Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Review

Though the game is short-lived, Max Payne 2 made quite a splash when it was released on the PC some weeks ago, thanks to its excellent action and presentation. Now the game is available on the PS2, but, unfortunately, it's suffered severely in translation (and is far worse off, for that matter, than the recent Xbox version--and even that version had some corners noticeably cut). While the PS2 version basically features the same content as the original PC version, it's filled with terribly blurry, downright ugly textures and serious frame rate issues, and it's missing sound effects. It also has pretty lengthy loading times, and, worst of all, a completely messed-up save system, which requires you to manually save your progress from the game's options menu--an awkwardly slow process--or else you start all over from the very beginning of the game (or wherever it was you last saved) when you run out of health, rather than, say, from the beginning of the level you were on, as in other versions of Max Payne 2 or any other action game these days. As such, this particular version of what, at its core, is a stylish and intense shooter, loses much, if not most, of its appeal in translation and just can't be recommended in good conscience when two far superior versions of the game are already available for other platforms. Though if you only have access to a PlayStation 2, Max Payne 2 may still be worth a look, since it can still be entertaining and exciting, at times. Anyway, if you've already heard about Max Payne 2 and were wondering how the PS2 version turned out, now you know. Otherwise, read on for more details.

The PS2 version of Max Payne 2 is a mere shadow of the original PC release--and, on its own merits, it's got some serious problems that prevent it from being a good game.

Max Payne 2 is a direct sequel to the original and picks up after the events of that game. Max, now a detective and wearier than ever of the world, once again has his hands full as he finds himself hopelessly attached to the lovely Mona Sax, a murder suspect and part of a bigger plot that ties in to Max's own dark past. There are tons of references and parallels to the original story. Fans will undoubtedly be pleased by some of the nudging and winking, though someone starting off with Max Payne 2 would probably feel rather left out, despite the presence of an optional cutscene that summarizes what happened leading up to Max Payne 2. Still, this is a surprisingly complex narrative for a game, irrespective of the genre.

The storyline unfolds in much the same fashion as the original. It uses some very slick, graphic novel-style storyboards--complete with melodramatic dialogue straight out of a pulp detective novel--and good voice-over to go with it. These graphic novel sequences are unmistakably similar to those of the first game, though they are, in some cases, even more artistic this time around. All of the game's between-level loading screens and graphic novel sequences are impressive-looking and often very cool. The plot itself features a number of twists but is rather convoluted the first go-round. Play through the game a second time (perhaps on the higher difficulty setting that's unlocked after you finish it the first time) and you'll likely get a much clearer sense of what's happening.

Mona Sax is Max Payne's love interest, and the two seem destined for each other.

There's no confusion when the bullets start flying: Max can point and shoot, easily, using default controls identical to those found in other first-person or third-person PS2 shooters. Unfortunately, the frame rate really tends to take a dive when more than a couple of enemies are onscreen, which makes the controls feel much less responsive than they should. Another issue with the controls is that Max turns quite slowly. By clicking down on the left thumbstick, however, you can make him turn much more quickly. You'll probably end up doing this all the time, since there's no way to adjust the speed at which Max normally turns. Actually, were it not for Max's unique ability to slow down time, he'd be a pretty boring character to play. In the first game, Max's bullet time ability was used primarily while executing shootdodges. Max would launch himself forward, sideways, or backward while blazing away at his enemies. Bullet time slowed Max down--same as the bad guys--but he'd retain the ability to aim in real time, thus allowing him to draw a bead on multiple enemies while in midjump. Bullet time is different now and, for better or worse, the shootdodge has been de-emphasized as the technique of choice. It's still an option--and a good one. In fact, Max can now optionally stay prone, after landing from a shootdodge, for as long as he continues to fire his selected weapon (till its clip runs out of ammo, anyway). Recovery from shootdodging is a little slower than before, but the main reason it's less essential than it used to be is because now Max is so much more effective on his feet during bullet time.

Unlike the first game, Max does not slow to a crawl during bullet time. Now, as he kills his enemies, his bullet time meter not only regenerates, but it turns from white to yellow. As this happens, time moves even slower while Max moves even faster. After you've killed several enemies in succession, and your meter is yellow, you'll be moving pretty much at full speed while in bullet time. Your foes will be practically helpless to stop you. Bullet time was never intended to be a realistic feature, though it was loosely justified as Max's heightened state of awareness, brought on by the intensity of a life-and-death situation. This new bullet time can't be explained away quite as easily, and it's much more akin to a superhero power. Or maybe it's the power of love? In any case, this new bullet time makes Max Payne 2, to some extent, easier and less tactical than the first game. Whereas the old Max Payne needed to shootdodge from cover to cover, playing it safe, the new Max Payne's best tactic is to run straight at his enemies with bullet time toggled on. This may seem like a counterintuitive approach for a man who's heavily outgunned, but it lends itself to some pretty incredible close-quarters shootouts and gives Max Payne 2 a different feel than its predecessor.