Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

 PC
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1559 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,393 out of 1559
  2. Mixed: 141 out of 1559
  3. Negative: 25 out of 1559
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  1. ReviewZone212
    Jan 30, 2013
    10
    Atfer a long time, I play this game once again, Im really impressed, the game is really good, bullet time moments are to funny and the game is really intresting as well as emotionally engaging.
  2. Sean-M
    Jul 23, 2020
    10
    This game is a true masterpiece. Great gameplay, story, atmosphere and characters. Can't really forget about this game.
  3. ERB
    Aug 26, 2013
    10
    One of the best PC games I've ever played.It was no surprise that this game would get a high score.I mean the first Max Payne game is one of the best game ever made so I was expecting that the sequel was gonna be good.The game play is good and even the storyline of the game is great.But those parts are not the best parts of the game,the best part is the Bullet time.Yeah I know any gameOne of the best PC games I've ever played.It was no surprise that this game would get a high score.I mean the first Max Payne game is one of the best game ever made so I was expecting that the sequel was gonna be good.The game play is good and even the storyline of the game is great.But those parts are not the best parts of the game,the best part is the Bullet time.Yeah I know any game that is great should have Bullet Time effects because It always look good in gaming.So I'm giving this game a 10/10 score because this game is great.I like this game.… Expand
  4. BigBiggo
    Dec 8, 2014
    9
    I have played the game at least four times and still have trouble following the story since I'm just eager to get to the next shooting bit. Max Payne 1 has the stronger story by far but the gameplay and atmosphere still rocks here. Gameplay feels quite different from MP1 and should therefore be played differently. MP1 was more tactical and calculated whilst MP2 is constant insanity. LookI have played the game at least four times and still have trouble following the story since I'm just eager to get to the next shooting bit. Max Payne 1 has the stronger story by far but the gameplay and atmosphere still rocks here. Gameplay feels quite different from MP1 and should therefore be played differently. MP1 was more tactical and calculated whilst MP2 is constant insanity. Look past the dated visuals and play this now.… Expand
  5. Pranay6
    Sep 3, 2013
    10
    The sequel of Max Payne is just like it but better.Max Payne 2 like original has good story and game play but the thing that make it better that most of thing in missions are movable that why I like it.Again the best thing
    about it is BULLET TIME.
  6. AWG
    Jun 4, 2013
    9
    The second chapter of one of the most epic trilogies in the entire history of videogames and a female character to die for. The movie was bad but it didn't kill the franchise and every kiddo who just watched the movie without playing this game should immediately... REMEDY to this. Got it? Remedy.
    I'm so funny.
  7. morfil
    Nov 1, 2013
    9
    The saga continues.Even you're a hard person to find things good in later comers,you'll find all the things you loved in first one.Dark atmosphere,action with 'bullet-time' quality,high-level graphics...And in this one our guy is not alone;if you're looking for a femme-fatale keeping secrets,mysteries,it's Mona Sax what you need.A story with lies,deceptions.A man trying to find the groundThe saga continues.Even you're a hard person to find things good in later comers,you'll find all the things you loved in first one.Dark atmosphere,action with 'bullet-time' quality,high-level graphics...And in this one our guy is not alone;if you're looking for a femme-fatale keeping secrets,mysteries,it's Mona Sax what you need.A story with lies,deceptions.A man trying to find the ground from his eternal fall.That's what we call Max Payne genre.

    The newest thing about the game is the change in the face of Max Payne.Deadsure this new look is better.The new holds all the sorrow,and fatigue which the years gifted to him.And besides Max Payne,Mona Sax's join gives game a new level.We can into the thoughts of her by the dialogs,the oil-printed screens between chapters.And in some chapters we are playing Mona Sax character besides Max Payne.That's another reason that when everything comes up to a conclusion in the end,we feel the loss,the pain in our hearts better.We exactly live the feelings these two characters live.

