Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Review

Posted by Yuri Goldfeld May 15, 2005

Max Payne was a great game, exemplifying everything good about video games of today (with its intense and flowing shooter gameplay) and hinting at the future of gaming (with its stylish narrative and characters). It was also heavily hyped at the time of its release, but still overwhelmed most expectations in everything but its length. So what about the sequel, Max Payne 2? It arrived on store shelves without nearly as much fanfare. It was really almost a quiet launch compared to most high-profile games of that nature. And it didn't exactly rock the sales charts. The question is: why? Was it the marketing campaign that was weak, or the game itself?

Well, I can tell you for a fact that it wasn't the game itself.

In fact, even after shooter juggernauts like Doom 3, Half-Life 2, and The Chronicles of Riddick, this game still more than holds its own. The only game that even remotely rivals it in the third-person shooter department is the original Max Payne itself.

"The only game that even remotely rivals it in the 3rd person shooter department is the original Max Payne itself."

Max Payne 2 is a direct sequel to Max Payne, and plays much like it. They're both played from a behind-the-back third-person perspective, and both are 95% shooting and 5% projectile weapon throwing (well, perhaps the sequel pushes the percentages to 90/10, which is a welcome change). Fueled by the game's complex, time-jumping narrative, Max (you) takes on literally hundreds of gangsters of all types in various locations, all set against the backdrop of a rainy autumn in New York City (where else?) or, as the game sometimes calls it, Noir York City.

Doesn't sound like much? That's probably because you've never witnessed Bullet-Time. This was by far the best aspect of the original game, and remains so this time around. The game's implementation of Bullet-Time (more specifically, shootdodging) was revolutionary in the gaming world. So Max Payne 2 had a tough act to follow—and yet it managed to improve on the original. Shootdodging (flying, in slow-motion, through the air, while being able to aim in real-time) still works the same way—and is just as effective. It's simple: When a baddie shoots in your general direction, right-click the mouse while using your normal strafe keys (WASD), and you will dive—in slow-motion—in the direction of your movement, while still being able to aim as effectively as normal. You become sort of a supernatural Chow Yun Fat.

"Doesn't sound like much? That's probably because you've never witnessed Bullet-Time."

However, shootdodgin

g no longer drains the Bullet-Time meter at the bottom of the screen, so you can keep doing it to your heart's content. Wouldn't this make the game too easy? No. The enemies are much smarter and quicker in Max Payne 2, so shootdodging will be good enough to get you through the easiest difficulty level, but no farther. This is where actual Bullet-Time comes in. To turn on pure Bullet-Time, just right-click while not moving, or press Shift. Time then slows down, but you're still able to aim in real-time. However, in Max Payne 1, pure Bullet-Time was basically useless, since it drained the meter quickly, not leaving enough for life-saving shootdodging. In Max Payne 2, the more enemies you kill across a short period of time, the more yellow the meter becomes; this makes you move closer to real speed, while your environment (and enemies!!) move at typical slow Bullet-Time speed. So, if you kill many enemies quickly, not only can you aim quickly, but you also become the Flash. The effect is awesome, if oddly superhuman. But the yellow quickly fades, so you'd better make use of it while it lasts, meaning you can't think too long. Bullet-Time also lets you get the first shot off when you round a corner. All-in-all, it’s an excellent system. However, it is somewhat disappointing that the ability to dodge bullets using shootdodging no longer really exists: Your enemies are far too quick to react this time around.

Like the original, Max Payne 2 features a wide arsenal of real-life weapons, many of which, in true John Woo style, can be dually wielded. Not really much change here, except for two important additions. First, there is now an MP5, a submachine gun with a mounted scope which can be used in scope mode even while shootdodging. Second, projectile weapons (grenades and Molotov cocktails) can now be hurled with a secondary fire button, Halo-style. The second addition is especially good; having to manually switch to grenades in such games as Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 seems to me almost criminal in this day and age.

Now I've rambled about Bullet-Time and guns for so long, and both aspects seem perfect—so why "only" a 9 for the gameplay? It's especially strange since MP2 features more interesting gameplay environments than MP1. For example, a tour-de-force layered action sequence between Max and another character (Mona Sax) at a construction site (scaffolding, etc.) is simply stunning, and probably even better than the skyscraper levels of MP1, which were outstanding in their own right. Here is the only problem with the action, costing a point: it's broken up by cutscenes and chapter breaks. A lot. It's not that the cutscenes are bad—they're excellent—but I really want to take my time moving through a level, and I don't want to be interrupted constantly. Cutscenes are good, but then at least make the levels longer. And speaking of the levels, they are 100% linear, just like in the first game, though I am not saying that's a detriment. The last thing I want to do, in a game like this, is to solve puzzles.

There's another excellent element to the gameplay, which almost brings it back to a 10: the physics, courtesy of the Havok engine (also used in Half-Life 2.) Almost everything is movable, and you can actually use this to your advantage. Planks and barrels will fall on enemies after explosions. You can move objects for cover. And there's nothing like a good slo-mo depiction of an enemy flying over a railing. And the pre-scripted and non-pre-scripted explosions have to be seen to be believed. That said, the physics engine, while it looks awe-inspiring, is mostly just for looks. This still greatly enhances the gameplay, just in terms of immersion, but you won't find any physics-based puzzles a-la Half-Life 2 here.

