KBell Posted October 18, 2003 Posted October 18, 2003 Yep, Max Payne 2 is finally released and i was there at my local Best Buy to snag the final copy that was on the shelves. The first thing that hits you when you see the game is its casing, which I found to be pretty cool. They didnt settle for those thin 2 inch thick boxes, no, they went THINNER Okay, so right off the bat your probley gonna look at the system specs (if your smart you would ). My system is nowhere near the Alienware type. Inside i hate the standard P4 processor with a $70 GeForce FX 5200 card, so i figured i would take the risk and install it. SUCCESS! You'll hear the familiar Dark Violin music as your start the game, which brings back old memories. As usual, things start off on a confusing foot. Your in a hospital with multiple gunshot wounds and you dont know why. What dissapointed me was the loss of the "Runaway fugitive" Story that all lovers of the original loved. It is replaced with more of a "Film Noir Love Story" as read on the box The storyline is mediocre at best, as it will take you some time to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together, while pumping lead into hundreds of baddies. Which brings me to the next catagory, Gameplay. Gameplay is much the same as the original, infact, its a carbon copy. There are some levels that require you to find a valve to turn or a lever to pull, but other than that it's pretty much a "Shoot first, think later....MUCH later" game. So if you love using the Bullet-time feature, you'll love this game aswell. Sometimes an AI member will join you for a short time, but they're almost useless. Whats different about this game is definetly apparent when you first startup this game, the graphics. Max Payne had recieved a makeover with some wrinkles to his cheeks and alittle experience in his eyes. You may not like the "Older" version of Max, but it fits the story perfectly. Character models are superbly done, with individual faces scrunching as they fire their last rounds of ammo in your general direction. One thing that did Disturb me alittle (And im a Knit-picker mind you ) was the fact that sometimes cutscenes that were not done in the fun Comic Book style, they were done in real time graphics. This may not seem like a problem at all, but when Max or any other Character would talk, their mouths would move like they were chewing stale bread. One MAJOR addition to this series is the Rag Doll physics incorperated. We all know that rag doll physics can either make, or break a game, and this time it made it. Baddies keel over if you shoot them in their gut, others will clutch their shins as your pump their legs full of lead. And when the baddies fall, oh do they fall. Usually what makes a game look ridiculous when attempting Rag-Doll physics is when the baddie falls against the wall, only to have half of his body consumed by the wall. Max Payne 2 fixes that glitch as baddies will slam into the wall and realistically slide down. I came across only one instance where there were clipping issues, and that was late in the game. But other then that, Rockstar pulled the Rag-Doll physics off perfectly. The weapons are the same mostly, with the exception of the MP5. But these weapons do get a visual upgrade. And an Audio upgrade aswell. Bullets realistically ping off of the walls and gunfire sounds more realistic aswell. AI is pretty much the same as in the original. Guards will sometimes throw grenades into a hall that they eventually run through and blow themselves up in. Sometimes if an A.I member joins you, they'll run far ahead of you and try to take on multiple enemys, only to get pumped full of lead and become useless. Other than those minor causualties, these can be overlooked and you may not even notice anything else. The A.I is pretty much standard. If you loved the first one and your waiting for an ending, buy Max Payne 2. If you werent a fan of the original, then this game will not win you over. Much of the original has been used in MP2, with the eception of the graphics, which might just win over newcomers alone. Rating: 8.4/10
Crazy_dog no.3 Posted October 18, 2003 Posted October 18, 2003 We British Islanders have to wait 'till next week to get it.
StormHammer Posted October 18, 2003 Posted October 18, 2003 Thanks for the review, KBell. *waits patiently for Max Payne 2 to arrive on budget release*
KBell Posted October 18, 2003 Author Posted October 18, 2003 Anyone have any opinions on the review? I'm actually trying to snag a position at Pregaming as a Game reviewer and was hopin i could get constuctive critisism on this review? (Besides the grammar errors....*Glares at Wacky*) Oh, and to answer your question Mamba, no demo has been released yet, but you could pick up the original Max Payne for $10, like i said, they're almost alike
RoguePhotonic Posted October 18, 2003 Posted October 18, 2003 I have the game installed but only went to the first real level and quit...had to go to bed for work I will start it today but I do say the ragdoll stuff was done nicely.