    The screenplay is more complicated.The bad men,the conspiracies,the things tricky.We don't kill the men just because game wants,we don't go with the flow;we are aware all the going on.This is the success of the screenplay and the videos between the chapters to keep us in the same direction as the game is on the wheel.Also in some chapters we play in the events which happened during the chapter we played before.These are some of the developments about the cinematic and storytelling side of the second game.

    There are two things I'd like to tell.First one;this one is not just a game to continue the series.It is connected with the first game both in story and character side.And it feels like it will go on.The second thing is the song playing in the end:Late Goodbye by Poets Of The Fall.Only the ones who play this game can understand how it makes you feel.

    So play this game and see how it plays with the ides about 'falling' in your mind.Ask yourself:Is there anything he didn't lose as he lives in his eternal fall? and will ever be ground for him to reach?    … Expand
  8. gracjanski
    May 13, 2018
    9
    Max Payne was a masterpiece and the 2nd part has even better graphics, so it could be a better game. Could... in my view the story has too many twists and is not reliable. In addition I didnt like how weak Max was behaving related to Mona: always thinking about her... like a teenie. Not reliable either.
    The gameplay is in core like in the first part, but a bit easier until the end. At the    Max Payne was a masterpiece and the 2nd part has even better graphics, so it could be a better game. Could... in my view the story has too many twists and is not reliable. In addition I didnt like how weak Max was behaving related to Mona: always thinking about her... like a teenie. Not reliable either.
    The gameplay is in core like in the first part, but a bit easier until the end. At the end the KI was aiming very ridiculously. These are the reasons, why I gave 9/10 and 10/10 for the first part.    … Expand
  9. MadKlauss
    Nov 19, 2013
    10
    Max Payne 2 is a great squeal, to bad they changed the face of Max Payne. I preferred Sami Järvi. (He wrote the story for Max Payne 1 and 2 and the lyrics for ''Late Goodbye'' Max Payne 2 ending song) The story's great with showing how Max copes with the grief of his murdered wife and baby daughter.
  10. DeusXCom
    Sep 21, 2014
    8
    Very good sequel. Not bringing anything innovative anymore as the original Max Payne did, but offering a similar experience, fun gameplay is still intact and playing as Mona was a nice refreshment. 8/10
  11. sengork
    Nov 24, 2013
    10
    For me this is a refined version of Max Payne 1. You can feel that Max's character has matured and he's become a wiser man. This is somewhat of an analogy for Remedy who having succeeded with Max Payne now have moved from a basement to an office with proper funding. One could expect a sequel to be a flop however this has only continued the quality that was put into Max Payne 1. Great toFor me this is a refined version of Max Payne 1. You can feel that Max's character has matured and he's become a wiser man. This is somewhat of an analogy for Remedy who having succeeded with Max Payne now have moved from a basement to an office with proper funding. One could expect a sequel to be a flop however this has only continued the quality that was put into Max Payne 1. Great to see Sam Lake writing for this one, the comics are still a technical workaround but add essence to the game (something Max Payne 3 under Rockstar has lost).… Expand
  12. Anz
    Dec 14, 2013
    10
    When this game got released 2003 this was one of the best games out there. Remedy Entertainment did good job on this sequel. Rockstar games ONLY published this they didn't have anything else to do with this game.
  13. Gamer2014
    Feb 8, 2014
    7
    yeah its nice game and great controls, visuals, and gaming style but its kinda bad continue for the story line and this girl mona man this game is awesome and all but not bad story line .
  14. PublicNuisance
    Oct 8, 2020
    10
    Trying to improve upon Max Payne was a monumental task but I think Remedy managed to do it. The story is just as well done. The characters are as good as ever. The voice acting was a delight. The graphics have been improved over the original. The clothing detail; hair; gun detail; object detail and ground detail were all noticeably better than the original. They added a few new guns likeTrying to improve upon Max Payne was a monumental task but I think Remedy managed to do it. The story is just as well done. The characters are as good as ever. The voice acting was a delight. The graphics have been improved over the original. The clothing detail; hair; gun detail; object detail and ground detail were all noticeably better than the original. They added a few new guns like the MP5 and the AK-47 both of which are fun to use. They did nerf the sniper rifle for some reason. It takes multiple shots to kill an enemy compared to it mainly being a one hit kill weapon in the original. You get to take control of Mona Sax for a few chapters which was a nice change. My only gripe about that was that while I was controlling her Max would not use any pain meds to heal damage even though he had some when I was last in control of him. Speaking of that one other part I didn’t like was that you have to keep an eye on Max and Vinny at different points in what are basically an escort mission where if they die it’s game over. Not my favorite type of mission for sure.

