''Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne'' is a 2003
third-person shooter
Third-person shooter (TPS) is a subgenre of 3D shooter games in which the gameplay consists primarily of shooting. It is closely related to first-person shooters, but with the player character visible on-screen during play. While 2D shoot 'em ...
video game developed by
Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment Oyj, trading internationally as Remedy Entertainment Plc, is a Finnish video game developer based in Espoo. Notable games the studio has developed include the first two instalments in the '' Max Payne'' franchise, ''Alan ...
and published by
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was established in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, using the assets Take-Two had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. Foun ...
. It is the sequel to 2001's ''
Max Payne
''Max Payne'' is a neo-noir third-person shooter video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment (''Max Payne'' and ''Max Payne 2'') and Rockstar Studios (''Max Payne 3''). The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne, a New York Ci ...
'' and the second game in the ''
Max Payne
''Max Payne'' is a neo-noir third-person shooter video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment (''Max Payne'' and ''Max Payne 2'') and Rockstar Studios (''Max Payne 3''). The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne, a New York Ci ...
'' series. Set two years after the events of the first game, the sequel finds
Max Payne
''Max Payne'' is a neo-noir third-person shooter video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment (''Max Payne'' and ''Max Payne 2'') and Rockstar Studios (''Max Payne 3''). The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne, a New York Ci ...
working again as a detective for the
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
(NYPD), while struggling with nightmares about his troubled past. After being unexpectedly reunited with
contract killer
Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may b ...
Mona Sax
Mona Sax is a fictional Character (arts), character in the neo-noir media franchise ''Max Payne (series), Max Payne'', where she represents the femme fatale archetype. Mona is a mysterious contract killer in a dangerous relationship with the seri ...
, Max must work with her to resolve a conspiracy filled with death and betrayal, which will test where his true loyalties lie.
The game is played from a
third-person perspective
Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the a ...
. Throughout the single-player campaign, players mainly control Max, with Mona being playable in a few select levels. Both playable characters have access to a wide variety of weapons to eliminate enemies, as well as a
bullet-time
Bullet time (also known as frozen moment, dead time, flow motion or time slice) is a visual effect or visual impression of detaching the time and space of a camera (or viewer) from those of its visible subject. It is a depth enhanced simulation of ...
ability, which slows down time during combat. The bullet-time mechanic has been upgraded in ''Max Payne 2'' to allow players to move faster as they kill more enemies, as well as reload weapons instantly. Due to the
Havok physics engine
A physics engine is computer software that provides an approximate simulation of certain physical systems, such as rigid body dynamics (including collision detection), soft body dynamics, and fluid dynamics, of use in the domains of computer gr ...
being used, the game also features improved
ragdoll physics
Ragdoll physics is a type of procedural animation used by physics engines, which is often used as a replacement for traditional static death animations in video games and animated films. As computers increased in power, it became possible to do ...
. The story is again told mostly through
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
panels with
voice-overs
Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non-diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations. ...
, although several traditional
cutscenes
A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
are also used. Whereas the first game's plot was inspired by
Norse mythology
Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...
and traditional hard-boiled detective novels, the sequel is mostly based on tragic love stories like those seen in
films noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...
, with Max and Mona's relationship being central to the game's narrative.
''Max Payne 2'' was released in October 2003 for
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
, in November for the
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
, and in December for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
. It received highly positive reviews from critics and, like its predecessor, has been cited as one of the
greatest video games ever made
This is a list of video games that multiple reputable video game journalists or List of video game magazines, magazines have considered to be among the best of all time. The games listed here are included on at least six separate "best/greatest ...
. Praise focused on its action and story, while criticism targeted its short length. Despite the positive reception, the game sold poorly, leading Rockstar Games' parent company
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an American video game holding company based in New York City and founded by Ryan Brant in September 1993.
The company owns two major publishing labels, Rockstar Games and 2K, which operate internal g ...
to cite ''Max Payne 2''s sales as a cause for the company's reforecast finances of 2004. ''Max Payne 2'' received several industry awards, including Outstanding Art Direction at the
Golden Satellite Awards 2004
The 9th Golden Satellite Awards, honoring the best in film and television of 2004, were presented by the International Press Academy on January 23, 2005.
