Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne [PC]

Max Payne is back and this time it's personal. Despite his vigilante rampage in the first game, the fallen cop has returned to his job as a New York City detective. His life remains dark and dreary, and it doesn't look to get any better when he responds to a call at a wherehouse. Storming into the building, he discovers a burglary gone wrong. The night gets weirder when he encounters Mona Sax, the prime suspect in a murder and the object of Payne's affection. Soon, all hell has broken loose. A cop is dead. Payne is a suspect. And everyone wants him dead..

May Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne takes game noir to a new level, from the graphic comic panels that break up each mission to Payne's constant narration as he creeps through alleyways. It's Elmore Leonard gone digital. It's a game for nihilists who like their heroes dark and their environments darker. Unfortunately, the audio engine can't always keep up with on-screen action, creating an effect akin to a record skipping while Payne is talking. The subtitle option, though, does help.

What the game lacks in audio quality, it more than makes up for with graphics. Character features pop off the screen, and the backgrounds are exquisite, thanks to the real-time physics engine. The downside is that players using lower-end computers may quickly grow frustrated. Trying to open doors -- which requires finding the right pixels to grab -- can turn into a five-minute mouse mash. Step too close and the door won't swing open. Step too far back and Payne can't reach the door.

The mouse controller is a bit touchy as well. Players are just as likely to spray the ceiling with hot lead as they are the bad guys, particularly when they square off with villains coming from every angle. Because of that, death comes easily, so gamers need to make liberal use of the auto-save function. Otherwise, they will become very good at restarting levels.

Once players get the hang of the controls, though, the game combat is great. Don't expect to burst into rooms with guns ablazing, because Payne can only handle a few hits before he bites it. Instead, players will make liberal use of the Bullet Time 2.0 feature -- which trumps the awkward fighting sequences from Enter the Matrix.

May Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne is rated mature for liberal uses of violence.