    I played Max Payne 2 on Linux using Valve’s Proton. It never crashed on me and I didn’t notice any bugs. The performance was fantastic, which was to be expected with the game’s age. Aside from one short dip to 82 FPS the game was always over 100 FPS. The game has 3 AA options; 3 AF options; and 15 other graphics options. You can manually save whenever you want and there are 10 slots for it. There are also 3 slots for auto saves which the game uses periodically if you prefer that. Alt-Tab works. You can choose from a variety of crosshair options. You can pause and skip cut scenes.

    Game Engine: Renderware
    Save System: Manual (at any time) and Auto
    Settings Used: All Highest; 8x AA; AF; 1920x1080

    Disk Space Used: 1590 MB
    VRAM Usage: 714-851 MB
    CPU Usage: 10-18 %
    RAM Usage: 2.4-3.0 GB
    Frame Rate: 82-144 FPS

    Like the original, Max Payne 2 rates as an all time classic for me. It has a fantastic story which builds and improves upon the original. The characters are all worth caring about and fleshed out. The graphics got an overhaul. The voice acting remains superb. The music was wonderful. I finished the game on detective difficulty in 6 hours. That’s a tad shorter than the original but it in no way feels rushed. If you enjoy third person shooters at all or games with a strong story you owe it to yourself to try this out. I paid $2.55 CAD for the game on Steam as well as having bought the physical copy back in the day. This game is worth whatever they want to charge, well above the $10.99 CAD it currently retails for.

    My Score: 9.5/10

    My System:

    AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | 16GB DDR4-3000 CL15 | MSI RX 5700 XT Gaming X 8GB | Mesa 20.1.8 | Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500GB | Manjaro 20.1.1 | Mate 1.24.1 | Kernel 5.8.11-1-MANJARO | AOC G2460P 1920*1080 @ 144hz | Proton 5.0-9    … Expand
  15. Sten-Bengt94
    Jun 4, 2014
    9
    For being a sequel it is a great improvement in almost all areas of the game but the only downside of this game was the length of the game. I do not think that this game is worse or much better than the first game but I consider this game to be more enjoyable because of all the improvements and having new working physics implemented to the game makes the sequel almost superior to the firstFor being a sequel it is a great improvement in almost all areas of the game but the only downside of this game was the length of the game. I do not think that this game is worse or much better than the first game but I consider this game to be more enjoyable because of all the improvements and having new working physics implemented to the game makes the sequel almost superior to the first and ahead of it's time. But this game is 2-3 years newer than the first game so it was expected. But what most people fail to do when they make a sequel is the story but the story was still very good so I am happy they actually considered to improve almost everything instead of just trying to improve some mechanics and call it a sequel. Remedy did a great job and Max payne deserves the praise it gets, being the most enjoyable action type shooter. Though there is a problem if it is bought on steam because the game can't run from steam because it is required to have a specific video card driver or a sound driver to launch it from steam, and because of this it is better to buy the game and install it outside Steam. I was looking forward to replay this game often and quick install it on Steam when I wanted but unfortunatley I can't because for some reason Amd can't make drivers that is compatible with older games like Max Payne.… Expand
  16. Tomle1202
    Jun 18, 2022
    9
    Max Payne 2 is a bittersweet experience not only because of its story, but also because the game is just so close to being perfect.
  17. Larry223
    Jan 2, 2015
    8
    Esta secuela mejora todo, la historia,la jugabilidad, vuelve mas real los disparos a la cabeza que ahora si matan de una.

