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Payne, Pleasure, and Playability

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 20 / 22
Date: September 04, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Having heard about *Payne* since my early Navy days, I went out to Fred Meyerýs electronic department last Tuesday and bought it. Over two long nights and part of Thursday afternoon, I beat it. Sucked in from the moment I saw the box art, I refused to escape this game. With few exceptions, four years of development show in *Max Payne*.

Produced by 3D Realms, *Max Payne* is a third-person shoot through a noir-choked New York City. Finnish developer Remedy follows the standard set by Valve to immerse the game in an actual plot, bloody and surreal. We begin with our hero at the end of a vengeful rampage, and his reflections are the game. One fine American day, Detective Payne comes home in time to hear drug-crazed loonies shoot his wife and child. He hunts each intruder down, but too late. Payne joins his buddy Alex in the DEA. The killers had flown high on Valkyr, a new designer drug, and after three hard years the pair finally discovers the prime dealersýa debased and savage crime syndicate. But the break bursts bigger than anyone could imagine: hitmen ambush Max and Alex during a subway meeting. Max survives, but somebody out there is determined, powerful, and sadistic: Max is quickly framed for killing his own friend. As a terrible blizzard sets over New York, cold rage sets on Max. His enemies think he is trapped and helplessýthey only free his trigger fingerý

As the player, I turn Payneýs predicament into an opportunity for revenge. But not all is grit and gloom. *Payne* parodies itself along the way, relieving its own pain through the medicine of laughter. Much of the story unfolds in a wonderfully dark and sour graphic novel. Frozen in pictures made to resemble watercolor panels, actors pose comically, goofy expressions across their faces. Voice acting accompanies the novel scenes with such delicious ham I wanted to eat it. As the voice of pain himself, James McCaffrey deadpans morbid metaphor after sanguine simile after killer comeback. After criticizing the insanity of a mob boss, Payne broods, ýBut who was I to talkýan underdog avenger alone against an empire of evil, out to right a grave injustice?ý In the action itself, the player will stumble across nods to *Pulp Fiction*, *Die Hard*, *Lethal Weapon*, *Batman*, *The Punisher*, and *The Killer*. Foes scream hysterically as they die. And wisely borrowing from *No One Lives Forever*, Remedy peppers the game with the conversations of its guards, like ýWhy are vampire movies always set in LA? They canýt get a suntan!ý

All of this humor works against the very un-funny circumstance of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One must actually play through Payneýs nightmares and hallucinations; the experience is as frightening as any horror movie. But filling the hole of a dead wife and child is a revenge-sodden plot, with the contrast between humor and horror keeping the atmosphere balanced.

Play is balanced as much as plot. Every time the game is booted up, the player has the option of customizing performance: textures, decals, sounds and frames. The software is also apparently able to recognize when the player cuts through the opposition like Deathýs scythe, and when the opposition crumples the player-scythe like tinfoil. The stamina and aim of everybody is accordingly adjusted. *Payne* provides no armor, but introduces a Sam Peckinpah-style slow motion to give the player a stunt edge. Named after a special effect in *The Matrix*, this ýbullet timeý allows Max to shoot and dodge in slow motion, but aim in real time. Speaking of bullets, *Payne* bristles with contemporary crime movie weapons, including: Ingram M11s, Beretta 92s, and sawed-off shotguns straight out of *The Untouchables*. No bazookas, BFGs, or similar and unnecessary anti-tank weapons exist. Each level is exotic, moody-- and yet realistic (a multilevel parking garage has fluorescent lights and white-washed walls straight out of Navy boot campýugh). *Payneýs* puzzles and mazes are simple, subtle, and justifiedý with snowstorms and mob wars keeping things in perspective.

A proper perspective recognizes quirks as well as qualities. Despite four years to perfect it, a few noticeable flaws prevent *Max Payne* from receiving my five-star approval. Max can crouch, but he cannot creepýinstead he automatically stands up and jogs. This makes things easier on the level designer, but harder on Max when he steps around a doorframe and gets shot in the face. Max also doesnýt climb anything other than stairs, which again benefits the designer more than Max. While Payne is obviously meant to be a lone-wolf, it would have added to the suspension-of-belief if the levels were populated with friendly New York bums, bartenders, and bus drivers hiding from the snow. Finally, some of the levels felt a lot like those in Ravenýs *Soldier of Fortune*, but given the location, I think the similarities are unavoidable.

