List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $13.97
Today's Bonus: 30% Off
When the original Max Payne hit PC users in 2001, it was generally considered a success. Bullet Time in videogames was still a shiny new concept and the unexpectedly over-the-top "film noir" style kept fans shooting away, despite complaints that, really, you were just doing the same thing over and over.
To a lot of people, however, Max Payne was a game that was far more than the sum of it's parts. Many people (myself included) fell in love with the gritty, absurdly heavy style of the game. Those that didn't really "get it" complained about Max's constant use of insanely overwrought metaphors, ever-present gloom, and ridiculous storyline, but everyone who was able to see it as the campy homage that it was had a blast.
When part 2 was announced, I was thrilled. Max Payne is a series that lends itself pretty well to a sequel because, really, you don't have to change much about the game mechanics. They're pretty simple, and they work fine. It had already come to light that there were going to be no fundamental changes beyond some minor tweaks to Bullet Time and a completely different plot, so it sounded good to me.
And, upon playing through the game in one sitting, that's exactly what I got.
What this means is, if you liked the first Max Payne, you'll like the second one, if you didn't, you won't. Easy as that. Gameplay is IDENTICAL. There are a few alterations to some of Max's moves and skills (i.e. There are now deeper levels of Bullet Time, attained by winning gunfights while under the effects of slo-mo) and a few new weapons (An AK-47 and a somewhat impossible dual-Desert Eagle approach) but that's it.
The really marked improvements over the first game in the gameplay/technical regard are the graphics, which are gorgeous (and Max no longer looks horribly constipated), and the physics engine, which now means Max can bump into and knock over things.
The biggest change, though, is the level design, which is absolutely outstanding. The Fun House stage gets special mention for sheer brilliance in showing what can be done within the game engine if you're creative enough, and thankfully the more annoying stages from the first game (namely, Max's fever dreams) have been completely redone to be much more playable.
Plot wise, this game has me with some mixed feelings. The story is much tighter this time around, and both it and the rest of the game feel toned down from the slightly insane events of the first game. Depending on what you actually thought of the first game, this can be seen as either a good or bad thing.
For example, while the game has kept the much-beloved "graphic novel" storytelling, Max's own personal narration on things (read: some of the most ridiculous metaphors ever recorded) has been mostly dropped in favor of dialouge. There's no massive snowstorm this time around to act as a parallel to Max's own battle, and neither killer designer drugs, evil corporations, shadowy secret societies, or the occult play a role in the story. Instead we have the less fantastic but more solid plot concerning gangsters, lovers, assassins, and lots and lots (and lots) of bullets.
Again, this garners mixed feelings. If you liked Max Payne 1 but thought it was just a little too warped in the story department, then part 2 will be dead-on for you. Personally, I slightly prefer the story from part 1, but there's no denying that Max Payne 2 is the better game in all other regards, and it's not such a radical departure that it feels weird. This is still Max Payne, and the game developers were well aware of this, make no mistake.
On a final note, someone on the Dev. Team also figured "Hey, since the game is M-rated, why have we been censoring the curse words, anyway?" It's a good question, and one I was asking myself during Max Payne 1. I don't think that games should be loaded with curse words just for the fun of it, but when I have a mob foot soldier calling me a "freakin' cop" repeatedly, I almost feel more insulted than if he'd just let fly with the F-word. I mean, Max Payne (either of them) make no bones about the fact that they're adult games, and they're already violent enough that kids should be nowhere near them, so maybe we could actually let our mafia bullet-sponges let out a blue word or two?
Max Payne 2 does just that, and thank God. In the same way that The Sopranos does, Max Payne 2 lets it all hang without actually drawing attention to it, and the result is dialouge that sounds a lot less, well, video game-y.
So, bottom line, Max Payne 2 is an outstanding game in it's field, which is straight-up, heavily stylized action. It's about as long as the first game, has better graphics, has MUCH better level design, and is really everything fans of the series could have asked for. PC and Xbox versions are near-identical, so go with whichever is more comfortable, and get ready for a Max Payne love story.
A violent, bullet-riddled, hard-boiled love story, but is there really any other kind?
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Never has there been a crime game saga like that of "Max Payne". It has revolutionized it's genre of gaming. "Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne" is a mesmerizing follow up to the original. The first one set the standard and this second chapter followed the original very well. Once again the game has a breathtaking storyline filled with stunning visuals of brutal and mesmerizing action. This time we guide Max through the web of controversy revolving around his love interest Mona Sax. At the climax we see her perspective as we have the chance to guide her through the adventure as our battered hero is fighting for his life. The game holds your intrigue throughout and delivers a heart pounding climax at the end. After completing the detective mode you then test your endurance in 4 more intense perspectives of the crime epic of Mr. Payne. This one is an original along with its predecessor. The "Max Payne" saga will go down as one of the greatest and most influential games in video game history.
No comments:
Post a Comment