Special achievement awards
Mary Pickford Award (for outstanding contribution to the enterta ...
, and Editors' Choice Awards from ''
GamePro
Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'',
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
, and
GameSpy
GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
. A sequel, ''
Max Payne 3
''Max Payne 3'' is a 2012 third-person shooter video game developed and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on May 15, 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360; a Microsoft Windows port was released on May 29, 2012, followed by an OS X p ...
'', was released by Rockstar in May 2012. A
remake
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...
is in development for
PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, it was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North Ame ...
, Windows, and
Xbox Series X/S
The Xbox Series X/S are home video game consoles developed by Microsoft. They were both released on November 10, 2020, as the fourth generation Xbox, succeeding the Xbox One. Along with Sony's PlayStation 5, also released in November 2020, t ...
.
Gameplay
''Max Payne 2'' is a
third-person shooter
Third-person shooter (TPS) is a subgenre of 3D shooter games in which the gameplay consists primarily of shooting. It is closely related to first-person shooters, but with the player character visible on-screen during play. While 2D shoot 'em ...
featuring linear
levels
Level or levels may refer to:
Engineering
*Level (instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights
*Spirit level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical
*Canal pound or level
*Regr ...
spread across three distinct chapters. Throughout the majority of the game, the player assumes the role of returning protagonist
Max Payne
''Max Payne'' is a neo-noir third-person shooter video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment (''Max Payne'' and ''Max Payne 2'') and Rockstar Studios (''Max Payne 3''). The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne, a New York Ci ...
; in several levels from the second and third chapters, the player controls secondary protagonist
Mona Sax
Mona Sax is a fictional Character (arts), character in the neo-noir media franchise ''Max Payne (series), Max Payne'', where she represents the femme fatale archetype. Mona is a mysterious contract killer in a dangerous relationship with the seri ...
.
[ Initially, the player's weapon is a 9mm pistol. As they progress, the player gains access to more powerful weapons including other handguns, shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and hand-thrown weapons. To move the game along, the player is told what the next objective is through Max's ]internal monologue
Intrapersonal communication is the process by which an individual communicates within themselves, acting as both sender and receiver of messages, and encompasses the use of unspoken words to consciously engage in self-talk and inner speech.
Intr ...
, in which Max iterates what his next steps should be.
When first played, the game offers one difficulty level that is adjusted automatically if the game is too difficult for the player. For example, if the player's character dies too many times, the enemies' artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
is made less effective, while more health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
in the form of painkiller
An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It i ...
s is made available. After completing the game once, other difficulty levels are unlocked. Two special game modes are also activated: New York Minute and Dead Man Walking. In New York Minute, the player is given a score based on the time taken to complete each level. The Dead Man Walking mode places Max in one of five scenarios, in which he must survive for as long as possible while fighting off endlessly respawning
In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character, item or NPC. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction, perhaps after losing one of its lives. Despawning is the deletion of an entity from the game w ...
enemies.
''Max Payne 2'' allows the player to enable bullet-time
Bullet time (also known as frozen moment, dead time, flow motion or time slice) is a visual effect or visual impression of detaching the time and space of a camera (or viewer) from those of its visible subject. It is a depth enhanced simulation of ...
, a mode that slows time, while still allowing the player to aim in real-time, to give the player more time to determine what they want to do. In this mode, the screen's color changes to a sepia tone
In photography, toning is a method of altering the color of black-and-white photographs. In analog photography, it is a chemical process carried out on metal salt-based prints, such as silver prints, iron-based prints (cyanotype or Van Dyke b ...
to act as a visual cue. When in use, the bullet time meter will decrease until it is either empty or the player disables bullet time mode. The meter will eventually increase when not in use, and can be replenished quickly by killing enemies. To simulate the bullet time effect, Max can also execute a shoot-dodge maneuver. When the maneuver is performed, Max jumps in a direction specified by the player, and although bullet time is activated while Max is in mid-air, this will not deplete the bullet time meter. The combat system has been improved for ''Max Payne 2''; the player can arm Max with a secondary weapon such as a grenade or Molotov cocktail
A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – ''see other names'') is a hand thrown incendiary weapon constructed from a frangible container filled with flammable substances equipped with a fuse (typically a glass bottle filled with flamma ...
