Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

 Xbox
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 80 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 80
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 80
  3. Negative: 5 out of 80
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  1. SimonT
    Jul 8, 2004
    7
    Max payne has all the looks and feel of a gritty cop film and boasts the excellent 'bullet time' but falls short in length as it easily finished in a few hours. not bad could be better.
  2. BenH.
    Jan 4, 2005
    9
    Near perfect in most respects. Great absorbing gameplay and amazing sound (5.1 is great). Somehow blowing away hordes of grunts never gets old. Only significant disadvantage is the length, which many have mentioned - the shortness makes it better as a rental than a buy as you can easily beat this in one sitting....maybe a multiplayer option could have given it more replay value.
  3. NikiM.
    Dec 29, 2003
    6
    I loved the original, an action packed game, just the right difficulty, great plot and just the right length. What do you get here? An action packed game, a litttle easier(?), a plot that's all over the place and its WAY TOO SHORT. Rockstar have created yet another stylish game that stands out with a strong story, if a little patchy, but this seemed a bit easier than the original and I loved the original, an action packed game, just the right difficulty, great plot and just the right length. What do you get here? An action packed game, a litttle easier(?), a plot that's all over the place and its WAY TOO SHORT. Rockstar have created yet another stylish game that stands out with a strong story, if a little patchy, but this seemed a bit easier than the original and definitely far too short. The level design is imaginitive but why not give us something to tax our brains a little? Payne's a detective, let us pretend we're a bit more Sherlock Holmes than John Rambo. Overall I felt really short changed by the length of this sequel. Simply not enough here to warrant buying it over the original.… Expand
  4. GeorgeP.
    Dec 5, 2003
    8
    Great game. the only problem i had with it is it was too short.
  5. DexterM.
    Dec 9, 2003
    10
    I really enjoyed it; Rockstar/Remedy rules...
  6. JeffF.
    Apr 19, 2005
    8
    Very short but still a great game.
  7. Paul
    Jul 21, 2006
    9
    Some great twists and turns in the story, and a great sequal to the first. And of course, perfecting the bullet time styles established in the first game.
  8. CodyB
    Jun 1, 2009
    10
    FAR better than dead to rights, true crime l.a., and mafia, even gta 3. Sequel to the smash hit, award-winning original, a true masterpiece of epic proportions. 6 more months till the 3rd one comes out.
  9. BrentM
    Jan 10, 2010
    10
    Still the best game in my opinion, everything still holds up well today, better than anything ever achieved in gaming
  10. T.U.
    Nov 25, 2003
    7
    Shorter than I expected, you won't see too much replayability value in this game.
  11. Duo
    Nov 29, 2003
    8
    I haven't finished it yet, so I'm not sure just how short it is, but it does have all the insanity you could ever ask for.
  12. ConnorS.
    Nov 30, 2003
    10
    This is the best game I ever played!
  13. EricR.
    Dec 1, 2003
    10
    More often than not, I end up not finishing a game because the game becomes repetitive, excessively difficult for the average gamer, the story fails to keep keep me interested, and the length of the game is needlessly long - progress toward the end feels like work. Max Payne 2 negates those problems and makes for a highly satisfying game.
  14. HumbertoG.
    May 8, 2004
    10
    It's way too cool, I loved it but, it is way too short. Bullet time was awsome!. I loved the game,rockstar made the coolest game!
  15. Uter
    Jul 31, 2004
    9
    I'm usually one to criticize games for being too short. But here I can forgive it b/c it's just so great throughout. The story is among the best I've ever encountered in a game. The environments are imaginative and often brilliant. The gameplay is just so excellent. I'd rather have 8 hours of incredible gameplay than 20 of mediocre.
  16. OliverW.
    Nov 9, 2006
    3
