Max Payne 2
Here is a game that caught me off guard when it came out. My only encounter with the Max Payne series was quickly finishing Max Payne simply to see what the fuss was about. So I was flying blind when I bought the sequel. I didn't have any expectations, to me it was just a new game, a shooter.
I wasn't prepared for the opening cinematic that just features Max doing a bullet time reload. It amazed me and caught me so off guard I must have watched it at least five or six times before I actually started playing the game. Extreme I know but in my humble opinion this game, guided by the expert writing of Sam Lake is the closest thing a video game has to art.
The story continues on from the first game. Max Payne's family are still dead, he is still an emotional wreck and he is still engages in Hamlet-style monologues in order to convey the simpliest of feelings. However it never feels contrvied, the narration is never heavy handed or obvious. Instead through voiceover and graphic novels, a subtle and thrilling story is woven around a moody detective with a knack for killing.
Since the first game Max has put himself back on the NYPD and it's here that everything kicks off once again. During a routine call out he runs into Mona Sax, the presumed dead femme fatale from the first game. She is one of many returning characters that elevate this game to something much than a simple sequel.
Graphically, the game is detailed and at times stunning. Even the smallest objects can be shot at, moved or blown up. Bullet Time also makes another appearence, this time even more stylish than ever. Using bullet time makes the screen turn sepia and killing enimies adds a further shade of yellow. Maxing out your bullet time allows for a Matrix style reload.
Overal the game weaves together entertaining firefights, memorable dialogue, thought-provoking themes and subtle references that make this game a must have, even to an Xbox 360 owner.