    Es una refinación del anterior, la historia es mucho mejor, tiene sus toques de comedia, y ya no sientes que estas completamente solo, ahora sientes que tienes aliados aparte de enemigos que no paras de matar. En mi opinión puedes saltarte Max Payne 1 y venir a este.    Esta secuela mejora todo, la historia,la jugabilidad, vuelve mas real los disparos a la cabeza que ahora si matan de una.

    Es una refinación del anterior, la historia es mucho mejor, tiene sus toques de comedia, y ya no sientes que estas completamente solo, ahora sientes que tienes aliados aparte de enemigos que no paras de matar. En mi opinión puedes saltarte Max Payne 1 y venir a este. Hasta tienen una escena para decir lo que paso antes, y los niveles son mejores. Los niveles han mejorado,ahora no todo se ve generíco o simple, y los gráficos han mejorado en solo 2 años. Es mucho mejor que Max Payne 1. Le doy un 08/10, un muy buen juego que supera fácilmente a su predecesor.    … Expand
  18. Ydun79
    Feb 11, 2019
    9
    More badass Max Payne. Film noir is near perfect here. The story is compelling. Very good!
  19. Marick
    Dec 15, 2014
    9
    Max Payne 2 The Fall of Max Payne is a TPS game, developed by Remedy studio and published by Rockstar Games. The game follows Detective Max Payne ,2 years after the events of the first game, trying to catch a group of criminals (The Cleaners). The graphics are good and it destl for that period. Game sound is awesome, from the soundtrack to the voice acting. The gameplay is also very good,Max Payne 2 The Fall of Max Payne is a TPS game, developed by Remedy studio and published by Rockstar Games. The game follows Detective Max Payne ,2 years after the events of the first game, trying to catch a group of criminals (The Cleaners). The graphics are good and it destl for that period. Game sound is awesome, from the soundtrack to the voice acting. The gameplay is also very good, a little easier than the first game. From what I see, very interesting game series. Just do not know why I have not played yet, but I made a mistake, it is a very good series.… Expand
  20. BFM
    Apr 5, 2020
    10
    The best Remedy game to date, from a time when they knew how to make PC games.
  21. shatarah
    Dec 2, 2020
    10
    greattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
  22. FredOnToast
    Oct 1, 2015
    10
    I've honestly never found a game so re-playable due to it's narrative. The pace, the structure and plot-line itself captivate me, as much as any well-made film would. This game excels in both story-telling and character development, perfectly capturing the correct atmosphere to homage the film-noir genre, whilst still implementing fun and exciting action gameplay. The voice-over talent forI've honestly never found a game so re-playable due to it's narrative. The pace, the structure and plot-line itself captivate me, as much as any well-made film would. This game excels in both story-telling and character development, perfectly capturing the correct atmosphere to homage the film-noir genre, whilst still implementing fun and exciting action gameplay. The voice-over talent for all characters, large and small, is so well done that it really helps bring these fictitious characters to life. If you're a fan of the original Max Payne, or just good mystery-thrillers, then you will certainly enjoy the game, and be engrossed into the fall of Max Payne.… Expand
  23. Overvulture
    Nov 9, 2015
    9
    Slicker and smoother than the first game, it polishes off a lot of the rough edges while telling a new and equally brutal story just as dramatic as the previous one. The shooting feels excellent and cinematic in a way that many modern games still fail to replicate, It's still as fundamentally simple as the previous one, involving lots of bad guys, guns, ammo, and painkillers, but it has aSlicker and smoother than the first game, it polishes off a lot of the rough edges while telling a new and equally brutal story just as dramatic as the previous one. The shooting feels excellent and cinematic in a way that many modern games still fail to replicate, It's still as fundamentally simple as the previous one, involving lots of bad guys, guns, ammo, and painkillers, but it has a little more heart and a little less frustration than before. Max is as appealing of a haunted protagonist as ever, and somehow even more badass in this one, and the overall story is pulpy, dramatic deliciousness for someone who eats up this kind of style.