    Bad graphics, worse soundtrack for the enemies. The guys you kill do exactly the same movements and sounds. Max looks like he is 60 years old, bullet time leaves something to be desired and its very short
  17. Ryencoke
    Jul 25, 2006
    10
    Brilliant game & story. Short, but just amazing.
  18. JohnD.
    Nov 17, 2007
    6
    An excellent game, but after a while it gets boring.
  19. JayC
    Dec 30, 2009
    9
    This game is the sequel to the smash hit Max Payne... I must say, this game impresses. The graphics, even to this day, are really something to look at. The Havok 2.0 physics engine used in this game is really something special as well. When the game was first released it was truly spectacular! And it still is by all means. The game has it all.... Excellent gunplay, superb visuals, This game is the sequel to the smash hit Max Payne... I must say, this game impresses. The graphics, even to this day, are really something to look at. The Havok 2.0 physics engine used in this game is really something special as well. When the game was first released it was truly spectacular! And it still is by all means. The game has it all.... Excellent gunplay, superb visuals, excellent voice acting, great art direction, fantastic story.. But the one thing is the length of the game. You know what though, Quality over quantity is what i say. Haha 9/10… Expand
  20. JohnS.
    Dec 26, 2003
    9
    Although it is pathetically short (10 hours of gameplay max), it is also superbly polished and satisfying. They've managed to trump the first game, which was very good for its time, and add many new features, maps, and thrills. It's one of those games that is so superbly done, I didn't want to stop playing it. But it's short length and no multiplayer makes it only a Although it is pathetically short (10 hours of gameplay max), it is also superbly polished and satisfying. They've managed to trump the first game, which was very good for its time, and add many new features, maps, and thrills. It's one of those games that is so superbly done, I didn't want to stop playing it. But it's short length and no multiplayer makes it only a rental candidate.… Expand
  21. BundisD.
    Jan 19, 2004
    6
    Looks awesome, plays great, impressive and immersive plot. But... WAY too short. I finished the game in 4 days. Hardly a good value for $50. The only replay value available is to play the story again on a harder difficulty. Highly impressed with the quality of the game, but sadly disappointed in the quantity.
  22. [Anonymous]
    Jun 15, 2005
    9
    A fine followup on the original game. The storytelling is really very strong and the action satisfying. Having played the original on the PC, I had trouble getting to grips with the pad controls, but it worked out fine in the end.
  23. TransculoVerspate
    Dec 31, 2003
    8
    Happy new year people. max payne 2....fun,fun,fun. i havent finished it yet and i have been playing it a while. maybe i suck at it, or maybe its not as short as people have been saying it is. whatever i say. i will re-play it over and over again just to enjoy shooting bad guys. i still play hitman 2, so i will also play this. anyway, the ragdoll system saves this game. without it, it wouldHappy new year people. max payne 2....fun,fun,fun. i havent finished it yet and i have been playing it a while. maybe i suck at it, or maybe its not as short as people have been saying it is. whatever i say. i will re-play it over and over again just to enjoy shooting bad guys. i still play hitman 2, so i will also play this. anyway, the ragdoll system saves this game. without it, it would have been a bore. i hate stories in games just as i hate plots in porn flicks...i am too old for both porn and video game plots...i can care less about max's life and his twisted life. bla,bla,bla...this little game has too much plot for its good. i just wannna kick ass like some john woo film, am i the only one? so, pretty please with sugar on top-skip the plots, give us more action i say. i click away the cut scenes, just play the game. i have noticed both max and mona move like robots, the enemies also dont have much movement in them, only when you enter shoot-doge and bullet time you get to see some cool moves. the blood could have been more, more brain on walls neededd like rainbowsix 3. i give an 8, because i think max payne as a whole package is getting old, but the action aspects of the game and physics are well done. the dream sequences are better this time around, but not entirelly absorbing nor necessary. max's dialogue is idiotic and much effort went into the "film noir love crap" as i put it, which sticks out like a barney in a tampon factory. buy it, kill bad guys and then kill more.… Expand
