(Rockstar Games)

PS2, Xbox, PC (MSRP $49.99)

Hard-boiled NYPD renegade cop Max Payne is back with guns drawn and bullets casings clinking on the pavement in a slow motion dance of death. Just the way Payne fans like it. With a superb and tragic storyline that feels like you are smack in the middle of a Terentino or Woo film, Payne 2 raises the bar for action titles with its brutal visuals and intense fire fights.

‘Bullet time' has been modified to allow you to unload your weapons faster based on the current body count you've racked up. And speaking of body count, the bad guys have been fitted with ‘ragdoll' physics that ensure no two creeps hit the floor quite the same. Subtle, but effective as true to life interaction with the surroundings just makes gameplay that much more believable. You'll want to pick this one up.

- Jake Jones

First Published December 19, 2003, 2:56 p.m.