    It also has some impressive mod support! Worth checking out for sure.    … Expand
  24. CriticNamedZack
    Apr 28, 2019
    8
    Story: Two years past, and Max has been reinstated in his old job as a police detective for the NYPD. Max is called on to investigate a gunfight at a warehouse owned by Max's old associate Vladimir Lem and discovers the place has been attacked by a group of hitmen called the Cleaners. He encounters Mona Sax, who was thought to be dead by Max. Max heads to a restaurant owned by Lem andStory: Two years past, and Max has been reinstated in his old job as a police detective for the NYPD. Max is called on to investigate a gunfight at a warehouse owned by Max's old associate Vladimir Lem and discovers the place has been attacked by a group of hitmen called the Cleaners. He encounters Mona Sax, who was thought to be dead by Max. Max heads to a restaurant owned by Lem and rescues him from his old foe Vinnie Gognitti; Lem claims that Gognitti is trying to monopolize the black market gun trade and sees Lem as a threat...

    Pros:
    • The comic-book cutscenes make a return and they are even better then in the first game. This is mainly due to Remedy being able to afford real actors this time around so the quality it looks better in return.
    • Max Payne 2 is still a dark game like the original, not as dark this time around, but still quite dark.
    • Characters are still excellent in this game and many characters such as Max, Mona and Vladimir make a return.

    Cons:
    • The story sadly is much weaker compared to the Max Payne 1. As the first game went really deep into the events and actions taken that drove Max to the edge. In 2 it's really just doesn't feel so deep into the character of Max and when it does it's execution comes off begging for more.
    • The twists as well really don't feel all that significant and character motivations don't feel that genuine and more for the sake of continuing the plot.

    Gameplay:

    Pros:
    • Bullet time and shoot dodge have been improved and feels more powerful and easier to control... perhaps too easy. But it's just a blast mowing down enemies in bullet time and feeling like a one man army bad-ass.
    • Using grenades, molotovs and even melee has now been mapped to a key of your choice so you can throw/melee much easier now.
    • New weapons are fun to use and the old returning ones feel great as well.

    Cons:
    • Compared to the original, bullet time physics has gotten crazy. You can now literally shoot enemies in the air in bullet time. It's entertaining don't get me wrong, but for a game like Max Payne it's a bit odd seeing it.
    • The game is only 4/6 hours which is a real let down compared to the first game. You can play the game again on the different "difficulties" and unlock the alternative ending. Unfortunately it will probably be even shorter playing it again.
    • The set piece moments of the game feel more restrictive and less interesting compared to the quick paced gunfights you engage in for most of the game. The escort parts were not that enjoyable to say the least.

    Sound and Music:
    Pros:
    • Voice acting is once again excellent with great dialogue and performances all around.
    • Music has improved from the first game. There is more of it and it sounds less repetitive which was the problem with the first game. I have to say I love the theme in Max Payne 2. That cello really adds such a grim, bleak, depressing, but deep emotional passion to it.
    • Sound effects have improved as well from gunshots, weather, debris falling or fire. It all sounds solid.

    Performance and Visuals:

    Pros:
    •This game looks fantastic for 2003. Improved massively from the first game and character models look really good now with properly animated faces and bodies that look well modeled.
    • In-game cutscenes look a lot better to. Camera angles, animations and audio have really helped them more attractive to watch compared to the few in the first game.
    • The depiction of New York and the environment is still amazing and it's been improved. You can interact with your surroundings as well. I also love to watch the TV shows that mimic what's going on in the game world and references the other ideas Remedy had for Max Payne's name which is a awesome touch.
    • Ran solidly and had no issues getting the steam version running (unlike Max Payne 1).