  24. aspentitan
    Nov 21, 2020
    9
    IMO this is a much better game than the original and the development team expanded on what was good within the original and modified what was not that great in the first game. A problem I had in the original game was the clunkiness and this is much removed in this game. Sensitivity options are still not great but much better than the first game which really improved my appeal for theIMO this is a much better game than the original and the development team expanded on what was good within the original and modified what was not that great in the first game. A problem I had in the original game was the clunkiness and this is much removed in this game. Sensitivity options are still not great but much better than the first game which really improved my appeal for the gameplay itself. Further to that the game does not play out fully scripted. Once engaging enemies the AI can take different routes and actions so each playthrough will not just be arcade shooter target practice. So this time around there is some subtle strategy. The first game had some of this but this sequel is a treat with a huge expansion of AI intelligence. Further to this repeat playthroughs, as the skill level increases and your knowledge of the locations makes for a second, third ect playthrough just as fun as the first playthrough. Levels have excellent design and if you played the game once you may get overconfident and be too fast in an area and be surprised by the phenomenal AI positioning. Don't get too overconfident lol. The gameplay is totally fixed no longer requiring the use of bullet time you can now fully enjoy the game as a normal shooter (Huge high-5!!). The AI is near perfect for the time period the game was made. It appears the enemies within a building are zoned to your hit detection and as I mentioned this can play out different and why I rate this game as 9/10. On top of that you have great rag doll physics. The story isn't as dark as the first game but I felt much more immersed and engaged in this game and would rank it better as well. Very quickly within chapter 3-4 of this story I was enjoying the game and action together. The original game I was pretty bored until near end game when the action was better. This game keeps you entertained throughout but I am disappointed you have to hit enemies so may times before they go down. In some areas it's embarrassing. On the plus side again, this game also builds off the first game to improve story and character development immersion. There are Easter eggs to the first game in a lot of areas. The tie ins really added to my interest in the game since it helps story line immersion. The tv programs alone are a huge treat and the ongoing saga known as "Lords and Ladies" was a brilliant diversion from enduring gameplay fatigue. Always good for a short rest or break, I always paused my game to watch. This is how gaming should be done not like in 2020 with games engaging 50 million filler mini games. Further, these features strengthened a possible interest in me towards the original Max Payne game again despite not enjoying that game. Overall I'd say this game holds up in 2020. The graphics are only 480p but decent enough. I played this on the Xbox 360 and did not have the same frame rate issues I had with the original game. Overall I'd say this game was a huge upgrade and I'm happy to say that because my experience in the first game was pretty bad despite all the fans of this series loving the original I think this is the must play between the two, and from my perspective it's a very easy decision to say it. The only thing I can pick on in this game is at times it's got at a few headscratcher puzzles where to go. All things in though I do agree this particular game was the real deal for the time period and I see it as one of the very few shooters I could replay over and over again, even 15 years plus past it's release.… Expand
  25. memus
    May 13, 2022
    5
    Such a disappointment after the first game. Instead of a real sequel, it's an indoors GTA clone.