, and when near an enemy, Max can pistol whip
Pistol-whipping or buffaloing is the act of using a handgun as a blunt weapon, wielding it as an improvised club. Such a practice dates to the time of muzzle loaders, which were brandished in such fashion in close-quarters combat once the weapon ...
them. AI companions can occasionally come to Max's aid, although their deaths do not affect the gameplay or story.[
]
Plot
Two years after the events of the first game, Max Payne
''Max Payne'' is a neo-noir third-person shooter video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment (''Max Payne'' and ''Max Payne 2'') and Rockstar Studios (''Max Payne 3''). The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne, a New York Ci ...
( James McCaffrey) has been acquitted of the charges against him and reinstated in his old job as a detective
A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
for the NYPD, thanks to his connections to the Inner Circle secret society
A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence a ...
. The story is narrated from Max's perspective, who recalls the events of the past few days. The first flashback takes place in the hospital, where Max is recovering from a gunshot wound. Several assassins raid the hospital to try and kill him, but Max avoids them and makes his way to the morgue
A morgue or mortuary (in a hospital or elsewhere) is a place used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification (ID), removal for autopsy, respectful burial, cremation or other methods of disposal. In modern times, corpses have cus ...
, where he finds the body of a woman he has recently killed. The game then goes back further in time, to a few nights prior.
While investigating a gunfight at a warehouse owned by his ally, Russian mobster Vladimir "Vlad" Lem (Jonathan Davis), Max encounters a group of hitmen called "the Cleaners", who raided the warehouse for guns. Max is also surprised to run into contract killer
Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may b ...
Mona Sax
Mona Sax is a fictional Character (arts), character in the neo-noir media franchise ''Max Payne (series), Max Payne'', where she represents the femme fatale archetype. Mona is a mysterious contract killer in a dangerous relationship with the seri ...
(Wendy Hoopes
Wendy Hoopes (born 4 November 1972) is an American actress most widely celebrated for her roles on MTV's animated series ''Daria'', where she provided the voices for three different main characters ( Jane Lane, Helen Morgendorffer, and Quinn Mor ...
), who he thought had died two years ago. Max heads to Vlad's restaurant to question him about the raid, only to find him under attack by gangsters led by their mutual enemy, Vinnie Gognitti (Fred Berman). After saving Vlad, he claims that Vinnie, now the underboss
Underboss ( it, sottocapo) is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian, Greek, and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss. The underbo ...
of the New York Mafia
"Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...
, is trying to monopolize the black market gun trade and sees Vlad as a threat.
After evading an attack by the Cleaners in his apartment, Max tracks Mona to an abandoned funhouse and learns that the Cleaners are trying to eliminate anyone who knows about the Inner Circle. While tracking down Mona's contact within the Inner Circle, Max discovers that he has been killed by the Cleaners, and Mona is arrested by the NYPD for being a wanted suspect in the murder of a senator. While at the police station, Max overhears his colleague, Valerie Winterson (Jennifer Server), talking on the phone about Mona, moments before the Cleaners attack the station to kill Mona. She manages to escape and, after fighting off a Cleaner attack on her hideout, sets out to hunt down those responsible with Max's help.
Their search leads them to a construction site, which Max and Mona discover is being used as a base by the Cleaners. After killing most of them, Winterson arrives and holds Mona at gunpoint. Mona claims that Winterson is there to kill her, while Winterson insists that she is simply trying to arrest a fleeing fugitive. After several moments of consideration, Max fatally shoots Winterson, allowing Mona to escape. Before she dies, Winterson shoots Max, hospitalizing him. The game then returns to the earlier hospital scene, where Max eliminates the Cleaners trying to kill him and escapes. He decides to visit Senator Alfred Woden (John Braden), the leader of the Inner Circle, who reveals that Vlad is also a member and the one who hired the Cleaners to eliminate his opposition in order to take over both the Inner Circle and New York's criminal underworld.
