Rating: 
Summary: Max Payne 2
Review: Max Payne 2 is easily one of the most entertaining and visually beautiful games of 2003. With a combination of a non-linear story, vast visuals, a wide array of weapons for gameplay, and one of the greatest in game features-bullet time-this is easily a must by. Let's rate it.Graphice: The graphics in Max Payne 2 ar wonderful and beautifully put together. The charcaters are no longer scaned giving them a real-life look but rather graphically created which at first dissapointed me but I soon came to love them. Though unless you have some of the latest softwar you will need to set the standerds for gameplay on low setting: this does not take away from the overall game as it is still sound on the lowest of settings. Sound: The sound in the game matches perfectly for all of the happenings around you. From opening closets and doors to shooting a Desert Eagel through glass it matches perfectly. The same goes with the character voices. Story: The story in the Max Payne series is anything but linear. It does not flow in order as a normal game would but rather takes you on one path a few days before, then your partners path, then what is happening right now, then back to the gameplay. Do you see what I mean. The story it self is very sound though some might be turned down by the on going love-hate relationship. The story has twists, turns, betrayls, murder, love, friendship, and, who could forget, a gun. Gameplay: The gameplay is were Max Payne gets its glory. Between the endless onslaught of your enemy. The massive arsenal that you carry which, I believe, is over 15 including Gernades, Machine guns, Dual-Pistols, and Automatic Shotguns. Oh, and one more thing, did I mention that you can go Matrix-style and freeze time so that Max can fire bullets quicker and dog them as well? The Good:
-A wonderful story.
-Beautiful graphices.
-A top-of-the-line bullet time system. The Bad:
-Game/story is too short.
-Might not be able to get the best gameplay with an old computer.
-Can become a little tricky in some parts in the game without a little bit of practice and luck. The Ugly:
-Once again, too short of a story in my mind. Overall:
-Graphics: 8/10
-Sound: 9/10
-Story: 8/10
-Gameplay: 9/10
Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful Epic of a Game...
Review: Max Payne 2 is a different breed of game. it even steps away from the roots of its predecessor. Max Payne 2 is an overly violent game with everything a great story of film noir and love should have. It has blood, love, and sex. The story is really quite beautiful Of course, max Payne 2 has everything a great game should have.
Max Payne 2 starts where Max Payne ended. Of course, the story strays, and Mona Sax now plays a much larger role in the game. Max continues his struggle to find his puruers and his family's killers, all the while betraying the NYPD and following a trail of love left by the luscious Mona Sax.
Max Payne 2 updates everything that made the first game so wonderful. It still incorporates bullet time, but incorporates new control functions, new characters, and much improved graphics and sound. The graphics in Max Payne 2 are beautiful. The environments look wonderful, but the character models are simply beautiful. Of course, like any other high-end game, Max Payne 2 offers a much better experience to high-end computers. Mine is three years old, and it still functioned up to the highest standards. I put everything to the highest level and had very little slowdown.
Max Payne has been updated as a character as well. He now has better facial expressions and doesn't just look like he has severe constipation. His character is much more heartfelt and has more emotions as well.
Max Payne is dark and gritty, and plays out like a beautiful film noir story with guns and deep love. It is a beautiful game, and has very few faults. The only complaint I have is that it is terribly short, but other than that, the game is close to perfection. I advise any fan of dark, gritty, beautiful tales and games to check out this miracle of a video game.
Rating:
Summary: "That old familar feeling."
Review: This is my favorite PC game by far! I'll admit I haven't played that much in the way of games, but I have never been addicted to one as much as this. This game is like being in control of a John Woo film in almost every aspect; the way you use the shoot-dodge, the gun in each hand, the slow motion, even the Hong-Kong-Mexican standoff in the cinematics. It's so cool!! Max is once again up too his neck in problems, but this time it seems like it's the choices he's making for some bizarre reasons are resulting in his problems. He's back to being a detective but he seemingly hates his life know. Several other characters from the first game make apppearances in this game; Vladimir Lem, Vinnie Gognitti, Alfred Woden and most deliciously, Mona Sax. On three of the chapters you actually get to PLAY Mona Sax. Quite the fem-fatalle! What can you say about the a character who hold a .44 Desert Eagle in each hand? They were able to fix the problems with the first game. My favorite of them is the fact you do enter Max's dreams again but there's no maze to go through and you can't die in them, good poetic idea the first game but a waste of time. The bullet time has been improved. The best aspect is you can shoot when you hit the ground instead of having to wait. You also visit the same location three times in three different ways, I love that damn funhouse. An excellent game! My favorite addiction by far!