    Cons: - For some reason they replaced Sam Lake as Max Payne actor. The new one is bland. - The aspect ratio of comics is not right. - The level design in this one is weak. You come back to the same areas again and again, and they are gray lifeless corridors. Meh. - The music is too    Such a disappointment after the first game. Instead of a real sequel, it's an indoors GTA clone.

    Cons:
    - For some reason they replaced Sam Lake as Max Payne actor. The new one is bland.
    - The aspect ratio of comics is not right.
    - The level design in this one is weak. You come back to the same areas again and again, and they are gray lifeless corridors. Meh.
    - The music is too generic.
    - The story is predictable and weirdly cut. Love story with Mona looks laughable with this oldschool graphics. W/o insane Valhalla references it's just not crazy/dark enough.

    In a sense it's a bad prototype for Control game that will become great with Control.

    Pros:
    + We can see glimpses of Control: flamingos, weird ads, janitors.
    + Janitors were menacing.    … Expand
  26. eva3si0n
    Nov 5, 2021
    10
    Began to pass Max Payne 2 on PS2. But a couple of hours it was enough to understand that PS2 clearly could not cope with such a beautiful and technological game. On Xbox Original Max Payne 2 looks great for 2003 and the technical features of the console. Max Payne 2 piece product in the video game market, possibly the best Remedy game and one of the best games of the 6th generationBegan to pass Max Payne 2 on PS2. But a couple of hours it was enough to understand that PS2 clearly could not cope with such a beautiful and technological game. On Xbox Original Max Payne 2 looks great for 2003 and the technical features of the console. Max Payne 2 piece product in the video game market, possibly the best Remedy game and one of the best games of the 6th generation consoles. 3 part unfortunately lost the neo-noir style, so for me 2 part will remain the best in the series.… Expand
  27. Broyax
    Apr 11, 2017
    4
    Max Payne 2...? jeu d'action répétitif à la troisième personne comme le premier Max Payne (si, si...) avec des ralentis à la John Woo (ou à la Matrix pour les incultes). En fait son plus grand mérite est qu'on meurt (!) d'envie de se revisionner A Toute Epreuve, Une Balle Dans La Tête et les Syndicats du Crime. Et pendant ce temps, on se force à jouer, histoire d'avancer un peu... dansMax Payne 2...? jeu d'action répétitif à la troisième personne comme le premier Max Payne (si, si...) avec des ralentis à la John Woo (ou à la Matrix pour les incultes). En fait son plus grand mérite est qu'on meurt (!) d'envie de se revisionner A Toute Epreuve, Une Balle Dans La Tête et les Syndicats du Crime. Et pendant ce temps, on se force à jouer, histoire d'avancer un peu... dans l'histoire de ce polar très caricatural illustré par des bandes dessinées en guise de cinématiques... mouais.

    La vue à la troisième personne n'est pas vraiment adaptée et ces sauts sur le côté trop stylés (en apparence) ne sont pas toujours très efficaces, la faute au manque de place dans ces niveaux exigüs. En fait, les ralentis sont bien mieux exploités dans Hitman Absolution ou dans un Splinter Cell Conviction... et surtout chez le concurrent venu plus tard, Stranglehold. Le pad n'est pas des plus précis dans ces phases "bullet time" (ni en dehors de celles-ci d'ailleurs) mais le jeu pardonne beaucoup avec de quoi se soigner et des sauvegardes manuelles.

    Le jeu est assez joli (pour une Xbox), toujours parfaitement fluide et les temps de chargement sont réduits, excellent point tout cela. L'interface est globalement bien pensée, et que ce soit les menus ou les commandes au pad, on trouve ses marques rapidement. Malgré tout comme je le disais au début, ça devient répétitif et surtout le pire, c'est Max le tocard qui ne la boucle jamais (tout en anglais marshmallow) toujours à pontifier sur sa sinistrose maniaco-dépressive dont on se fout totalement. Il fait presque oublier la musique fort réussie, un comble !    … Expand
  28. frederik1478
    Nov 21, 2022
    6
    For me, this is a disappointing sequel the gameplay is different. I want to call it bit better but it doesn't have the same punch as the first one and I don't think it is as fun to play.

    I like the hints throughout the story so you can play the game again and see all of hints in the background. I don't really like the story and because the presentation is better than the original it    For me, this is a disappointing sequel the gameplay is different. I want to call it bit better but it doesn't have the same punch as the first one and I don't think it is as fun to play.

    I like the hints throughout the story so you can play the game again and see all of hints in the background.

    I don't really like the story and because the presentation is better than the original it doesn't have this charisma That original have it just the story is not as good and cutscenes make it seem more professional which is not good.