Now aware of Vlad's deception, Max raids his restaurant, but finds that Vlad has already left to kill Vinnie. He also discovers that Winterson was Vlad's mistress and was secretly helping him. Max manages to save Vinnie from Vlad's men, and the two head to Mona's hideout to seek her help. However, Vlad ambushes them, killing Vinnie and injuring Max, though not before revealing that Mona is working for Woden. After Mona rescues Max, the two head to Woden's mansion to save him from Vlad. After eliminating Vlad's men, Mona suddenly betrays Max and attempts to follow her orders to kill him, but finds herself unable to do so because of her feelings for him. Realizing this, Vlad shoots Mona, then kills Woden when the latter confronts him. Max fights Vlad as the mansion burns around them, and eventually kills him. As the police arrive at the scene, Max returns to Mona, who dies in his arms. Despite this, Max has come to terms with all the tragedy in his life, and is ready to move on. In an alternate ending unlocked on the highest difficulty, Mona survives, and she and Max kiss.
Development
Take-Two Interactive issued a press release on 5 December 2001 that announced its acquisition of the ''Max Payne'' franchise from Remedy Entertainment and 3D Realms
3D Realms Entertainment ApS is a video game publisher based in Aalborg, Denmark. Scott Miller (entrepreneur), Scott Miller founded the company in his parents' home in Garland, Texas, in 1987 as Apogee Software Productions to release his game ' ...
for US$10 million in cash and 970,000 shares of common stock, and its plans to release ''Max Payne 2''. On 22 May 2002, Take-Two announced that they agreed to pay up to $8 million as incentive payments to 3D Realms and Remedy Entertainment to develop ''Max Payne 2''. On 3 September 2003, Take-Two officially announced a release date of 15 October 2003 for the game.
Originally modeled in ''Max Payne'' after the game's writer Sam Lake
Sami Antero Järvi (born in 1970), better known by his artist name Sam Lake ('Järvi' is Finnish for lake), is a Finnish video game writer. He is the creative director at Remedy Entertainment, known for his writing (as well as his likeness) on t ...
, Max's appearance was remodeled after professional actor Timothy Gibbs
Timothy Brian Gibbs (born April 17, 1967) is an American director, actor, producer, and screenwriter who has starred in films, such as '' 11-11-11'' as Joseph Crone and ''The Kings of Brooklyn'' as Maximilian Sentor and television programs, such ...
for ''Max Payne 2''; James McCaffrey returned as the voice of Max.[ The game's plot was written by Lake, who decided to write it as a "]film noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
love story", as he felt that it suited Max's persona the best. Lake hoped that the story would break new ground, noting, "At least it's a step into the right direction. I'd like nothing better than to see new and unexpected subject matters to find their way to games and stories told in games."[ Lake remarked that basic, archetypal film noir elements found in many classics of the genre "can go a long way" when telling a story, and gave examples that included a hostile, crime-ridden city; a story that takes place late at night with heavy rain; and a cynical, hard-boiled detective down on his luck. Lake considered writing a sequel to ''Max Payne'' an "art of its own".][ Since the setting and characters were already established, Lake decided that the primary goal of the sequel was "to keep what's good and fix what was not so good", and to take the story in surprising directions. The screenplay for the sequel ended up being three times longer than the one for ''Max Payne''. Lake predicted that the more complex story would add to the game's ]replay value
Replay may refer to:
* Replay (sports), a replayed match between two sport teams Technology
* Game replay, a recording of a game session.
* Instant replay, in motion pictures and television, a showing again of part of a film
* Replay Professional, ...
.
The story, sometimes told through in-game dialogue, is pushed forward with comic
a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...
panels that play during cut scene
A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
s. The developers found comic panels to be more effective and less costly to use in the cut scenes than fully animated cinematics. They also noted that the graphic novel format allowed the player to interpret each panel for themselves, explaining "the nuances are there in the head of the reader, and it would be much harder to reach that level with in-game or even prerendered cinematics."[ The developers also found it easier to reorganize the comic panels if the plot needed to be changed while developing the game.][
''Max Payne 2'' uses the same ]game engine
A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software i ...
as the one used in ''Max Payne'', but with several significant upgrades. Even though the game only supports DirectX
Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with "Direct", ...