Strangest of all to me is the content-line Remedy seems to have drawn for itself. No child should play Max Payne as it is, but the game is not nearly as explicit as many classics. The bloody chum found in *Quake*, *Half-Life*, and *Soldier of Fortune* puts Payne to shame. Swearing limits mostly to blasphemies, as *Payne* avoids words even network television slips in. While Max investigates houses, we see just one prostitute, and one gambler. *Duke Nukem 3D* has more pornography, foul language, and gore in the first two levels of the shareware version than all of *Payne*. The only illegal drug mentioned or seen is the fictional Valkyr.

But I can easily understand if content is traded for style or performance (or both). Remedyýs *Max Payne* provides active and balanced story and game-play. Its faithful film-noir atmosphere makes the player imagine more grit than is actually shown. Only itýs neglect of a few basics prevent a full rating. Now if youýll excuse me, I do believe its ýbullet-time!" (groan).

Game of the Year -- Hands Down

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: July 31, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Wow. Simply put, Max Payne is one of those games that makes you sit back and thank the heavens for your PC. From the brilliant opening sequence to the dingy corridors of Hell's Kitchen apartments and subway systems, Payne promises a feast of graphic delight, convincing audio, and a wealth of gameplay goodness. The game's depiction of Max's wife being murdered is harrowing, and from there, the story just gets better. Told in snippets of pulp fiction graphic novel, Payne's bent-on-revenge theme works to perfection. The locale of NYC is genuine, down to the ambulance sirens, mailboxes, and subway location signs. But where the game really stands out is its gameplay. Although Max is a conventional shooter, it is anything but. Using the brilliant "shootdodge" and "bullet-time" techniques, Max can essentially slow down the clock and dispatch enemies, despite overwhelming odds. How, you ask? By slowing the enemy's actions (including their bullets), Max remains in real time, essentially letting you squeeze off a few rounds before the bad guys even knew what hit them. When it's all over, you'll see foes somersaulting backwards, bullets and blood their last hurrah. The game's use of Max's heartbeat to slow down the action is unforgettable, and having to use it only in times of trouble is amazing. It never gets overdone. The action sequences are too good to be true. In fact, to believe it, you'll simply have to see it. Action camera angles are done seamlessly, and Max's comments during the game keep the story flowing. Cut scenes are meticulously crafted in grainy comic book action, and the style works, thanks to the story's key elements.

With so many cool features and amazing gameplay, the only disappointment with "Max" is its length. Because after 10 to 15 hours of complete immersion, it's over. Still, with the included editor, game geeks from all over the world will be creating mods to further Max's bloodlust. Oh, and one other note: Payne works better on fast machines with updated graphics cards, so be sure you've got a 700 MHz or better unit running with some heavy RAM (128 or above; 256 is clutch) and a GeForce2 or above.

So, if you're thinking about buying one game this summer, make it Max Payne. It's an instant classic that is sure to go down in PC history as one of the greatest. It's that good.

Corney name, excellent game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: August 03, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Although the name of this game might be a turn off at first (Max Payne? How original!), you should never judge a book by it's cover. At a glance it may seem like just another clone shoot-em-up game, but in reality the game is quite innovative and just about the most fun you'll ever have with a shooting game.

You play the game as Max Payne, an undercover DEA agent who's having a streak of a bad luck (to put it lightly). I don't want to ruin the story, but bottom line is that you'll end up having to shoot your way out of every situation. The gameplay is superb! With a short and painless tutorial, easy to navigate controls, and 10-20 minute learning curve, the game is quite easy to jump into and play. The story plays out like a bad action flick, but it's fitting and actually adds to the gameplay.

The graphics are excellent and the level of detail is amazing as well. Within the game you'll see bullet holes from every shot you've taken and looking down at the floor you'll even be able to count the shells from your gun. There is no item decay which helps add to the realism, if you gun down some punk you can run around for 20 minutes and when you return his body will still be there (and so will the shells from your gun). The story settings are excellent as well. Running around seedy parts of the Bronx while gunning down mobsters and drug addicts is quite a change of pace from the your normal shooter where you're on a space station killing stupid looking aliens. Also, the "Bullet Time" effect is something completely new to the genre that really makes the game shine. Basically what "Bullet Time" does is put the game in slow-motion allowing you to get a better edge in gun battles and perform beautiful action-movie-like stunts. Although "Bullet Time" sounds like a cheat, it's really what makes the game great. You won't be able to just do it whenver you want for as long as you want. You have an Hourglass that determines how much B-Time you have left, and even when it's full it's only a couple of seconds in total. Earning more B-Time requires you to kill thugs WITHOUT using the B-Time, so it is best saved for tight situations.

