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"Remedy Entertainment's Max Payne easily set the high mark for action games when released for the PC in 2001. The environments were sharp and detailed, the music memorable, and the gameplay satisfying for action buffs. As the first title to incorporate Matrix-style "bullet-time" directly into gameplay, it spawned a legion of knock-offs and wanna-be's that continue to surface to this day - and even the licensed Matrix game can't hold Max's holster. Unfortunately, when it came to overwrought melodrama and hilariously painful storytelling, Max Payne had that locked down as well. Not content to leave a metaphor alone until it had squeezed every last bit of pathos from it, the dialogue was cheesy enough in spots to make one cringe in embarassment for everyone involved. Be that as it may, gameplay is still king around these parts, and Max Payne's atmospheric gunplay had thousands of gamers engrossed until the wee hours, night after night. The sequel has been eagerly anticipated for some time now, and Remedy hasn't disappointed us." At least, that's what I said in the PC review of Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. Now that the PS2 version has arrived in stores, how does it compare?
Let's get this straight right off the bat - if you've played this on a PC with a smoking ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, there's no getting around how downgraded the textures look on PS2. The sharp, detailed textures seen on the PC have been hacked down to fit into the PS2's limited texture memory, and it shows. In comparison to other PS2 action titles, however, MP2 holds its own - so if you haven't played it on any other platform the graphics are manageable. It's the storyline where MP2 truly shines. The over-the-top melodrama of the original has been honed and massaged down into a tight tale of love and gunplay. To be honest, I had some misgivings about Remedy's ability to portray a love story in this medium, but I'll be damned if they didn't pull it off with some flair. Characters are fleshed out to a greater degree than the first, and as a result, the drive to see what happens next provides a textured backdrop to the gunplay and violence. The gunplay itself needs some work, however. This style of game always plays better with a mouse and keyboard, and the degree of control offered by the Dual Shock isn't as accurate. This wreaks havoc with your shooting style, especially at the higher difficulty levels, making for a frustrating experience. The ability to tweak the controls is welcome, but it's still not as tight as the PC version. Wonky controls aside, you should be able to get through this game in a day or two. That's a shame, because the storyline presented here is compelling enough that you want it to continue past the end. The mods that will inevitably show up on the PC won't make it to Sony's machine, but Remedy has done their bit to extend the value of the game by providing unlocked higher difficulty levels and respawn games. It's fun, but the nature of the Dual Shock controls make it harder than it should. If you only own a PS2, Max Payne 2 is a worthy pickup, but those of you with a decent PC should buy that version instead. Trust me - it's easier on the eyes and the hands. Screenshots are from the PC version.
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