8.1, the graphics in ''Max Payne 2'' mimic those generated by DirectX 9 by making optimal use of effects such as reflection Reflection or reflexion may refer to:
Science and technology
* Reflection (physics), a common wave phenomenon
** Specular reflection, reflection from a smooth surface
*** Mirror image, a reflection in a mirror or in water
** Signal reflection, in ...
, refraction
In physics, refraction is the redirection of a wave as it passes from one medium to another. The redirection can be caused by the wave's change in speed or by a change in the medium. Refraction of light is the most commonly observed phenomeno ...
, shader
In computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that calculates the appropriate levels of light, darkness, and color during the rendering of a 3D scene - a process known as ''shading''. Shaders have evolved to perform a variety of spec ...
s, and ghosting. The developers considered one particular scene in which effects are used well: When Max has lucid dream
A lucid dream is a type of dream in which the dreamer becomes aware that they are dreaming while dreaming. During a lucid dream, the dreamer may gain some amount of control over the dream characters, narrative, or environment; however, this is n ...
s, the screen appears fuzzy and out of focus. Since ''Max Payne'', the polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...
count (the number of polygons rendered per frame
A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent.
Frame and FRAME may also refer to:
Physical objects
In building construction
*Framing (con ...
) has been increased, which smooths out the edges of character models. In addition, characters have a much greater range of expressions. Previously, Max had only one expression available; in ''Max Payne 2'', he often smirks and moves his eyebrows to react to different scenarios.
The game uses the Havok physics engine
A physics engine is computer software that provides an approximate simulation of certain physical systems, such as rigid body dynamics (including collision detection), soft body dynamics, and fluid dynamics, of use in the domains of computer gr ...
, which the developers chose because it was "hands-down the best solution to our needs".[ They found that a dedicated physics engine was vital to create Max's combat scenes, which ''Max Payne'' was known for, "with increased realism and dramatic, movielike action".][ The physics engine made several situations seem more realistic. For example, when in combat, the player can take cover behind boxes; however, when enemy bullets impact the boxes, they will topple over, in which case the player will have to find another suitable object to use for cover. When an enemy is hidden behind a wall divider, the player can throw a grenade next to it to send the cover flying through the air, rendering the enemy unprotected.] The Havok engine was tweaked to make weapons, bombs, and Molotov cocktail
A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – ''see other names'') is a hand thrown incendiary weapon constructed from a frangible container filled with flammable substances equipped with a fuse (typically a glass bottle filled with flamma ...
s act more naturally, and the audio was updated to make them sound more realistic. The new physics engine allowed for certain actions that could not happen in ''Max Payne''; boxes can be moved and follow the laws of gravitation, and explosion detonations make enemy bodies fall realistically.[
The ]bullet time
Bullet time (also known as frozen moment, dead time, flow motion or time slice) is a visual effect or visual impression of detaching the time and space of a camera (or viewer) from those of its visible subject. It is a depth enhanced simulation of ...
mode that ''Max Payne'' was known for was improved; the developers referred to it as "version 2.0".[ The mode, which allows Max to move in slow motion to react and kill enemies more easily, was enhanced to give Max a refill of a portion of the Bullet Time gauge, as well as slowing down the passage time even further, as Max moves further "into the zone" with each consecutive kill. This was done to encourage players to aggressively dive head-on into dangerous situations rather than crouching at a safe distance and waiting for enemies to come to them. A new reload animation was also introduced, which, when Max reloads while in Bullet Time, allows him to duck to avoid bullets, spin around to survey the combat situation, and briefly pause to give the player a moment to think of a strategy. Development tools were made available for ''Max Payne 2'' by Rockstar Games and ]Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment Oyj, trading internationally as Remedy Entertainment Plc, is a Finnish video game developer based in Espoo. Notable games the studio has developed include the first two instalments in the '' Max Payne'' franchise, ''Alan ...
to allow players to create modifications for the game. Modifications can perform several functions, such as the ability to add new weapons, skills, perspectives, surroundings, and characters.
