Final Verdict

As long as you realize you're buying a John Woo shootout sim and not a story-driven narrative with lots of cool weapons, locations, characters, and multiplayer longevity, Max Payne 2 won't be a disappointment. Although it's using some slick cutting-edge technology, in other regards, it's ultimately a modest game that easily meets it own modest ambitions.

Wanna play doctor?

Shotgun packin' mamma

Personally I think Tom’s being generous. I mean, you get a 6 hour game with repetitive gameplay. The fancy trick that made the first Max Payne interesting is getting old. The jumping physics alone cost the game 5 points off the score. The plot and writing are much more blasé… not as adventurous or entertaining. At least the first Max Payne’s writing had the hilarious quality of being one long cliché. Now it’s just a bland attempted tragedy. Where’s the fun? Got a clue? Then Sound Off! in the news comments and let me know, because I want my money back. OK OK, the Captain Baseball Bat Boy sequence makes up for all of that. Tom does have a point.