Rating:
Summary: One hell of a game; a landmark
Review: In 2001, Rockstar Games released MAX PAYNE, an instant hit that raised the bar for video gaming excellence (which was done two more times by Rockstar with GRAND THEFT AUTO III and GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY). Now, with MAX PAYNE 2: THE FALL OF MAX PAYNE, they have once more raised the bar. Video gaming has reached a whole new level, beyond the primitive shoot 'em up games of the early 80's; with MAX PAYNE 2, they are now works of art. STORY: Fresh from his adventures in the original game, NYPD detective Max Payne once again ventures into the darkest regions of the New York underworld when his old flame, Mona Sax, returns. Throw Sax in with problems at work, a murder attempt on one of Max's "friends", and a cleaning company with guns, and you've got a serious problem on your hands. GAMEPLAY: [9/10] Very, very fun. Just as successful in letting out your anger as GTA III or the original MAX PAYNE. Movement is strong and graceful, even as the dead bodies fly; fans of the original game will jump with joy when they discover "Bullet Time" (the bullet dodging seen in films like THE MATRIX and those of Johh Woo) is still here. DESIGN: [9/10] The sets in which the game take place are excellent. They perfectly capture the feeling of murkiness associated with the underworld. Dark, dank, and very unpleasant. GRAPHICS: [9.5/10] Excellent. Hardly any problem at all. The figures are great and lifelike, Rockstar's best design yet. I didn't have any problems whatsoever. Nearly flawless. SOUND: [8/10] Very good. You might wish for some more power or realism in the gunshots and explosions every once in a while, but the overall sound is very satisfying. LENGTH: [8/10] The game's a little short, and those of you excellent gamers out there will get so hooked you might finish it before the day ends. DIFFICULTY: [8/10] Some levels are fun and very enjoyable, others are wall-punchingly hard. (Is that a new one - "wall-punchingly"?) OVERALL: [9/10] An extraodinary game. Think of it is as a modern day "Casablanca" meets "Goodfellas" meets "A Better Tomorrow". In fact, MAX PAYNE 2 is more of an interactive film than a video game. Movie buffs will love it, and gamers will cherish it. One of Rockstar's best yet.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant - The Most Gripping Shooter Ever
Review: Max Payne 1 blew my mind; but Max Payne 2 took it three steps further and left me in utter disbelief; it takes the shooter genre way over the top to glorious new heights, improving on every aspect of the game several fold; better level design, better graphics, incredible 3D physics engine, better acting, better character models (I think the new Max is MUCH more convincing; having a 20 year old play Max Payne as in Max Payne 1 was a little hard to believe). There is no game with the ambiance, the style, of this super Noirish thriller. It deserves an Academy Award. If you want a shooter, this is it! No hesitation required; you will be thrilled and engulfed by this stellar achievement!
Rating: 
Summary: Time for an honest review of Max Payne 2
Review: Folks, it's time to take an honest look at whether or not Max Payne 2 is really worth it. While this game has been hyped despite poor sales as admitted by Take Two CEO Jeff Lapin, I thought I'd step in and give an honest review of this game. Yes, this game is somewhat better than the first but only because of the enhancement in graphics. If some of the levels in Max Payne 2 look familiar, it is because they were the same as the ones in the first Max Payne only a bit more enhanced. Like the first game, there's no multiplayer and as soon as the game ends, the fun is lost to the point that you have nothing to gain by trying the harder skill levels since they're easy right after the first couple of levels since it's the same numver of enemies and you only have to hit them in the face or in the case of Max Payne 2 let them blow themselves up or knock each other out. However, what's worse is that unlike the first Max Payne where there's a little refreshment after coming back, the second game leaves no room for getting a refreshing look after say a few months and that's where replayability comes in. Also, the hardware requirements for Max Payne 2 are not justified since it's the same as the first Max Payne. You'll notice it once you try and compare both Max Payne 1 and 2 on a machine that has more than enough requirements for Max Payne 2. I hate to be a tough grader but this game could have been a bigger improvement rather than a rehash from the first.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding game that doesn't last long enough
Review: *NOTE: This review is from itreviews.co.uk*
The common prediction when Max Payne shot onto the scene back in 2001 was that it would spawn a slate of imitators, not least for its slo-mo bullet time gimmick, itself a loving testament to the film The Matrix. And yet those imitators didn't really happen. Save for a sloppy attempt in the official Enter the Matrix game, bullet time was left firmly in the domain of Max, while no game since has been able to capture the sheer cinematics that contributed to Max Payne's success. Well, not until now anyway. A very warm welcome then to Max Payne 2, and ripping up convention for a second, we're going to get straight to the criticisms. If you found game one linear, then those moans aren't going to be settled here. If you - rightly - thought that game one was too short, then you're again going to be frustrated at the length of the sequel. And if you like games that plump you slap bang into the middle of the action, without bothering with luxuries such as a