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A New York Masterpiece

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 23, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Max Payne is definitely the best third person shooter ever made. The storyline, graphics, play control, arsenal of weapons, missions, cinema, music, the atmosphere, and the A.I. is more than I could ask for out of a PlayStation 2 game.

Let's start out with the storyline. Max Payne takes place in the grimy streets of New York with crime happening all over the place. Three years ago, Max came home to his house finding his wife and infant son brutally murdered. Essentially the murderers were looking for Max, but when they broke in they decided to seize the moment and make his life a living hell. After this horrific experience Max dedicates the next three years of his life to get hunt down and kill the murderers and any cost, even if it means that he'll be the most wanted man in America.

The graphics and the atmosphere in Max Payne are simply amazing and very realistic. Max and all of the enemies that he encounters all have their own unique details including mustaches, different colored eyes, scars, their clothing, etc. Everything looks like New York with graffiti all over the walls, trashcans on fire, and cars, subways, doors, and buildings drawn in exceptional detail. From the blood of your enemies to the fire from the Molotov Cocktails, everything is done perfectly. Plus you can interact with the environment in numerous ways. For example, you can turn on a vibrating bed, play a piano, get a drink out of a soda machine, turn radios and televisions on and off, look through hidden cameras, etc. Plus with a sniper rifle you can zoom from great distances and there is a camera where you follow the bullet until it reaches your enemy.

The play control of this game is very smooth. Moving around, aiming, and shooting in this game is a sinch. I got used to the controls in about 10 minutes and as you use them more and more they become second nature. Plus with an innovative slow-motion feature called Bullet-Time you can move at the speed of a bullet which is very effective in situtations where you are heavily outnumbered in a room or if you just want to surprise an enemy from a short or long distance.

There are several weapons you can collect in this game yo use against your enemies and they all of their own unique feature. Some of the guns are a Leadpipe, Baseball Bat, Pump-Action Shotgun, Sawed-Off Shotgun, Desert Eagle, Beretta, Ingram, Jakhammer, Colt Commando, Molotov Cocktails, Gernades, AK47, and a Sniper Rifle. Not only can you find these guns from dead enemies, they can be found in cabinets, display cases, inside of boxes, and in other hidden places. Plus, if you are low on health you can pick up Painkillers which reduce about a third of your damage. You can hold as many as 8 and you should use them wisely because they are sometimes hard to find.

There are over 60 diverse, mission-based levels in Max Payne that are very complex and fun to explore. Some if the missions include jumping off a building onto a subway, escaping from a flaming restaurant, sneaking onto a boat from an abandoned shipyard, eliminating 3 mobsters in a mashion, etc. Not only are these missions well-developed but they are fun and challenging as well.

The cinema in Max Payne is the best I've ever seen in a game. There are over 200 different scenes with excellent dialouge and superb voiceovers that it will seem like Max Payne is a well-made movie. Cinema scenes usually are between levels but sometimes if you find an interesting object in a level or if you encounter a devious mobster, you will get a short cienmatic dialouge. Watching these scenes builds and builds up suspense to for a show-stopping climax at the end of the game.

The A.I. of this game is so incredible that I was blown away from their superb reaction. The enemies get smarter and smarter as you progress through the game. If you are the type who runs down hallways, don't expect the enemy not to hear you around the corner. Plus if an enemy is all alone and you have a more powerful weapon than they do, they will call their friends for backup. If you decide to snipe someone from a long distance, they will immediately react but either shooting back at you or they will run and hide behind boxes to get a better shot at you.

The music and special effects in Max Payne does a very good job with blending in with the atmosphere. If you are duking it out with a mob boss or in a room with a lot of enemies with powerful guns you will most likely hear fast-paced music that will keep your heart racing and adrenaline pumping. But if your just walking through the snowy streets looking for weapons you'll hear a calmer beat.

All in all, Max Payne is one of the greatest PlayStation 2 games ever made and it has endless replay value. I've owned this game for about three months now and I still play it everyday. And to my surprise, it hasn't become boring at all. My recommendation is to buy this game as soon as you can. You'll become hooked very quickly, and you'll love it for all the reasons that I still do today.

KILLER GAME

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: January 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Oh. My. God.

Max Payne is one of the best game I have played in years.

It's full of surprises, has this amazingly elegant combat engine, darkly funny film noir attitude and gorgeous Bullet Time mode. Great writing and voice talent kept me watching the segue film, or rather, comic book clips, for the sheer entertainment value -- I was actually almost shocked at how sophisticated and clever some of the writing was. I 'm not used to this in a video game. And what a blessed relief to play a game with an adult story line and a no-apologies somber 'Silent Hill' back story. I really dug the Max Payne character, he's fleshed out, he's vital and worth spending your time with. This could be a movie easy.

I have played alot of these Action games, it's my genre of choice, and MP is cream of the crop, top of the tops. I rank this game right up there with Metal Gear 2. And I have to admit, since getting Max Payne, Metal Gear 2, as much as I love it, has been sitting idle.

I cannot recommend this game enough. I'd give it ten stars if I could. Max Enjoyment!

