A lot of the published reviews' main criticism was that this game was not a giant leap forward from the first Max Payne and while that may be true from a graphical standpoint, this sequel features a huge improvement in the way the story is unraveled. Whereas in Max Payne the three chapters were disjointed and could easily be standalone episodes, the sequel's chapters are much more interwoven to form a compelling story that makes you want to play the game. Moreover, the addition of cinematic scenes to the series trademark comic book panes helps to give the game a much more cinematic feel. These improvement to the game's storytelling are coupled with minor improvements to the series' game play mechanics to produce a sequel that surpasses its predecessor.
