I remember loving this game as a kid, and I still enjoy large parts of it, but upon replaying it now it's clear to me that as an overall experience it doesn't reach the heights of its predecessor. The gunplay was perfected, that's clear - although on the default difficulty it seems too easy now, as if between games number 1 and 2 Max turned into the Punisher mowing down dozens of goons without breaking a sweat. I enjoy the gameplay of 2 better than 1, however the gameplay (and difficulty) of 1 made more sense within the story and setting. Replaying the game recently I was also shocked at how many levels are dilapidated/unfinished interiors or building sites that seem like an excuse to not produce too many assets. And what might be the most interesting level in the franchise - the funhouse - is used three times, diminishing its initial impact massively. There are some really great moments, my favorite being running around Max's apartment complex and interacting with his neighbors, or employing the help of some unsuspecting mobsters. I also appreciated being able to play several levels as Mona, even if that didn't bring any meaningful change to the gameplay. But these truly fun-filled moments are sparse, even if the game is shockingly short at less than 5 hours. I didn't mind the escort missions too much, and the one with Vinnie Gognitti was actually quite enjoyable due to the character's cartoonish predicament. But the part that I was most disappointed by was the story. The love story between Mona and Max fell completely flat, and the game doesn't try too hard to invest you in that either - you're supposed to care about Mona because for some reason Max falls for her and that's it. I would've loved some more characterization, to see a bit more of Mona's personality and how she interacts with Max outside of helping each other survive among a sea of mobsters. I understand that they share the trauma of losing their loved ones, but to me that fact by itself wasn't enough to pull me in her story. The conspiracy angle revolves mostly around the same characters as in the previous game and rather than feeling excited or surprised by the revelations included in here, I felt like those were some lazy decisions on behalf of writers who couldn't come up with some interesting new story/characters.