One of the best games ever...great graphics, sound and most important - characters and story!
Max Payne 2 is even better in my opinion. It combines good graphics and very effective sounds to give the whole experience that extra edge. The story was gripping, and I played it mainly to find out what happens - and thank god the gameplay was as good as the original. Bullet-time is back and helps make sense of the hugely chaotic fights you can find yourself in. There is nothing like diving into a room and taking down three guys before you even touch the floor.
With Mona back in the fray, Max gets some sort of hope...and getting to play as her and see Max doing stuff you did while playing him, is pretty nice. The ending is perfect. Some won't like it, but it is what is meant to be (feel free to discuss it on the Max Payne union forums).
My only annoyances are that one mission where you had to protect someone was very difficult, compared to all the others, and I felt this stopped the flow of the game. The other thing was it was too short! I don't think I would ever find a Max Payne game that wasn't too short, but this really felt like you were just getting into the swing of things when it ended.
Overall, this is one of the best games you can play...and an excellent place for beginers to shooters...I just hope Max Payne 3 can be just as good!