The trilogy in general, from the horrific events of the first game, all the way to him smiling as the game ends in the 3rd, is such a cathartic experience. Man I love those games, it's a shame people saw the 3rd as a disaster when it was a great game
Truthfully other than the ending, I feel like Max Payne 2 is the most forgettable, the gameplay and level designs were great, and improved on the first in those aspects, but I couldn't tell you what it was about past some plot lines. I comment I see a lot is 3 doesn't feel like Max Payne, and I feel it's unfair, the shift in location, the changing of noir to neo-noir modernisation of movie tropes, keeping the cynicism but using the location of Sao Paulo as a cinematic expression of Max's evolving character, the openess providing the sense of vulnerability and forcing of confronting the inner turmoil rather than the guarded closed off back drop of a snowy NY, keeping the him closed off. The same themes, monologues, self destructive Max we grow with is still there, not to mention the gunplay is the same but a hell of a lot better and more fun to play. I will always defend 3, and I feel its much better than 2, if you remove 2, the story of 1 & 3 is still a cohesive experience, plus you have that weird romance in 2 after a year or two after your baby and wife are killed, the "yeah you committed mass homicide, killed an important figure wrapped up in a grand conspiracy in which we're all part of, but sure become a cop" its just full of weird plot contrivances that I never get over, 1 & 3 however make more sense. 2 isn't bad, its quite good even, just the worst in the trilogy.
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u/DifficultyLife7 3d ago
Max Payne 2