplay is the physics engine. Now powered by Havok, Max Payne 2 provides more dynamic situations and realism. Objects can now be moved and pushed over. If Max runs into a stack of boxes, they will naturally collapse into a heap, which looks incredible. Also, if enemies run into the same pieces of the environment, the same will happen. The engine also provides realistic movement. Max will leap and run naturally and, when Bullet Time is activated, he will turn his body and look up and down depending on the control of the player. This provides a great perspective on realism in shooters. Better still, enemies are effected by each bullet, meaning they will be sent flying by explosions, fly across the floor by shotgun rounds or fall to their death if the ground collapses. There is also a final kill camera effect, where the camera pans and shows a slow-motion capture of a dying enemy. This camera displayed cool kills and funny physics moments, which are great.
The level design is also much improved, what with wide open areas for larger, more intense and fun gunfights and vertical climbing and running. These large environments allow for better strategies and experimenting with different acrobatic situations. There are also scripted moments such as escaping from an exploding area or avoiding falling objects. The nightmare sequences have received better variations, and are less frustrating. You will no longer be stuck on these sequences, and they also flow better with the game's pacing. There are some sections in the game where you can play as Mona. These sections are quite good and varied, and fit in well with the story. They can be difficult, especially as Mona has less weapons and painkillers than Max, but they are still fun. Painkillers are also better placed throughout the game, and are better in numbers.
Whereas Max Payne previously featured boss battles, they are less frequent in Max Payne 2 and more engaging. While Max Payne's enemies and bosses could take huge amounts of bullets and easily kill him in the last game, gunfights are much less frustrating and more realistic. Gone are the days of shotgun bullet sponges or instant-kill handgun enemies. Many may complain about the lack of challenge – because it is certainly no where near as hard as the last game – it doesn't mean it's a breeze or isn't fun.
The game isn't perfect, though. There is some slight clipping through objects and some very minor bugs, such as enemies running into walls or into each other. There are also some annoying escort missions where, if the AI partner dies, the game ends. These moments represent the most aggravating parts of the experience, although thankfully they are few and far between. Another small complaint that not many people will care about is weapon auto-change. Though this can be disabled, enabling this system results in Max automatically selecting a weapon he has picked up, meaning you revert from, for example, your Ingram straight to a shotgun or rifle. This is especially annoying if you are in a heated battle. So, for best results, definitely turn this thing off.
Another disappointment is the length. I didn't want Max Payne 2 to end, but it did. However, it ended rather quickly than I was expecting. It's wrapped up perfectly, but I wish it continued. My first playthrough took only six and a half hours. Extra modes will add more time, but it's still short. You will want to play through again though, especially with new modes. All of the game modes from Max Payne return, such as New York Minute and Hard Boiled. However, there are a half dozen other modes, chief among them Dead Man Walking, which is a survival mode. Max must hold out for as long as he can against groups of endlessly spawning enemies. The hardest difficulty settings are much more challenging, so hardcore players may be interested in these modes.
All in all, however, Max Payne 2 succeeds not only in it's stunning gunplay and visceral gameplay mechanics, but the way it tells and crafts its story into the action. Phenomenally written, with incredible sound design and an awesome physics engine, Max Payne 2 is certainly one of the best action shooters I've ever played. Better than the original, this is a definite must-buy. Dark, unpredictable and unforgettable, Remedy have delivered another amazing experience. You can not miss this.
SUMMARY
Presentation - A thrilling story with awesome characters and a sublime presentation.
Graphics 10 - Technically masterful, with terrific animations, lighting and effects.
Audio 10 - Fantastic voice acting, great sound design and an evocative soundtrack.
Gameplay 9.5 - Awesome gunplay that improves on the original in every way. Better encounters, better level design, better AI.
Replayability 8.0 - The story is unfortunately short, but the extra modes may extend the life of this magnificent sequel.
Overall - 9.5/10