Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

The Basics:
Platform: XBox
Developer: Rockstar and Remedy
Price: $50
ESRB rating: M (17+)

Summary: You are Max Payne, a cop in a corrupt world left to his own devices to solve the mysteries of life. You find yourself deeper and deeper in a web of love, deceit and corruption as you attempt to break up a crime ring, and bring reason into your obsession with Mona-a girl who maybe trying to kill you or trying to love you.

Note: An intriguing storyline may make this game more appealing than some first person shooter games; however, Max Payne 2 still glorifies violence, makes ample use of profanity and contains significant mature sexual content, making this a game for adults only.

Further Breakdown:

Overall rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Best for ages: 17+
Playability: Easy to pick up, not a difficult game, multiple difficulty levels
Graphics: Excellent
Entertainment value: Excellent
Educational value: Minimal, some philosophical debate may be introduced
Reading Level: 5+ most text has voiceover
KidScore Rating

Ages 3-7: Red
Ages 8-12: Red
Ages 13-17: Red
Violence Amount: Red
Fear: Red
Illegal/harmful: Red
Language: Red
Nudity: Green
Sex: Red

Review:
Although definitely not for kids, Max Payne 2 is a step above most first person shooting games. The story is dark and intriguing almost like a novel. With mystery and a love story, Max Payne 2 has a richer plot then most first person shooters work with. Nonetheless, with a wide collection of guns, and the now almost ubiquitous "slow motion" shooting-called "bullet time" in Max Payne, the game is a shooter at heart. One of the most frequent sounds of the game is gunshots and the clink-clink of empty shell casings hitting the floor.

Max Payne 2 bills itself as a "film noir love story." "Film noir" is in reference to a sub-genre of gangster movies made during the late 1930s through the 1960s. These films are, as is Max Payne 2, dark, brooding and tend to look at human moral conflict with a particularly cynical outlook. These types of films often had a hero who was by nature almost an anti-hero. Max fits the bill. Twisted by a world of corruption, Max is a cop who doesn't really have anyone to trust, even himself. In almost all cases, the solution to the problem is to shoot first and then maybe think about asking questions.

The game follows a somewhat unusual timeline. It starts in the middle as a prologue; steps back to the beginning and then plays through the end. In the prologue, Max finds himself in a hospital, badly wounded and hallucinating about things of the recent past-primarily fixated on his obsession with Mona, the femme fatale of the game. He wakes up and hears Mona's voice in his head urging him to "get out." As far as introductions go, it gets the player interested. Much of the plot of Max Payne 2 is revealed in comic-book style cut scenes with voiceovers narrating the text.

Even with some attention to a storyline, much of the game is about the fancy shooting. Max Payne 2, along with a multitude of recent games offers a "slow motion" option, which puts you at an advantage against your foes, and makes for some "cool" looking shooting moves. There are multiple scenes of close up assassination-style killings: direct gun to face, close range shooting. Max can collect an arsenal of weapons, starting with a basic 9mm handgun, to sawed-off shotguns, sniper rifles, and MP5 sub-machine guns. Blood is everywhere as are flying and burning bodies, grenades, Molotov cocktails and conveniently placed explosives. The story might be dark and brooding, but the gameplay has a decidedly violent edge.

Other considerations include the mature sexual themes and the level of strong language. There isn't any actual nudity, but several audio segments sound like they are lifted from a porn movie. TV's are scattered throughout the game, which the player can actually sit and watch. In a new twist on "media integration," some of the ads and shows on the fake TVs are linked to elements within the game. This includes some ads for a phone sex line and a "late-night" porno show. The game also makes liberal use of profanity, including the "F" word.

Max Payne 2 might raise awareness of the moral ambiguity in our world. It has an intriguing and captivating story. It has great graphics and is a quality game. However, it isn't a good choice for kids. The glorification of violence, sexual content and profanity provides little chance for kids to compare and contrast "morality," but does offer yet another chance to "empty another clip."