    Cons:
    • Had an odd flickering texture, but extremely minor problem.

    Verdict: It's hard to decide if Max Payne 1 or 2 is better because they both are great third person shooters. Max Payne 2 certainly has the greater gameplay, graphics and performance was solid. However, it really lacks in the deep story from the original which is such a damn shame. But it;s still a great game and I would rate it slightly higher then Max Payne 1.

    Story: 6/10
    Gameplay: 8.5/10
    Sound/Music: 9/10
    Performance/Visuals: 9.5/10
    Overall Rating: 8.7/10    … Expand
  25. Shadow1
    Jun 9, 2016
    10
    This game has got amazing story as in all Max Payne Games and I think all Max Payne Games deserve 10/10 and Max Payne 2 and 3 I appreciated on 10/10 . I think Max Payne 2 and Max Payne 3 (Special Max Payne 3) enter in top 20 best games in world, but Max Payne 2 is awesome on PC . On Xbox and PS2 not really good . Graphics for PC Version is very good and amazing and has got good graphicsThis game has got amazing story as in all Max Payne Games and I think all Max Payne Games deserve 10/10 and Max Payne 2 and 3 I appreciated on 10/10 . I think Max Payne 2 and Max Payne 3 (Special Max Payne 3) enter in top 20 best games in world, but Max Payne 2 is awesome on PC . On Xbox and PS2 not really good . Graphics for PC Version is very good and amazing and has got good graphics and many things which the there are in Max Payne 3 and I think Max Payne Series one of the best series on this world . Very Amazing Game .… Expand
  26. IONOSGAMES
    Jan 23, 2018
    9
    Una historia no tan intrigante como la del primero, pero que es bastante buena, graficos mejorados, Max Payne sigue siendo carismatico, el gameplay se pulido bastante y los enemigos son mas variados. Me parece la obra maestra de esta saga, recomendable para cualquier persona incluso a dia de hoy
  27. AbeMC
    Jun 24, 2018
    9
    A Remedy classic and one of my personal favorites. The story-telling is some of the best you’ll find in a video-game of any genre. Requires some configuration to run properly on modern systems, but absolutely worth picking up at its list price (though it frequently discounts to 50% off or more).
    Total size on my hard-drive: 1.6 GB
    + Max Payne returns. This is a direct sequel to the    A Remedy classic and one of my personal favorites. The story-telling is some of the best you’ll find in a video-game of any genre. Requires some configuration to run properly on modern systems, but absolutely worth picking up at its list price (though it frequently discounts to 50% off or more).
    Total size on my hard-drive: 1.6 GB

    + Max Payne returns. This is a direct sequel to the first game, and picks up right after the first one left off. Remedy perfectly duplicates the earlier game’s dark, broody atmosphere. The comic panels (instead of cut-scenes) are back.
    + Old characters return. Bravura, Mona Sax, Vlad, Vinnie. But they don’t all return in ways you might expect.
    + Story. While Max had his revenge in the first game, he is still not at peace with himself. And falling for a femme fatale leads to massive feelings of guilt and betrayal towards his dead loved ones. The nuts-and-bolts of the story delve into the workings of the “Inner Circle.” While this secret society was and is one of the hokier aspects of the first two Max Payne games, it remains an effective backdrop for Max’s tale of depressed angst.
    + Swapping narrative. I loved the simultaneous story-telling, and playing as Mona Sax for a few levels.
    + Slow-motion Shoot-dodge is back.
    + Secondary weapons. Allows for melee or the throwing of grenades or molotovs without switching weapons (unlike the first Max Payne game).
    + Atmosphere and visuals. While only running DirectX 8, light and shadow play to great effect. Texture quality is greatly improved from the first game as well. Though obviously old by now, the release date of 2003 is still a surprise, as Max Payne 2 looks much better than that.

