System Requirements
1.2Ghz processor, 256MB RAM, 32MB graphics card required
1.7Ghz processor, 512MB RAM, 64MB graphics card recommended.

Few people missed out on Max Payne when it was released in 2001. Its heady mix of gritty, film-noir plot and violent, beautiful slow-motion combat enthralled many, and despite the odd weak link, it remains well loved today. Small wonder, then, that the release of its sequel has attracted a lot of attention. Remedy, its developer, promises a deeper plot, updated graphics, and a new realistic physics system, but has kept the original's trademark comic book cut-scenes, and of course its slow-motion "bullet time" effects.

 As the title - and sultry box-art - suggests, Max Payne 2's plot has more than the straightforward tale of revenge that its predecessor had. (For the uninitiated, the original game followed Payne, a renegade cop, as he took bloody revenge on the murderers of his wife and child.) This is mainly due to his new love interest, a beautiful and mysterious femme-fatale hitwoman called Mona. While this theme is familiar from other forms of media, this is the first time a love story has been tackled with this depth in an action game - and about time, too. Mona is a strong and independent heroine, and contrasts well with Max, the eternal victim. No Tomb Raider bosom-thrusting fluff here.

It is a mature theme, and Remedy has not shied away from its realities. The game's dialogue is convincingly profane, and the blood is not spared. More unusually, Max and Mona enjoy a fully-realised (albeit brief) physical relationship, and there is a small amount of nudity. This wouldn't be worth mentioning in a thriller, where it's practically expected, but in the game world it's unusual. Max Payne 2 is a mature game in every sense of the word, and is all the better for it.

 All this would be futile, though, without a convincing cast and a graphics engine to match. Thankfully, Max Payne 2 delivers on both these points. Like the original, Max's gravely tones are delightfully atmospheric, and his supporting cast is most appropriate. Some of the cut-scenes are delivered in the original game's urbane, atmospheric comic-book format, others use the game's 3D engine to almost equal effect.

The section where Max is walking through a funhouse seeking Mona stands out as one of the best examples of level design to have crossed our desks in quite some time. The funhouse is based on a TV psychological thriller show that can occasionally be seen playing on TV sets in other areas of the game. Painted backdrops and cut-out shapes of people and cars are everywhere, and the designer takes the opportunity to play games with the expectations of the player, for once. At once menacing, convincing and self-referentially witty, it is exceptional.

 Other levels don't have same creative zing, but nonetheless don't disappoint. The original was criticised for plain, samey rooms and corridors, and although it skirts the edge on occasion, this is not a trap into which Max Payne 2 falls. While it retains the linear approach, there's a lot more variety and life to the levels' design. There's also a little more creativity as to the gameplay style - while most of it is straight-down-the-line room-clearing, there are a number of more novel sequences.

Max Payne was best remembered for its slow motion "bullet time" features, and as you would expect, they're back in the sequel. They're expanded on, in fact; Max has a couple of new tricks up the sleeves of his leather jacket. Now, as you kill enemies in bullet time, the effect becomes more pronounced, and time is slowed down more and more. The "shootdodge" move, where Max dives forward or to the side in slow motion, is expanded too - now once you hit the floor you can either continue to fire from a prone position, or continue in bullet time to finish off any enemies that escaped your wrath.

 Has it become a clichéd effect? While it may be overused at the cinema, it still works well in this context. There have been surprisingly few games to jump on the slow motion bandwagon. The new physics engine adds new appeal to the feature, too, as bodies fly backwards and crumple realistically against the scenery. The game takes the opportunity to show it off, too - there are more than a few moments where an enemy will scatter an all-too-carefully placed pile of paint cans, or bounce off a convenient scaffold. If you've got it, flaunt it, some say, and Max certainly does. It doesn't have a substantial impact on the gameplay, but it is very convincing.

The game is no slouch in other graphical areas. The rooms are detailed, the textures pin-sharp, and although some of the character models can be a little angular, their faces are excellent. Somewhat surprisingly, it also runs extremely well on lower specification machines - kudos to Remedy, because it is an outstanding looking game.

 Criticisms of the original game have been well taken. The dream sequences, while still present, are different in style and much less of an irritation. Story-wise, although the film noir style is still very much there, the metaphors have been toned down and there's no longer any doubt over whether Max's voice-overs are intended to be taken seriously.

In fact, the only criticism of the original that can be levelled at its sequel is its length. Max Payne 1 was somewhat on the short side, and 2 is shorter. It can be completed in about six hours, if you rush. You're missing the point if you do, though - there are innumerable conversations between guards and other incidental characters, TV shows, and other scattered nuggets of interest that are well worth pursuing. Short? Yes, in comparison to other, similarly-priced games, but we'll take six tight hours of consistent, compelling and varied action over sixty of samey, uninspired tedium in a New York minute.

 Speaking of which, once you have completed the game on the basic difficulty level (which auto-adjusts to player skill), a few new options will open up to you. There are harder modes, the against-the-clock speed running mode from the original, and a new gameplay style, "Dead Man Walking," which pits Max against an ever-increasing number of enemies in an attempt to stay alive for as long as possible. So although you might get through the story in ten or twelve hours, there's more to do. If Max Payne 2 has a weakness, though, it's in its longevity.

In fact, it's hard to criticise the game at all. It's relentlessly linear - but then all good stories are - and there's little here that could be considered truly original. But in Max Payne 2, Remedy has brought its already well-loved recipe from the original game to near-perfection. In doing so, it achieved something that is very rare in gaming - well-developed and believable characters. That, in itself, is no mean feat, but mix it with the game's delightful combat, varied design, and admirable coherence of style and creative vision, and you have something very special. Max Payne 2 is a superb game.