Music composers Kärtsy Hatakka
Kari Arvo Ilari "Kärtsy" Hatakka (born December 17, 1967 in Helsinki, Finland) is the vocalist and bassist for the Finnish music group Waltari, which he founded in 1986.
He has been a full-time musician since 1991, and worked on the soundtrack f ...
and Kimmo Kajasto returned to compose the game's soundtrack. It features cello performances by Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Helsinki, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso, and jazz drummer Mikko Sirén. Originally a classical ...
member Perttu Kivilaakso
Perttu Päivö Kullervo Kivilaakso is a cello player for Finnish band Apocalyptica. Like fellow band members Eicca Toppinen and Paavo Lötjönen, he attended Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He plays a German 19th century cello; he started play ...
. The game's end credits feature the song "Late Goodbye
"Late Goodbye" is a song by the Finnish rock band Poets of the Fall that appeared in the 2003 video game '' Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne'' as well as on the band's debut album '' Signs of Life''. " by the band Poets of the Fall
Poets of the Fall (POTF) is a Finnish rock band from Helsinki. The group consists of Marko Saaresto (lead vocals), Olli Tukiainen (lead guitar), Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen (keyboards, production), Jani Snellman (bass), Jaska Mäkinen (rhythm gu ...
, the lyrics of which were based on a poem by Sam Lake. It was their first single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
and reached #14 on the Finnish Singles Chart
The Official Finnish Charts ( fi, Suomen virallinen lista; sv, Finlands officiella lista) are national record charts in Finland compiled and published by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. The name ''Suomen virallinen lista/Finlands officiell ...
as well as #1 on ''Radio Suomipop's Top 30'' chart. It is referenced many times in the game, usually by characters singing or humming it.
Reception
''Max Payne 2'' was critically acclaimed. Praise focused on its action and story, while criticism targeted its length, which was considered short.
Steve Polak of the Australian ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'', who enjoyed the first ''Max Payne'' game, also praised ''Max Payne 2'', calling it an "outstanding" game that "keeps alive the sense of atmosphere and engaging gunplay-oriented action that was so exciting in the first release." He lauded the game for better production values compared to the first game, including its more polished story, more professional scripts, and better acting and graphics. The complexity of Max's character was a welcomed element by Polak, who found that games often created heroes that were simplistic.[ The '']Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...
''s Dan Toose described the game's experience as "brutal, yet beautiful gun-blazing gaming".[
Jon Minifie of '']The New Zealand Herald
''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspapers ...
'' appreciated the game's story, calling it an "entertainingly dark third-person shooter with a well-crafted, noir storyline". In particular, Minifie praised Remedy for what he deemed a successful port of the game to consoles, especially for the Xbox, noticing that the version features visuals that look similar to those on the PC. However, he found that the PlayStation 2 port was only "an okay job" that resulted in quality that was "considerably less easy on the eye", and asserted that it is outperformed by more powerful platforms.[ The '']Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
''s Steven Poole observed that ''Max Payne 2'' does "exactly the same hings as the first game only better." He found that enemies react convincingly to damage taken from bullets, thanks to the physics engine. Ultimately, however, Poole described the game as "entertaining but not earth-shattering".[
'']The Toronto Sun
The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Pos ...
''s Steve Tilley, who believed that Remedy did a "killer job" on ''Max Payne 2'', felt that the company kept what was great about the previous game, "while everything else has been tweaked, overhauled and juiced up". He was a fan of the Bullet Time from the first game, and therefore appreciated seeing it return in the sequel, with "even more impressive" visuals. Tilley found that the game's "lifelike physics engine" was easily its best aspect, and noted that while playing the game, he threw a grenade across a room, which resulted in an explosion that sent enemies flying through the air in a realistic fashion. In addition, Tilley applauded Remedy for listening to fan complaints and resolving issues from the previous game, including improved dream sequences in ''Max Payne 2''. He was, however, disappointed with the general linearity of the game, and noted that players who are not interested in film noir themes will not enjoy them in ''Max Payne 2''. Concluding, Tilley commented that the game "has enough polish, cinematic flair and outright mayhem to thrill those who like their Sopranos with a dash of John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS (; born September 22, 1946) is a Hong Kong filmmaker, known as a highly-influential figure in the action film genre. He was a pioneer of heroic bloodshed films (a crime action film genre involving Chinese triads) and the gun fu ...
and a touch of Frank Miller
Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on Daredevil (Marvel Comics ser ...