    +/- Enemies have much better aim than in the first game. Health is plentiful, though.

    - Shotguns are much less powerful.
    - Install the game to your C drive (or wherever your operating system is located) and run in Windows 95 compatibility mode or the game may not start.
    - 16:9 aspect ratio resolutions are only available by modding a config file. Additional modification is necessary to alter the HUD so it isn’t distorted / stretched at 16:9 resolutions. If your modding is successful, Max Payne 2 looks and plays great at 1080p and 60fps.
    - Short. Speed-runs can beat the game in less than an hour (there is a timed mode, call “New York Minute”). More casual playthroughs will rarely take more than 6 hours, even if you stop to watch all the TV shows.

    Max Payne 2 is one of my favorites, and the game wears its age well. Sad that gaming reached such a high point so early in its history. It’s one of those games that needs a little tweaking to work properly on modern systems, but I don’t want an official remastered edition because I’m worried something would be altered in the process. Few games get as close to perfection as Max Payne 2.    … Expand
  28. jsizzle
    Dec 10, 2016
    10
    "The case was a rising nausea that tasted like rust in my mouth."

    Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne brings our favourite bloodied and worn NYPD cop back in great fashion with better visuals, new takes on storytelling and the same old stellar voice acting all around. Pretty much everyone is back from the original Max Payne and we get to see the aftermath of bringing Aesir Corp. down    "The case was a rising nausea that tasted like rust in my mouth."

    Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne brings our favourite bloodied and worn NYPD cop back in great fashion with better visuals, new takes on storytelling and the same old stellar voice acting all around. Pretty much everyone is back from the original Max Payne and we get to see the aftermath of bringing Aesir Corp. down along with Horne, it has been two years according to the wiki. This time around there are 2 main protagonists that you control which offers some interesting segments of teamwork from the two characters to get through seemingly grave situations.
    The gameplay is pretty much the same with a few tweaks and upgrades making for an even smoother experience this time around. When Max dives you can now continue to stay laying down until you let the trigger go which is definitely a welcome addition. There are definitely more painkillers to be found in Max Payne 2 as well which is fine because it is definitely a challenge at some points. All around this is a proper sequel to a cult classic expanding on the world of Max Payne and you should definitely play through the whole trilogy.

    As a note, the game will take some tweaking to get working as you would like and there are some cool mods like the Max Payne 3 mod which I may try in my next playthrough.

    "But I refused to give in. I had to continue."    … Expand
  29. overlordofgeek
    Jul 16, 2017
    10
    Great as the first game. The story becomes even more beautiful thanks to mona sax. The relationship between max and mona is really interesting. Graphics, gameplay, character designs really have improvement. I think some players complain that the game is short, there is enough time for the game.
  30. frederik1478
    Aug 7, 2020
    8
    After just completing MAX PAYNE one and two I would say that the first one has a stronger story and gameplay , I am not seeing that makes MAX PAYNE 2 bad just saying that like it you are an action hero Instead of crappy Cup trying to survive, Will an amazing game I would recommend it but You should played on the second difficulty because the default is way too easy
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Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best PC Game of 2003
3
#3 Most Discussed PC Game of 2003
8
#8 Most Shared PC Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. Game Revolution
    83
    About as slick as they come, with a presentation and verve that supercedes cutting-edge. It's a short one, but good things do come in small packages after all.
    Read full review
  2. Gamer's Hell
    95
    This series has been one of the most intense and best played games ever. I have never felt the same about a game since Half Life 1. This game sets the standard of what any shooter game should be – it's A+ quality, inside and outside.
    Read full review
  3. Gamer's Pulse
    96
    The gritty, film noir storytelling, intense bullet time action sequences and painstaking attention to detail in every area make Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne a must-have for every action fan.
    Read full review
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