Now although I do rate the game with 5 Stars, it does have it's annoyances. For one, the game is quite short. If you have a whole day to yourself you can blow through the game within a good 10 hours. Another annoying thing is the AI reflexes. It's almost impossible to sneak up on these thugs! The second you enter the room they are all aware of your presence, sometimes even before you enter. It's frustrating because these are supposed to be low-level hoodlums and yet they have the reflexes of a Navy SEAL. Another thing that will annoy the hell out of you is how long it can take to kill the people sometimes. You'd think a point-blank blast to the stomach from a Pump-Action Shotgun would be enough to finish off ANY human being... but be prepared to fire again. It'll also annoy you when you put 10 rounds from your Beretta into a gangsters chest to have him keep charging at you as if unaffected. Basically the bad-guys show no sign of pain or injury other than death. You can shoot him in the legs all you like, it won't do much other than kill him... eventually. But even with these problems I still rate the game a five because once you're playing, you won't even be thinking about these things. The game is short, but so much fun!

Overall, Max Payne delivers a very entertaining and very fresh gameplay experience. With many realistic weapons to choose from, the Bullet Time feature, the realistic enviroments, and the action packed gameplay, Max Payne will have you begging for a sequel once you've completed the game. Bottom line... the game is FUN!

Max Payne.... Max Fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 24
Date: July 28, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I am very picky when it comes to games. Ecspecially when you have a shoot-em up game because they tend to have little or no story (IE Quake 3). In my opinion a story makes the game by far. This game EASILY makes my grade. Like one reviewer wrote, this game has AWESOME graphics, AMAZING gameplay, and of course; a non-improvable story. Never before have I ever played a game with a plot more intriguing and yet the graphics and action make it even better. The Slowtime feature (enables you to be in slo-mo matrix style) NEVER gets old and is very useful for the game. Max's voice is a bit too much, very low and very deep, often times amusing. PARENTS WARNING: While this game IS fun it is also VERY violent I would not reccomend the game for people under 11 or so.

Overall, this game is shaping up to be the action game of the year, if not overall best game of the year. Thinking about getting it? GET IT its totally worth it. TRUST ME.

Gritty aesthetics don't completely hide the straightforward gameplay

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: March 31, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Max Payne got immense praise when it was first released; PC gamer gave it a whopping 95%.Perhaps at the time it was easy to hail it's features. Many graphic features were excellent for the time. The graphic novel cutscenes. And (of course) the bullet time feature.

Looking back at it though I think that 95% is surely too generous a score. It has some serious flaws to gameplay. Firstly the structure is almost entirely linear (In fact as far
as I know it is entirely linear but I've only played it once) After a few levels gameplay becomes quite predictable. You *know* that there are going to be bad guys lurking around, if
not that corner, then probably the next one. And unlike some games, like say, Thief, there isn't any way of telling they're around until you run into them. There is no lean feature
and you can't run while crouched meaning that your only option is to either charge in guns
blazing, or use the bullet time to slow things down. However the bullet time isn't quite as
helpful as you may imagine. Certainly with the sniper scope it gives you a valuable edge,
but with a room full of 3 or 4 enemies it's often just as effective to charge in, keep
moving about to present yourself as a difficult target and aim for headshots. (You'll never
run out of ammunition in this game) The game soon becomes a fairly routine exercise in
clearing rooms of bad guys (who usually say old cliched gangster type things like "Ice him!"
and finding an exit to the level. There is no tactical subtlety at all in the game except for the bullet time feature. I might also point out that the game features one of the worst
grenade implementations I've seen. Only one throw range and a puzzlingly small blast radius. Throwing a grenade into a room will most often merely result in enemies escaping unhurt and rushing out of the room to shoot you while you're switching weapons.

One thing that you'll either love or hate (or at least like or dislike) is the whole idea of the graphic novel cutscenes. Various important points in the game will trigger off a comic
book style cutscene with a cynical world weary voice over from Max Payne. Although I can see why this might add atmosphere tot he game and appeal to a lot of people I personally grew a
bit tired of the constant stop-start pace of the game. Those looking for constant action will be disappointed.

On the positive side though the plot is genuinely engaging and I found myself wanting to
finish a level if only to see what the next plot twist was. However even this was spoiled somewhat by the stupid names of the characters, all to obvious play on words; even the main character "Max Payne". It's groan worthy more than anything else.
Special mention too must go to the fact that this game models vertical dimensions well. It's
rare to find a game that features more than 2 or 3 elevation changes, but by the end of the game you'll find yourself in a New York skyscraper 50 stories high having to edge along the
outside. Looking down at the city beneath you is liable to produce some palpable vertigo!

So, yes I think this is a 3rd person good adventure, and worth buying. But for all it's noirish style the actual gameplay is all pretty straightforward a lot of the time.