Tesla Posted October 18, 2003 Posted October 18, 2003 Max Payne 2 looks great, not out here yet, so when it coems put it's either Max Payne 2 or Halo...can't decide... I'll Play a demo of both then decide
Darth Rythe Posted October 19, 2003 Posted October 19, 2003 That is a must buy! I liked #1 so I should like this one!!!
KBell Posted October 19, 2003 Author Posted October 19, 2003 I liked #1 so I should like this one!!! Not nessesaritly. Its true that Max Payne 2 borrows a lot from its original, but really it depends on what your looking for. If you enjoyed #1 for it's linear gameplay, then im sure you'll love MP2. But if you enjoyed #1 for its gritty story that left you on the edge of your seat, then you'll be dissapointed in Max Payne 2. I mean, i pretty much said this in the review Rythe.
Lost Welshman Posted October 19, 2003 Posted October 19, 2003 I've been hyped up for the Fall of Max Payne. I don't know weather to get it and run it on my upgraded PC or shall I get KOTOR on my xbox. (I'm favoring KOTOR because it hurts to sit at my PC and I can get some decent healing done in the comfort of an armchair playing KOTOR)
Darklighter Posted October 19, 2003 Posted October 19, 2003 I've been waiting with baited breath for this game since it was announced a few months back. Only 5 more days to go, I can't stand the anticipation any longer XP I just think it looks amazing, despite how alike/unlike it is to it's predecessor. By the end of the first game, I just wanted more Max Payne...and now, I nearly have it:D
RoguePhotonic Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 I like when you spray about 5 guys up with double uzi's and he spins around in slow motion with the camera going around him throwing the clips out
KBell Posted October 20, 2003 Author Posted October 20, 2003 Once you start playing the game, you'll see how Near-flawless the ragdoll physics are. Its simply amazing.
Azrael Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 So... how is this the Fall of Max Payne? Wasn't his life bad enough in the first one?
MuRaSaMuNe Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 I got it and it's great, the physics are the best I've seen in a game. But.... its so short, I beat it my first time in 6 hours. Oh well, I hope the modding community can add to this game .
Azrael Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 Originally posted by KBell You'll find out once to buy the game *sigh* I hate you.
Crow_Nest Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 Its out? Great! Maybe i'll get it someday...
Darth Rythe Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 Originally posted by KBell Not nessesaritly. Its true that Max Payne 2 borrows a lot from its original, but really it depends on what your looking for. If you enjoyed #1 for it's linear gameplay, then im sure you'll love MP2. But if you enjoyed #1 for its gritty story that left you on the edge of your seat, then you'll be dissapointed in Max Payne 2. I mean, i pretty much said this in the review Rythe. I liked #1 for all of it, exept maybe the grapics but I'll see.
Crow_Nest Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 Originally posted by Darth Rythe I liked #1 for all of it, exept maybe the grapics but I'll see. The grahpics are good, but the game may sux because they got 3 oout of 6 bullets in the great shooter shoot out in PC G:(
Darth Rythe Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 Yes but I saw Midtown Madness had something like 4 or 5 stars and its not even worth 2.
toms Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 i liked the first one, but it was getting a bit repetetive by the end and i only really finished it to see the end of the story. Now im wondering if enough time has passed that i won't get bored of the gameplay in MP2 quickly. Still, if it is short i might buy it, play it and sell it next weekend.
KBell Posted October 20, 2003 Author Posted October 20, 2003 Now that i got a position on a website, see my exclusive in-depth review on http://www.pregaming.com. Its on the FRONT PAGE!
The_One Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 Originally posted by Azrael So... how is this the Fall of Max Payne? Wasn't his life bad enough in the first one? I believe the "Fall" refers to the Autumn - bloody Americans I am getting it in a few days, can't wait And as for the physics? Gotta love Havok 2 - that's what Half Life 2 uses (Deus Ex 2 and Thief 3 will use the same)...
txa1265 Posted October 21, 2003 Posted October 21, 2003 I have heard it is really short (like Max 1). Question - HOW short? Are we talking Red Faction 2 (5 hours)? Max 1 (~8 hours?), Halo (~10) or ... well, beyond 10 is now a 'long' game. Short games should get a penalty in the reviews. But then it would encourage people to replicate areas in 6 hour games to make then 10 hour games rather than expanding actual content. Oh wait, they did that, it's called Halo ... Mike
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