Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (MP2) is a great game, and a great sequel!

When Max Payne 1 came out I did not have a PC, and so I played the PS2 version. It was a horrid port, very bad. So this time since I have a PC, I decided to buy MP2 for my PC, reguardless of how much better the console ports faired this time around.

The game seems too short. But then if it was longer the story line would seem to drag on. And the story line is great. Right now I am close to the end of the game, where I have to protect a guy in a clown outfit.

The dream sequenses this time are not annoying as they were in the first MP. No irritating puzzles and jumping fits this time.

The new Bullet Time(tm) has a nice new feature. You can go into a slow-mo jump, Shoot Dodge, anytime without using up the time in the hour glass. This new Shoot Dodge button is a great addition to the game play, but the game is still not easy! MP2 continues to be a challenge, but a fun challenge.

Since source of Half Life 2 was stolen, this is the first time we get to see the Havoc engine, with the rag doll limbs and the interfactive objects throughout the game. The new interactive environments add a lot to the game, making it feel less rigid as the original MP sometimes did. And seeing limbs fly when you shoot someone in the arm or leg is just great fun, especially when you get a good shot off in Bullet Time(tm) and are treated to slow-mo kill replay.

About halfway through the game you get to play as Mona Sax, and have to fend off bad guys and help Max in a construction site. This part of the game is the most fun as you really have to manage your weapons as well as move around the level to get into position to help Max from above.

MP2 looks beautiful at 1600x1200 and runs quite well at that resolution. If I turn on the advanced graphic options such as Anti Aliasing I have to bump the resolution down just one notch so that it does not jitter.

Great graphics make this a great game to look at. But a well written story line makes this a wonderful game to play. It is well worth picking up.

I am glad I picked up the PC version. If not for the much better resolution, but using a keyboard is much nicer then using a controller for a shooter.

Originally posted on Breaking Windows.