."[
The game's action was praised by several reviewers. GameZone called it cinematic and action-packed, noting that the final scene was worthy of the big screen.][ Similarly, GameSpy described the action as "adrenaline-pumping", and considered it comparable to what was available in film.][ The story was both applauded and criticized. Tom McNamara of IGN enjoyed playing in the film noir setting and believed that it adds dramatic depth to Max and Mona's story, "somehow akingwhat's going on more important and interesting. Wreaking havoc is nice, but it's great to also have a love interest complicating things, and Mona Sax is definitely up to the task." However, he was turned off by some of the "hammy" dialogue.][ In contrast, ]1UP.com
''1Up.com'' was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, ''1Up.com'' provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused conten ...
cited the final boss as an ending that inadequately completed an otherwise excellent game,[ and the ''Sunday Times'' Poole called the story "pungently cheesy".][ ''Max Payne 2''s length disappointed critics, including GameSpot and IGN, which complained about the short story.][ Toose of the ''Sydney Morning Herald'' was also critical of the short single-player experience, but found that the higher difficulty levels and special "survivor" modes helped improve the game's replay value.][
]
Awards
''Max Payne 2'' was the recipient of several industry awards, including Outstanding Art Direction at the Golden Satellite Awards 2004
The 9th Golden Satellite Awards, honoring the best in film and television of 2004, were presented by the International Press Academy on January 23, 2005.
Special achievement awards
Mary Pickford Award (for outstanding contribution to the enterta ...
, Editors' Choice Awards from GamePro
Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
, IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
, GameSpy
GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
, and GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
, and Game of the Month from ''Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
''.
Sales
Despite a positive reception, ''Max Payne 2'' sold poorly, leading Rockstar Games' parent company Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an American video game holding company based in New York City and founded by Ryan Brant in September 1993.
The company owns two major publishing labels, Rockstar Games and 2K, which operate internal g ...
to cite the "continued disappointing sales of ''Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne''" as one of the causes for the company's reforecasted sales for 2004.
Remake
In April 2022, Remedy announced that it is remaking ''Max Payne'' and ''Max Payne 2'' on its Northlight Engine
Remedy Entertainment Oyj, trading internationally as Remedy Entertainment Plc, is a Finnish video game developer based in Espoo. Notable games the studio has developed include the first two instalments in the '' Max Payne'' franchise, ''Alan ...
, with funding from Rockstar. The two remakes are set to be released as a compilation for PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, it was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North Ame ...
, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S
The Xbox Series X/S are home video game consoles developed by Microsoft. They were both released on November 10, 2020, as the fourth generation Xbox, succeeding the Xbox One. Along with Sony's PlayStation 5, also released in November 2020, t ...
.
See also
*List of fictional portrayals of the NYPD
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has been the subject of many fictional or fictionalized portrayals in popular culture.
In written works
(Alphabetical by author's surname)
*''Battle Tendency'' (1987–89), the second story arc of the m ...
*List of third-person shooters
Third-person shooter (TPS) is a genre of 3D action video game in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.
__TOC__
Legend
List
See also
* Third-person shooter
References ...
Notes
References
External links
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne
2003 video games
3D Realms games
Detective video games
Max Payne
Neo-noir video games
Organized crime video games
PlayStation 2 games
Remedy Entertainment games
Rockstar Games games
Rockstar Vienna games
Single-player video games
Take-Two Interactive games
Third-person shooters
Video game sequels
Video games about police officers
Video games developed in Finland
Video games featuring female protagonists
Video games scored by Kärtsy Hatakka
Video games set in 2003
Video games set in New York City
Video games using Havok
Video games with alternate endings
Video games with time manipulation
Windows games
Works about the Russian Mafia
Xbox games
Xbox Originals games
Video games written by Sam Lake