When you hear the Grim Reaper laughing behind you, you don't look back. When every slumber brings an old nightmare back to haunt you, you don't sleep. When the people you love die like moths to a flame, you don't make friends. When your life is shattered in an instant, like a mirror, you can't put it back together. Only pieces remain, pieces that cut and pieces that splinter, pushing themselves deeper and deeper inside until they're part of you. When life gives you lemons like these, you don't make lemonade, you run. You run unendingly, tired, alone and bloody, hoping against hope that you'll get away from it. You never do, because sooner or later, you're gonna fall.

Rockstar's eagerly awaited sequel, Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne, continues the story of the world's most on-the-edge cop with a short history of what's happened since Max found himself surrounded by police atop a towering New York skyscraper. After a little string pulling by some well-placed friends, Mr. Payne finds himself hailed as a hero. Leaving the D.E.A. and returning to the NYPD, it's not long before he's called out to the murder of a friend's associate, which starts a huge chain of double crosses and deceit, eventually leading to the death of just about everyone involved. The narrative is a strange one, in that until very late on in the game you don't quite realise what's going on, nor indeed do you care. Loads of characters are reintroduced to the story, as friends become enemies and vice versa; in fact I thought most of the individuals who come back to help or hinder Max had been killed in the previous instalment. Without giving too much away Max most certainly falls and in more than one respect.

Happily, the gameplay remains almost untouched, as the controls are as intuitive as ever, the camera is mercifully kind and the basic mechanic of run-dive-blow-everything-to kingdom-come has not been enhanced. Some platform jumping sections (but fewer than the first one) have been included, as well as a couple of sniper levels and one or two timed sections, making for the all out gunfighting gameplay that was expected. The only two changes come in the form of a slightly tweaked bullet time, which increases the slowdown effect the further into the 'zone' you get and the addition of a secondary weapon, doing away with the need for mid gun battle weapon changes. Many of the locations from the previous game have been included but, with the addition of another playable character, the whole package feels fresh and enjoyable throughout its rather short lifespan.

Sadly, however, that short lifespan is a disappointment considering the last of Max's exploits and although it doesn't seem rushed in the slightest, some larger, more interesting levels would have added a lot to the longevity. The other aspect that some may not find to their liking is the narrative which, frankly, isn't as attention grabbing as you might wish. That said, with plenty of cogitation the intricacies of the story become clear and you begin to see that Max's motivations aren't all about revenge.

There's a definite hike in the quality of the graphics, which feature some excellent rag doll physics and a sweet new slo-mo reloading animation. The cinematic effects are not as numerous as previously but with the ultra bullet time slow downs, things can pretty much stop completely, almost allowing you to see your name on every bullet! A sepia tone has been used to noir-up these moments but one or two further additions might have freshened the now overused bullet time gimmick. In many sections of the game, the environments are a little over done and due to the storyline some places have to be played through two or three times. Although they fit with the brooding nature of the title you do get the impression that someone's strangest fantasies have been brought to life in Max's world. With such a twisted main protagonist it seems to me unnecessary to shovel yet more darkness and oddity onto the heap. This is nitpicking though and Max Payne 2 comes out looking just as it should - dark and full of warped symbolism.

As the graphics improve so the sound worsens, my main gripe being the rather tinny sound of the gunfire and the toned down bullet time effects. The language, although strong, isn't overtly offensive and isn't as shocking as some similar titles. Even so, this is not for the whole family, as the blood, guts and gore come thick and fast. The musical score from the first has been kept, which keeps the continuity high but it's difficult to say that Max Payne 2 has any more punch than its predecessor. The standard has certainly not slipped however, making for a pleasurable experience from start to finish.

If you liked Max Payne, you'll like Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne. Not much has changed and aside from the storyline, enhanced graphics and a few audio effects, everything is as good as if not better than before. Complex puzzling isn't Max's thing and if you want something to give the old grey matter a workout, stay well away. With no multiplayer and limited replay potential perhaps a rental would suffice but I think everyone should sample the Payne of a fall every now and again, so dive down to your local vendor and issue a carefully woven, gravely-throated metaphorical ultimatum to them and get your blood stained hands on a copy.

Reviewed by Tom LeClerc for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).