Aesthetically, Max Payne 2 is a success. It nails the noir vibe very well. The story is pretty pulpy, but entertaining nevertheless. The visuals are a complete step up from the first game, and still look great today. That said, mechanically, it feels like a game that was pretty solid at the time of its release, but unfortunately has been improved upon by games in its genre over time.
In particular, the camera distance is a bit too far behind Max; fighting enemies in a large area often felt like picking ants off a wall with a pistol. Enemy reaction speed doesn't really account for this, and I found myself regularly killed by foes I couldn't parse amidst environmental details. I did some searching, and found a mod that allows you to edit camera distance values. I pulled in the camera in closer, above the waist, pointing over Max's shoulder, and found myself having more fun with the game. It increased my precision, at little to no cost of spatial awareness.
Out of curiosity, I tried out a first person mod, and found the transition surprisingly seamless. It makes sense that this feels almost like it was designed as an FPS. Third person games weren't as fleshed out at the time Max Payne 2 released. With a lot of the standouts in the genre, you notice that enemies aren't as snappy to react as they are in first person shooters, as player perception is inhibited in comparison. There is also usually a mix of hitscan, projectile, and melee enemies, where as this game only really has the first in the list. Though this is purely an observation, not necessarily a flaw of the game.
I also have a few nitpicks with some of Max's movement options. Crouching is more important than you might think. It shrinks Max's hitbox a considerable size, and helps steady sniper aim. That said, you can't move while crouching, and you can't toggle crouching. Really, the former I can live without, but the latter would've been appreciated. The dive mechanic looks cool, but I didn't find much use for it, and I honestly completed the game fine without it.
That said, I loved pretty much everything else about the game. The gun-feel is incredible. The arsenal is huge, and I found myself using every weapon in the game. Max's mobility options, despite my nitpicks, are pretty robust. The time-stop is an incredibly useful mechanic, and it is fun learning how to use it properly. The combat itself is perfect, and once I amended my issues with the camera, I found myself having a ton of fun with the game's various combat scenarios.
I also want to quickly shout out the Xbox port, which I played a few levels from out of curiosity. It doesn't look much worse than the PC port at its highest settings. The enemy speed is lowered; almost a bit too slow, but it does make the game a lot more manageable. That said, you no longer have the precision of a mouse, so it evens out. The control scheme is surprisingly good! Crouch can be toggled in this version, which fixes one of my earlier issues. My only complaint is no adjustable aim sensitivity, instead replaced with a button that increases your aiming speed. Overall, it's a nice port, and a good way to play this game, especially if you'd rather play with a controller!
Max Payne's writing, coming from Remedy, has always intrigued me. I am a sucker for anti-heroes, and Max isn't a perfect person. We know this. He knows this. We also know the institutions he's dedicated his life to are corrupt at the core, and I love that these games are willing to have that dialogue, steering away from being copaganda. It could be said that this game, compared to the first, focuses a lot more on character relationships than it does on any sort of subtext, but I thought it was fine. The final cutscene is a bit anticlimactic, especially after the amazing final setpiece. That said, the cast is fun, the writing is great, and I'm a sucker for the little comic-book interludes.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Max Payne 2. It improves upon the first game in a lot of ways. It is a little dated in this day and age, but its still an enjoyable experience. The game clocks out at around 5 hours, which in my opinion, is the perfect length. If you enjoyed the first game, and wanted more of this world, give it a shot. Chances are you'll really like this one.
In particular, the camera distance is a bit too far behind Max; fighting enemies in a large area often felt like picking ants off a wall with a pistol. Enemy reaction speed doesn't really account for this, and I found myself regularly killed by foes I couldn't parse amidst environmental details. I did some searching, and found a mod that allows you to edit camera distance values. I pulled in the camera in closer, above the waist, pointing over Max's shoulder, and found myself having more fun with the game. It increased my precision, at little to no cost of spatial awareness.
Out of curiosity, I tried out a first person mod, and found the transition surprisingly seamless. It makes sense that this feels almost like it was designed as an FPS. Third person games weren't as fleshed out at the time Max Payne 2 released. With a lot of the standouts in the genre, you notice that enemies aren't as snappy to react as they are in first person shooters, as player perception is inhibited in comparison. There is also usually a mix of hitscan, projectile, and melee enemies, where as this game only really has the first in the list. Though this is purely an observation, not necessarily a flaw of the game.
I also have a few nitpicks with some of Max's movement options. Crouching is more important than you might think. It shrinks Max's hitbox a considerable size, and helps steady sniper aim. That said, you can't move while crouching, and you can't toggle crouching. Really, the former I can live without, but the latter would've been appreciated. The dive mechanic looks cool, but I didn't find much use for it, and I honestly completed the game fine without it.
That said, I loved pretty much everything else about the game. The gun-feel is incredible. The arsenal is huge, and I found myself using every weapon in the game. Max's mobility options, despite my nitpicks, are pretty robust. The time-stop is an incredibly useful mechanic, and it is fun learning how to use it properly. The combat itself is perfect, and once I amended my issues with the camera, I found myself having a ton of fun with the game's various combat scenarios.
I also want to quickly shout out the Xbox port, which I played a few levels from out of curiosity. It doesn't look much worse than the PC port at its highest settings. The enemy speed is lowered; almost a bit too slow, but it does make the game a lot more manageable. That said, you no longer have the precision of a mouse, so it evens out. The control scheme is surprisingly good! Crouch can be toggled in this version, which fixes one of my earlier issues. My only complaint is no adjustable aim sensitivity, instead replaced with a button that increases your aiming speed. Overall, it's a nice port, and a good way to play this game, especially if you'd rather play with a controller!
Max Payne's writing, coming from Remedy, has always intrigued me. I am a sucker for anti-heroes, and Max isn't a perfect person. We know this. He knows this. We also know the institutions he's dedicated his life to are corrupt at the core, and I love that these games are willing to have that dialogue, steering away from being copaganda. It could be said that this game, compared to the first, focuses a lot more on character relationships than it does on any sort of subtext, but I thought it was fine. The final cutscene is a bit anticlimactic, especially after the amazing final setpiece. That said, the cast is fun, the writing is great, and I'm a sucker for the little comic-book interludes.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Max Payne 2. It improves upon the first game in a lot of ways. It is a little dated in this day and age, but its still an enjoyable experience. The game clocks out at around 5 hours, which in my opinion, is the perfect length. If you enjoyed the first game, and wanted more of this world, give it a shot. Chances are you'll really like this one.