    But the voice acting is still amazing. I cannot say they did anything bad and this one and the Italian mod guys are so fun to listen to.    … Expand
  29. BSchwarz95
    Jul 9, 2018
    9
    After playing the first game, I was unsure of what to expect as far as the tone would go. I mean...the first one was terrifyingly dark at times (not actually scary) since it emphasized the crime AND thriller parts of "crime thriller" and the second one is a love story? Let me just say... the writing in this game is just as good as the previous installment. Continuously poetic and beautifulAfter playing the first game, I was unsure of what to expect as far as the tone would go. I mean...the first one was terrifyingly dark at times (not actually scary) since it emphasized the crime AND thriller parts of "crime thriller" and the second one is a love story? Let me just say... the writing in this game is just as good as the previous installment. Continuously poetic and beautiful in nature, Max Mayne 2 builds on the characters we became familiar with in the first game and allows us to fall in love with them in this one. Instead of being a crime thriller, it's more of an action romance style game and it works so well on those levels. It's less about Max grieving and staying in the dark pit of despair and more about trying to climb out of it, reluctantly but still. There is great character growth that negates the bland character that the title promises. When I think "Max Payne" I think of some flat 80's action star gunning down enemies and shouting out one-liners like "get ready for Max Payne!" or some **** like that but these games have been emotional, thrilling, and truly remarkable narrative works of art. Yes, the gameplay is fun too and although it wasn't as impressive in that respect as the first game was for me, I still had a blast. It took me about 2-3 hours less than it took me to beat the first game which seemed rather underwhelming but there was a lot more variation, especially being able to play as two characters and see moments of time from both of their perspectives was a really unique experience that I rather appreciated. Bullet-time seemed HEAVILY nerfed, though, and I found myself staying away from it since it didn't offer the same Superman-like power that was offered in the first game. Still, Max Payne 2 was a blast and impressed me just as much as the first did in relation to interactivity with the surroundings and the intricacies of it all. Definitely worth a play.… Expand
  30. SWFan523
    Jun 21, 2020
    8
    Really fun and an excellent story but is unfortunately too short in runtime. Wish there was more here!
  31. Jay821425
    Jan 16, 2023
    8
    I Just play this game last year on the Xbox series x man I love backwards compatibility lol.. but this was a great game on the original Xbox and PS2 with a really good story a great sequel to the first game if you haven't played it do it you will enjoy it great throwback gameplay and a great story..btw if you have not played it do yourself a favor and get the Xbox version so you can playI Just play this game last year on the Xbox series x man I love backwards compatibility lol.. but this was a great game on the original Xbox and PS2 with a really good story a great sequel to the first game if you haven't played it do it you will enjoy it great throwback gameplay and a great story..btw if you have not played it do yourself a favor and get the Xbox version so you can play on the Xbox series x with upgrad fps… Expand
  32. storygamer
    Oct 21, 2020
    8
    Max Payne 2; The Fall Of Max Payne was one of my early loves. It even surpassed its predecessor in nearly every term. The graphics and sound are stunning, the gameplay is pure fun and this game has one of the most striking film-noir storylines of the gaming branch! Max Payne 2 is an influential action spectacle with an amazing but way to short story.
  33. Pizza_Doc
    Feb 17, 2022
    9
    Whoa, this game still holds up after almost 20 years. It's still fresh, and more entertaining than most modern open world titles loaded with tons of fetch quests. Great franchise.
  34. goodgriff33
    Dec 25, 2022
    8
    Answer: 75 characters is between 10 words and 19 words with spaces included in the character count. If spaces are not included in the character count, then 75 characters is between 12 words and 25 words.
  35. DorlGaming
    Jun 6, 2023
    10
    Now here is a really adequate story, not only one of the best love story lines in the game industry as a whole, but also better graphics and gameplay. 10/10

Awards & Rankings

29
#29 Best Xbox Game of 2003
10
#10 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2003
40
#40 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. Xbox Nation Magazine
    90
    Overwroght melodrama and third-person-persepctive gunplay make for an excellent mix. [Mar 2004, p.81]
  2. Eurogamer
    80
    As for its translation to Xbox, it's a revelation. Not only is it as visually faithful as anyone could reasonably expect, with no discernible compromises save for the resolution, but even the controls feel right.
    Read full review
  3. Gamestyle
    80
    On the first run through, chances are you'll encounter the end credits in a mere six, possibly seven, hours. Fortunately however, this shortlived interlude will be one of the most enjoyable of your gaming life.
    Read full review
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