The lingering Payne

Max Payne 2: the fall of Max Payne starts in the middle of things. You are in the hospital and you wonder how, what and why. You just look around to find yourself, bandaged and unrecognizable (probably thanks to better facial animation and graphic fidelity). The rain and the rhythm like thunder remind you that you are in a dark history. While you numb your thumbs, get out of the room, you get a hallucination from Mona Sax. She adds "love" in "A Black Love Story". You start to immerse yourself deeper, without knowing if in a fragment of your mind or in the real hospital. Soon you come across a 9mm and that's how a villain appears. The time slows down automatically and you shoot the masked author. He ragdolls quite impressive death and breaks the shelves behind him. Now you know Max Payne 2.

Just let us do one thing, the writing is excellent. Max seems to have found time in the two-year gap between suites, encompassing all kinds of modern literature. Things were very confusing at first. Especially if you have not played the first game, but you have created some predictable twists and you have a very interesting story. The best way to experience the package is to reread the story for a clearer description. Honestly, I think Mona Sax served Max's wish, as the revenge of his wife. He does not really care about the arms trade and the gangs we're used to. In fact, I would say that history uses it as a backdrop for the love story that follows. In general, I felt that the story was a little weaker. Mainly because it was as if most of the turns were made for practical reasons. While Max Payne 1 was almost a clear story of revenge, Max Payne 2 felt like a sick puppy story.

Gone is ‘constipated’ Max from the first game. Almost every character in the game is remodel. Talk about progression.

It is amazing what 2 years of graphic evolution can do. Apart from Hud, Max Payne 2 does not look anything like the first entry. The enemy models are also varied, from your hateful first class band to the gangs of uniformed maids. The excellent voice game continues, this time with the correct lip synchronization. Enemy enemy between laps also, this time with fewer repetitions. The big difference here, and probably one of the best improvements in the game, is the new physics engine used. This game made in the sky has enemies that interact not only with the shots, but also with the environment that surrounds them. The bodies will come out of several boxes and the boxes will move correctly. It really increases the satisfaction of exploiting many things, but when you see them they twist realistically once the bullets stop all at the same time.

The dream sequence no longer has that weird platforming sections. Now, they are punctuated by the heavy use of visual distortion.

This is where things are divided a little. The Dodge firing mechanisms have now been somewhat modified. Max can now shoot even after landing on the ground. However, the bullet bullet concept has been completely revised. The time of the ball now lasts longer and fills up much faster than the first one. Its effects increase when you kill enemies. In a moment, Max will not be affected by the time of the balls and will become a blur: killing dozens and dozens of villains at will in super slow.

An example of Max in ‘max’ bullet time as seen by the yellow tint on the screen. Those buggers in the van stood no chance. Note the dead bodies

The gameplay of the suite no doubt encourages a more fun and audacious approach to the sometimes methodological approach of the previous entry. Personally, I felt that the game was not as satisfying as the first because there is little reflection on enemy encounters. In the previous game, you plan carefully when and where to use your ball time. I mean, there were parts of the game that I went through without using it. But in the future, you feel obligated to use the balls for the simplest of enemy meetings simply because you can afford it. Another department that I missed was the variety of weapons. It was based mainly on the first game and in general, the shots are much lower.

Mona retains all of Max abilities. She has an extra cartwheel move in place of the dodge which moves faster and overall more slick looking. Feisty.

However, one thing that the following did better was the variety of the mission. You have missions where you have to protect an NPC and guide it. There is also a pair where you play Mona Sax. He felt more agile than Max and had access to the Dragunov. Good trick. There are also some missions where Max is in a free combat zone, which allows him to explore the police headquarters and interact with the NPC, which always leads to really fun encounters. Replayability is also something where the next book. The new entry as a survival mission will really put your skills to the test with Max (intentionally).

In some occasions, Max will be assisted by NPCs like these two. They’re not really that effective in combat but it is refreshing to see people on Max’s side.

Max Payne 2: the fall of Max Payne is more than a competent third-person shooter. In fact, it is probably one of the best of its kind on PC. However, as Max Payne's game, it does not offer something as good and forceful as the first, which is not a trivial matter. The story was not so convincing and, in general, less obscure. Do not get me wrong, the fall of Max Payne is always a great game. This can be very addictive, especially when it comes to cleaning a room of the bad guys as quickly as possible. While the first entry was probably an excellent option for extended school holidays, to really soak up the atmosphere, Max Payne 2 is perfect for pauses for food to satisfy the fingers of the hand.

About Juan Sufyan

Mass Communication Student @ Republic Polytechnic.
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