...wow...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: August 07, 2001
Author: Amazon User

When I saw this game in the store I thought it seemed Corny. A NYC cop named Max Payne? Get more predictable then that. I bought it anyways though because my friend liked it. After opening the box and seeing that a small dvd case popped out holding the game, I was impressed. It's the little things that please me I suppose. The best part was that from the dvd case, the gaming experience only gets better. 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.

Great storyline, excellent engine, no strategy

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: November 07, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The storyline in this game is very thrilling from the whole Valkyr story to the blood trail dream phases, and the graphics are pretty decent, nothing spectacular. This game's 2 big features are the graphic novel scenes instead of fancy cutscenes, and the Matrix, er, Bullet Time slow-motion shooting and the instant replay when you give someone a bullet to the head. There is a nice variety of weapons, though it's a little odd how Max can carry so many at once. Sounds like a 5-star game, huh?

The major problem comes in when you realize, hey, there's little to no strategy or decisionmaking involved here. The levels are depressingly straightforward. There are all sorts of doors that make it look like you have a thrillingly complex level, but when you approach them they make a little shaking noise, as if you're trying to open them, but you have to move on to the doors that the emenies have so nicely left unlocked for you. Occasionally, you'll have to figure out a way to get beyond a door, but that's usually just a few steps back. Basically, there's barely any choices that you can make. You just sit back and kill people until the next graphic novel scene comes on.

Basically, this game would have made a better graphic novel. Unless, of course, you love mindless shooting games with souped up animation.

Singley the most profound game I've ever played.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 29, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I didn't expect alot from Max Payne, as the hype around it dulled my senses. I bought the game on a whim, and wow.. I was blow away. Technically, the game has no equal for graphics, the camera work makes you feel like your in a movie. The gameplay is very well done, although the AI is moderate, it can still provide a challenge. The key to the game is the storyline. Your heart goes out to this character, I more than once felt as though I would well up a tear for what this fellow goes through. The soundtrack and vocals are excellent adding so much more depth to the story. My only beef with this game is that it is EXTREMELY mature oriented. The graphic violence, blood, and various inuendos throughout the game should really be dealt with by adults. I haven't tried the parental "lock" version, however I can't help but wonder if they could take out all the stuff I would be concerned with my kids seeing. Max Payne is going to go on my shelf as one of the best games I've ever played.

Cure for the common FPS

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: June 05, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I've grown tired of first-person shooters. You run around, kill things, get a bigger gun, and kill things some more. Max Payne doesn't let you get away with that. Yes, you run and around and kill things, but this game runs deeper.

The story is quite intriguing and gives the player some narrative reason to keep playing. The story is narrated and presented in the form of stills from a graphic novel--very nice.

The voice acting is superb and the sounds are accurate and subtle. Having a good 4.1 or better speaker system is a must.

The graphics are gorgeous and graphic. The faces of the characters are very realistic and expressive.

Bullet time: This may be the game's crowning feature. Think The Matrix, where Neo dodges a few bullets. You can do this on a regular basis in Max Payne.

If you want a game with stellar graphics, an intelligent and nicely developed story, great sound, and you want to kill things, Max Payne is for you.

Quality VS. quantity

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I promised myself I wouldn't review Max Payne. I mean, everything to say has already been said in the countless reviews spread across the internet. Instead, I'll focus just on what, in my opinion, are the good and bad points.

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The Good:

-Fast-paced and stylish. If you are a fan of Tarantino(-esque) gangster movies (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Desperado) you will enjoy Max Payne.
-The best weapon sounds of any game. Crisp and realistic.
-The graphics, obviously. Sharp textures, great character models, stunning particle effects. An amazing engine that looks great even when scaled to the minimum quality.
-Fun. Simple, no-brainer fun.
-The nightmare sequences. I loved these. Hopefully the sequel will have more.

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The Bad:

-Yes, it is very short. I believe I finished in just under 8 hours. But with many good mods already out--and more on the way--the game is well worth the price.
-Bad plot, cheesey graphic novel (especially the later ones), tolerable voice acting. It's fun like a B-movie, though at times takes itself a way too seriously.
-Linear in a bad way. No dead-end hallways or rooms; only the doors you need to get through are unlocked. Seriously kills any suspension of disbelief, but with a story this bad there never was any anyway.
-No puzzles. I know it's an action game, but I'd have liked something a little more challenging than pushing two levers.

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Conclusions: Flawed but fun. Gimmicks and style can, at times, make up for gameplay. Let's just hope MP2 corrects on the bad and builds on the good.

Just like the game, there is my review: extremely short, badly written and to the point. Hurrah.

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