Maximum FUN!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 17
Date: November 28, 2001
Author: Amazon User

While the game is definetly violent and raunchy, the gameplay is awesome and addictive. Picture Tomb Raider with more action, tons of enemys and incredible graphics. Combine that with the "bullet time" mode which slows down time and gives Max incredible reflexs and is also extremely pleasing to the eye, and you've got a great game. The control, a combination of mouse and keyboard, is awkward at first, but becomes second nature after the first half hour. I also suggest taking the auto aim feature off so you will have to actually aim to hit an enemy. The bullet time mode is so much fun and adds so much to the game, it makes you feel like you are in the matrix. However, like the matrix, the story is a little lacking. While it is interesting and intelligent at first, it gets predictable after a while. But again like the matrix, the action is so incredible, it doesn't matter so much if the story doesn't hold up after seeing it 5 times. This game is definetly worth buying but be warned; you WILL become addicted. It's nearly impossible not to.

The Best Game of 2001!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: November 29, 2001
Author: Amazon User

My opinion is that this is the best video game of 2001! Max Payne combines incredible graphics as well as a superb plot. Plus the fantastic reality and the first ever "Bullet Time". In which you can actually see the bullets as they are leaving your weapon. It also has great sound effects and music. Overall I beleive Max Payne should be rated the Best game of the year!

This game is awesome

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 10
Date: October 22, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game will be awesome. If you've seen The Matrix this game has graphic just like that. I can't wait till ps2 Max Payne comes out. Its will for sure be quicker than computers and the control pad is better than a mouse and a keyboard. All I know is this game is sweet and it on many sites this game has topped HalfLife and other sweet game for anyone who likes this game I would consider Silent Hill 2 and Spy Hunter...

Max Payne

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 19
Date: October 09, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I just have to say that i played this for PC and it was awesome! I can't wait till it comes out for the PS2!

One of the best PS2 games ever made...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is so awesome! It's really realistic. The graphics look like real life! You also get realistic weapons, such as the Colt Commando (an assault rifle), a Sniper Rifle (which has a scope and a camera that follows the bullet!), a Desert Eagle (really powerful handgun), a Jackhammer (an auto-shotgun), and many more. Unfortunately, you only get the most powerful weapons towards the end of the game.

This game is mostly shooting bad guys, not really stealth or anything. But this game has a VERY cool feature that will save you many times called Bullet Time. Bullet Time allows you to move in slow motion, so you have a better chance to dodge bullets and hide behind walls/sculptures/etc.

Max Payne is one of the coolest characters in video game history. This game is kind of old (released in December 2001), but it's still great. Many PS1 games were old, and many people still play them, so it doesn't really matter how old a game is.

This game is not that hard, however, not that easy. In the last part, there are a lot of traps (like lasers that explode once you touch them). You will die several times in this game if you don't pay attention.

Overall, this is one of the best PS2 games that I own. This game is a classic.

Awesome game for PS2 or PC

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Dont let those low ratings or comments deter you MAX PAYNE is
one of the best third person games that have come out in the last 10 yrs, it was one of the best games for the PC next
to Half Life and its gritty violent realism and "bullet time"
mode are being used systematically in many games.

The story is that as Max Payne you a cop turned DEA detective
you find your family murdered by drugged thugs infautated with
the drug V.

As Max you turned into a "Dirty Harry" persona where you look
clues, crooks and criminals while exacting revenge on those
who have murdered your family and friends.

The game is for adults, but that is not to say its a bad game,
its not, the scenes in each game are wonderfully created, and
the intense realism during these one on one shootout still
sends a shiver down my spine. I wouldnt be surprised
if realy cops played the game for real life training as you
have to be quick on your toes.

Graphics 9

Awesomely detailed from New York City to Max Payne himself,
heck even the bad guys look good. You also see those cool
shaded effects that come from good 3d environment. Lastly
the game comes loaded with FMV movies for your enjoyment.

Sound and Music 5

Well yeah there is hardly music, but this is the rare occasion
where lack of music helps not hurts the game, especially
in those shootouts. The sound is equally incredible, using digitized speech throughout the game via Max Payne, his friend Alex and all the characters in the game including the Mob bosses.

Control 7

Well in the PC/WINDOWS version you had to use the keyboard
and mouse only which was very tiring and offered few
flexibility but now for the PS2, you could your joystick to kick
butt in the game. This was a very warm welcome. The programmers
stuck pretty to the PC port, depending on how you assigned your
controls the buttons are the same. One for aiming and shooting,
another to changed weapons and of course the famous
"Bullet Time" mode.

Bonuses:

Just like the PC port, the game does offer cool bonuses like
difficulty settings, but lacks of course the mods and maps
that the pc port has.

Still this is a great port for your PS2!!!!

the first game i ever beat

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: February 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

this game is very good
it jsut sucks u in and u cant quit, and before u know it, it is done

max payne = max fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: December 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

this is one of the best games i have ever played. the story line is twisted and dark. it almost as if i'm playing a movie. the controls take a little getting used to. i'd say 30 mins, hour tops. at somepoints it is difficult, but it is still great. i recommend it for anyone who wants to be a action hero.

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