"The sheer amount of detail the level designers put into this game is staggering."

As far as graphics are concerned, at the time of its release, this was easily the best-looking FPS or TPS I had seen yet. And while it doesn't use DirectX 9, it still looks amazing compared to the new crop of DX 9 games (Half-Life 2, Deus Ex: the Invisible War.) I'm not kidding. There are basically two types of quality graphics engines for games like this: (A) Made for big, expansive environments, many players, and a high frame-rate, with lower-res but more colorful textures; (B) Made for smaller, more moody environments, for a single player, with realistic and detailed high-res textures. A fine example of (A) is, say, Unreal Tournament 2004. Max Payne 2 is probably the best example of type (B), perfectly realized (another example is Metal Gear Solid 2 for the PlayStation 2.) The amount of high-res, photosourced texture work for this game is absolutely ridiculous. I mean, you don't notice it because it just seems so right; it feels like you're in a real place, whether it be Max's dilapidated apartment building or Mona's whacked out Funhouse complex. I think this game features the most realistic-looking environments I've ever seen, with the notable exception of Half-Life 2. The sheer amount of detail the level designers put into this game is staggering.

I've talked about environments for so long, you might think there's nothing else to the graphics. The enemies look good, and Max Payne and Mona Sax (making a return appearance from the original) look excellent, with no visible polygons whatsoever. Especially Mona. When she gets naked. ...Moving on, the animations are all stellar (although the enemies can still be a little wooden when moving around), especially once the rag-doll physics kick in. There's also lip-synching; it's not great, but at least it’s there. In general, the characters look good, but not completely perfect like the environments, mainly due to the lack of facial expression animation. Finally, the particle effects and explosions are outstanding—the best in the business. Shell casings, corpses, etc., still persist. Quick note: the slo-mo bullet trail effects don't seem to be as prevalent as in the first game, which is disappointing (but perhaps more realistic).

The lighting looks good, but it's nowhere near real-time (you can't shoot out or move lights, for instance.) Characters have shadows, but they visibly fade away once a character dies. I'd pay good money to see this game upgraded to current-generation lighting technology, but, as it stands, the game looks absolutely spectacular, even without all the bells and whistles present in today's top games. I gave the graphics a 10.

"It's much more than a game: It's an experience."

While I had some reservations about giving the graphics a 10, the sound is definitely perfect. Voice acting (especially for Max and Mona) is great, the Bullet-Time and normal weapon effects are deafening, and the music—which rarely kicks in—is truly rocking (and sometimes haunting, like in the signature Max Payne theme done with cello). And the script... well... film noir to the max. Enough said. (By the way, get ready for some serious f-words. If that sort of thing bothers you, do not buy.)

The replay value is the game's weakness. I was compelled to give it a 6 at first, but then I remembered how the mods came a-flying. So add 1 point. But this game is short. It's unbelievable: eight hours, and that's probably above average, since I explore so carefully. It's a very dense eight hours, with lots of humor and action and story, but it's eight hours. That's shorter than the original, which was already short. I'm not surprised; the levels are too meticulously crafted for this game to be longer and not be diluted, which is the last thing I want (not to mention: 6-year development period, anyone?). But that's not the point. The question is: does it have replay value? The answer is: some, but not much. Difficulty levels unlock one by one, with the most difficult one (Dead On Arrival) having a slightly different ending. That's exciting enough for me to play the game again; and the game is still fun. Add Dead Man Walking (an interesting addition, where one gets to kill as many respawning enemies as one can), and you have some reasons to whip out the game again. But it's not urgent. A generous 7 here.

"A sense of style and grit permeates every image, cutscene, and sound."

Overall, I give this game a 9.3 not just because of all the things mentioned above, but also because it's much more than a game: It's an experience. Why? The story. I haven't said much about it, but it's really the meat of Max Payne 2. It's true that the script for this game is huge. Almost all the enemies engage in conversations, which are always entertaining. And the story arc is outstanding, with the love relationship between Max and Mona both maturely handled and compatible with the story's noir aspirations. It helps that Mona is foxy and deadly, and it helps that the villain (whose identity I won't give away) is charismatic and likeable. I also like the 3-point chronological setup of Max's story (he narrates from point C, the recollection starting at a crisis at point B, quickly moving back to point A, and then resuming from point B to explain how we got to point C.) But it's not just a good story (much better, for the record, than that in the first game); it's amazingly well told, both through in-engine cutscenes and stylish graphic novel panels. The game treats the player like an adult, and I like that. It's definitely not for 9-year-olds. A sense of style and grit permeates every image, cutscene, and sound.

Pros:

- Flowing, violent, stylish gameplay
- Stunning graphics and sound
- Physics and rag-dolls system adds to the immersion
- Great characters, mature story

Cons:

- Even shorter than the original
- Cutscenes interrupt the action
- Bullet-dodging is replaced by acting like the Flash

Reply to This Review

9.3/10

Gameplay: 9

Graphics: 10

Sound: 10

Multiplayer (if applicable): 0

Value: 7