story, characters and a plot, then you've lucked out again. Everyone else? This is a cast iron, solid gold gaming treat. From the very off it's quickly clear that the developers have opted for more of the same rather than the proverbial reinvention of the wheel, and have concentrated their energies on making what they've got extra special. In few areas does this manifest itself more than in the plot. Not only, you see, does Max Payne 2 bother to have a story, it has a really interesting and involving story, replete with twists, turns and a bit of dark romance at the heart of it all. Sure, this may mean the game rarely gives you the freedom to explore that, for example, a Deus Ex might, but it does mean that you're left to sit back and let the game do a lot of the hard work, rather than you aimlessly traipsing around a virtual world with no sight of an A-Z. It also results in you getting very, very involved in the game, and the world it presents. Onto the gameplay then, and the whole show follows the same over-the-shoulder angle of the original. There's a lesser amount of puzzle solving, a little more exploration and bags of action, and once again, clicking that right mouse button slows the action down, Matrix-style, allowing you a valuable advantage over a room full of people thirsting for your blood. Plus it adds a whole degree of panache to the proceedings, and the whole cinematic feel to the game. And then there's the level design. Max Payne 2 has, in this reviewer's humble opinion, one of the finest levels to grace a computer game in recent times. It takes place roughly half-way through the game, as Max finds himself in a seemingly deserted fun house. From this simple set up, the game wrings so much tension that there's a slight danger your backside and chair may become disassociated from one another. But then the game is full of moments like that, always willing to pull the rug when you least expect it, and bothering to throw in strange scenarios such as escorting a man in a children's entertainer costume while protecting him from gunfire. What's more, it never makes you question just how bizarre it can get until you sit back at the end of it all. Max Payne 2 then is outstanding entertainment. There's no question it doesn't last long enough, which leaves you with a conundrum. Would you rather have a decent game that lasts you a while, or a five star effort that lasts you the weekend? Our vote's with Max. Verdict: At its best, Max Payne 2 is outstanding. It's a polished, involving and deeply engrossing action adventure that simply doesn't last long enough.
Rating:
Summary: Wooo
Review: I'll make it short. The good Bullet time 2.0 just flat out kicks ass. You shoot, shoot, and shoot in Bullet Time and then, just as you're out of ammo and you think, "Oh crap, I'm dead." You suddenly do a bullet time spin, reload your gun, and bring it right back to the ready position in split-second timing. Badass. Add that to the graphically beautiful...graphics...and you're good to go. The story's wonderful too. A film noir love story (as though you haven't heard that already) mixing in a love affair with Mona Sax and Max Payne, and it seems like everyone's trying to shoot them right in the middle. The bad The story's great, but it tends to drag sometimes. And the dream sequences...uh, I'm all for normal story and all, but do we HAVE to keep running through an endless maze of doors just to get past 4 guys who kill you/you kill? Also, it's short. Real short. Like finish-in-10-hours short. As in why-the-heck-didn't-they-do-something-else?! The ugly Chances are you're gonna be staring this one in the face, for a long time after you beat it. Beautiful and damn fun, but when it's over it's over.
Rating:
Summary: Max Payne 2 is great, but much shorter than it's predisesor
Review: Im a fan of Max Payne to begin with. This game was a marval for graphics and interface, and just a all round good game. and the Havoc engine (rag doll and knocking over everything) is just amazing,
There are a few drawbacks.
1. The game is much shorter than it's predisesor and can easily be beaten in a weekend (it would probly be a better rent for the PS2 version than to buy
2. the other draw back, is that you cant select difficulty settings at the first time you go through it, so you start out on easy, and it was too easy to go through the first time, I usauly set my games at the hard setting the first time i go through, because i feel, thats the time where all the magic and adventure is. (recomend that people look for a crack that unlocks the harder levels right away, first mode is too easy)
3. the third drawback is the plot line is not nearly as deep as the first one, and your arnt as woven into the story like you were in the first one,
Great graphics, the movements are very fluid, and the character and scenic CG were just amazing. I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys a good adventure game and wants a few days of just good action fun,
but if you are goin to buy it, recomend looking for it for 30.00 dollars, its worth that, get much higher, and... well, you may be disapointed,
Rating:
Summary: Re:Outstanding game that doesn't last long enough
Review: Max Payne 1 may have been sort of outstanding but Max Payne 2 comes nowhere close. Just about any other game could easily take all the hyped features of this game and thus bury it. And don't forget no multiplayer and the fact that it is extremely boring after the first play. The only thing different in the toughest skill level is Mona is alive instead of dead which is the dumbest thing a game developer could come up with to try to make the skill levels unique.
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