Sadly not nearly as good as the first game. The new physics engine is fun and the combat feels good. The weapons are way too accurate and lethal though, and bullet time now regens on it's own over time, making the game a total cakewalk. The story also just failed to really hit the mark this time by feeling way more dry and predictable. Most of the levels felt kind of lukewarm too and the game missed the rising threat and tension that was in the first game. Overall still solid, but just doesn't hold up to the original or the third game.

How Remedy was able to make a game that's this good and has that has aged so little is beyond me. Seeping with charm and action, Max Payne is a timeless classic that deserves to be remembered and praised alongside contemporary innovators like Half-Life and HALO: CE. Bullet Time and Shootdodging never became old throughout my whole playthrough, and the chaotic shootouts feel superb throughout. Combine that with a somewhat cheesy but sincere noir story, and you get a really special game. Only a few hiccups in level design and the annoying dream sections held this game back for me.

This was my first Megaten game, so i wasn't really sure what to expect. The unique setting and atmosphere that originally helped make SMT stand out against a sea of its contemporary JRPGs still feels novel today. Post-apocalyptic settings have been done to death, but SMT's absurd, biblical apocalypse really hooked me. The demon recruitment and fusion mechanics are also solid and require you to frequently switch up your party and rethink your strategy throughout the game. Where the game loses me though is in its exploration and dungeon crawling, which feel deliberately designed to be as monotonous and tedious as possible. Frequent random encounters and complex maze-like layouts make the corridor dungeons quickly become a headache to navigate. I ended up having to following a guide for most of my playtime in order to not lose my mind. Combine that with the fact that the lengthy middle section of the game was kind of aimless plot-wise and SMT becomes a slog to get through. Still though, I did feel compelled to complete it, which counts for something.

Overall, a solid foundation for the of the series that stands out from other JRPGs of the time due to its unique mechanics and setting. The outdated and tedious design however, makes it hard to recommend to most people. I'm glad I completed it, but I would be lying if I said that I actually "enjoyed" myself for most of my playtime. Despite that, I am excited to see how future games in the series build upon it.

About as good as a unnecessary remake for a near-perfect game gets. Gunplay feels great and the addition of parries helps keep you on edge despite better mobility than the original. The writing obviously does not live up to the original by ditching the self-aware B move angle and characters like Salazar and Saddler lost all charm they had before. The environments are well made and stick close to the original while making key changes to keep things fresh. The game is definitely at its strongest when it puts you in an arena with a bunch of enemies and lets you go ham. I look forward to replaying it soon