Max Payne 2 reviewed

Just finished playing Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. A choc full it was, but not a patch on the 1st version. Here r my 2 bits on this game

PROS: Max looks more like a cop w/ balls in this new outting. Earlier he had a smug wiseguy look. All the characters where fleshed out much better thanks to good voice overs & real-life stunt guys to simulate realistic reactions. Graphics wise this game was pretty good. Twists & turns in the story r dropped on u at the right moment. As a result u've this strong urge to know whats next & this adds to the ferocity of ur fire fights.

CONS: Quiet a lot actually. Horrible level design. Remember the subway & last few levels in Max Payne? U got shot most of the time just coz u had no idea of the orgy that was waiting for u at the next turn. Plus u ended up using the bullet-time feature in tight spots. In the sequel the levels consisted of small rooms & the occasional grandiose halls. No brainer- Open door fling grenade-step in finish left overs. Bullet time was something u used if u have the lousiest aim on earth. Alternatively u could walk in & shoot away (while praying that the chap w/ shot gun isn't quick & close enough).

Max Payne had the noire thing just right. There were little humorous things abound in the form wise cracks frm Payne himself, T.V. programmes etc. Max Payne 2 felt like u where playing one of those TV programmes. Horrible monologues, it almost felt like I was playing a pathetic spoof of the 1st game.

Overall: The story & action combo was superbly entertaining. The gun fights could have been more intense. But I expect they wanted us to play in harder difficulty settings. But once u've finished the story what more is there to it?

The most awesome part abt the game was this song called 'Late Goodbye' by Poets of the fall. U can hear it when they roll the credits at the end of the game. The song goes hand in hand w/ the end. Singer sounds like Michael Stipe (R.E.M. vocalist) but w/o his peculiar style of vocals. The music on this is a classic example of balance between all things acoustic & electric. Try downloading it of a P2P file sharer or something.

Lyrics of 'Late Goodbye'