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Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Preview for PC
Posted on Tuesday, October 07, 2003 @ 04:01:32 pm E.S.TMax Payne is back, and he’s even more pissed off than before. It may seem like there’s no way out of the hell-hole that Max found himself in at the conclusion of the original Max Payne, but Remedy is striving to make sure that Max mixes it up once again.
The story was a difficult point for Remedy to invent, although it is a focal point for improvement. It seemed there could be nothing that could motivate Max to want to care about anything again. However, story was one of the strong points of the original and Remedy refused to disappoint fans. Max has found himself back on the police squad again, trying to make an attempt at life once more. However, once his partner is murdered he goes insane - especially about the fact that he is being accused of murder. Max even confesses to the murder, although no reason has been given why he chooses to do this.
Whereas the first game had you avenging the murder of Max’s wife and kid, this time you’ll be in the middle of a love story. Mona Sax is vigilante who you’ll encounter throughout the game, acting as a rival, ally and a love interest of Max’s.
Bullet time helps you to kick ass.
In addition to the times where Mona is an ally, you’ll have other characters helping out Max in Payne 2. These vary from sexy ladies to a fat Mafia man, although Max still seems to stray towards his nature of wanting to do things on his own. These allies, or NPCs, will just further the action that will take place during Payne 2.
Just like in the original, many of the story sequences will play out much like a comic. They look quite exceptional; and these will be much more mature than in the original. The look is much like a graphic novel rather than the polygonal method used in Mafia. While these comic book sequences are an integral part of the story telling in Payne 2, many events will take place in-game.
The graphics are much improved over the original, especially facial animations. Max will no longer constantly have on his disgruntled expression on; his face will move to express his different feelings. Not only does this apply to Max, but it will take place on all other NPCs. Particle effects and explosions look incredible - combined with amazing lighting effects, Max Payne 2 is sure to put a fight in with its impressive graphics.
Not only have the physical appearances enhanced, but the physics engine has been much improved. Titled Havoc, this has permitted for incredibly effects. For example, in a cutscene, you will see Max dash up a set of stairs. As he notices an enemy nearby, he lobs a grenade towards him. As the grenade detonates, you will see the camera look towards the enemy you attacked. You’ll see his body be pushed up and twist; this looks incredibly realistic.
As I said earlier, the story will continue to be an integral part of the game, however, an effort is being put on improving all of the good stuff from the original Payne and getting rid of the junk; this will result in a lot more action, and a longer game.
Who to shoot...
During the first chapter, you’ll find yourself behind a warehouse at night, where you’ll notice the onslaught of rain (which looks quite extraordinary). The car Max arrives in will reflect the lights around it due to the rain covering it. While inside, you’ll be able to interact with many of the objects around you, such as boxes and shelves. These types of things are intertwined with Havoc and will allow for some cool actions you can perform.
Max is ambushed but is able to dive out of the way of being crushed with the use of bullet time, while he lobs a few grenades at his enemies. You’ll see another demonstration of Havoc here as bodies fly.
You can attempt to hide behind objects such as boxes, but it will be possible for bullets to pass through them and other weak objects.
Rather than using tactical fighting techniques, you’ll find yourself in the middle of huge gunfights rather than fighting enemies who hide and run away.
You’ll be fighting your enemies with 5 new weapons - 3 of which are being kept secret until the release. The two that have been announced are a MP5 with a telescopic lens, which lets you fire quickly while zoomed in. The other weapon is a 12-guage shotgun. This shotgun is able to use a rapid fire function, which may come in handy.
Bullet Time has been much improved from the original - you’ll be able to have increased speed during Bullet Time to reward good performances. By killing several enemies, you’ll be able to move relatively faster than your enemies.
Rockstar has taken an active role in working on Payne 2 this time around. They’ve gone all out and helped out by improving the overall quality of the game by allowing for professional voice actors and an insurance in quality.
It certainly looks like Remedy has gone all out with Payne 2 - especially the physics engine. The aesthetic side of this game alone is extremely impressive, not to mention the improved gameplay side of things. Max Payne 2 looks like it’s set to wow quite a lot of people when it’s released later this year.
Preview By: Chris Pereira - 6392 Reads
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